Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Dec. 1, 2010, edition 1 / Page 14
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PAGE 14 11 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2010 SPORTS THE PENDULUM I '1 ATHLETIC RESULTS NOV. 18 - NOV. 29 Phoenix approaches beginning of Southern Conference slate Football Nov. 20 Furman 14 Elon 45 Volleyball Nov. 19 Davidson 0 Elon 3 Nov. 20 Georgia Southern 3 Elon 1 Men’s basketball Nov. 20 Wake Forest 89 Elon 70 Nov. 22 Hampden- Sydney 56 Elon 76 Nov. 26 Elon 57 Maryland 76 Women’s basketball Nov. 18 Elon 66 Virginia Tech 73 Nov. 21 Coastal Carolina 58 Elon 73 Nov. 23 Virginia Interment ifon 80 Nov. 29 Elon Appalachian State ELON ATHLETICS THIS WEEK DEC. 1 - DEC. 7 Wednesday 12/1 Men’s basketball @ Furman — 7 p.m. Thursday 12/2 Women’s basketball @ West Virginia — 7 p.m. Saturday 12/4 Men’s basketball vs. Wofford - 7 p.m. Track and field (Liberty Kick- off) — All Day Sunday 12/5 Women’s basketball @ Morgan State — 2 p.m. Tuesday 12/7 Men’s basketball vs. Gardner-Webb — 7 p.m. Conor O’Neill Assistant Sports Editor The Elon University men’s basketball team enters its Dec. 1 game against Furman University with a 2-3 record. But the first game of the Southern Conference will be an intriguing test for the team when it travels to Greenville, S.C., to face the Paladins. “We have several practices to get ready for (Dec. 1),” head coach Matt Matheny said. “It will be interesting to see how we match up against a Southern Conference opponent this early in the year.” The Phoenix has responded to a loss with a win in the following game twice this season, with victories over The College of New Jersey and Hampden- Sydney College. Each loss that has come this season has been against a team from a top- tier conference in college basketball. South Carolina from the SEC and Wake Forest and Maryland of the ACC have accounted for the team’s three losses. Against the Gamecocks, the Phoenix lost 94-79. But each loss to an ACC opponent came by 19, as Elon fell to the Demon Deacons 89-70 and the Terrapins 76-57. Sophomore forward Roger Dugas cited good signs coming from how the team has competed in its three losses. “Against South Carolina, we only fought for five minutes. With Wake Forest it was a little more and then (against Maryland) it was more,” Dugas said. “So 1 see our team getting stronger as we’re going.” And that is a trend Matheny would like to see continue to the end of the season. “Our goal is to be the best we can be in March,” Matheny said. “In practice and then in our preparation for (Dec. 1) we will try to improve. We keep the sight of being our best in March well within our grasp and vision.” Between now and then, the team has 18 SoCon games and six games out of the conference. After five games last season, the Phoenix also had a 2-3 record. But the team lost three straight games after that start and fell in 12 of its next 13 games. This season, the Phoenix has three December games against SoCon teams to measure itself before the conference schedule fully takes effect in January. The first SoCon matchup comes against Furman, a team that Elon split a regular season series with last year. On Dec. 4, the Phoenix faces defending conference tournament champion Wofford College in the SoCon home opener in Alumni Gym. The Terriers were victorious in each meeting last season, with victories of 17 and 16 points. The other December conference game for Elon is the team’s game against the University of Tennessee Chattanooga on Dec. 17. The Phoenix defeated the Mocs twice last season, by scores of 82-63 and 83-80. Matheny said he has seen improvement from his team this season, but stresses that the team has not yet reached its desired level. “We are definitely improving,” Matheny said. “(The Maryland game) was our longest stretch of competitively tough basketball. We’re encouraged by improvement, but we know where we need to go and we’re falling short of that right now.” PHOTOS SUBMITTED TOP: Senior guard Chris Long finished the 76-57 loss against Maryland Nov. 26 with five points, one rebounds and four assists. He played in 25 minutes of the game. BOTTOM: (from left to right) Freshman forward Lucas Troutman, senior guard Chris Long, senior forward Scott Grable and junior guard Terrance Birdette averaged just below 22 minutes of playing time in the loss against Maryland Nov. 26. After loss, women’s basketball looks to rebound with ranked opponent FILE PHOTO Junior guard Tiara Cause has already recorded 66 points and 12 assists through six games this season. Against Appalachian State Nov. 29, she only had one point and one assist in the 100-67 loss in Boone. Pam Richter Editor-in-Chief The Elon women’s basketball team will look to rebound heading into Thursday night’s match up against West Virginia University after coming off a loss Nov. 29 against Appalachian State University. The Phoenix dropped its first Southern Conference game of the season 100- 67 to the Mountaineers. “I felt like we made too many unforced turnovers and got out of sync against a competitive and solid team,” head coach Karen Barefoot said. “When you are playing against one of the toughest teams in the conference you can’t afford to turn over the ball like that." With the loss, Elon drops to 4-2 on the season and 0-1 in the SoCon, and the Mountaineers improve to 5-1 and 1-0 in conference. The Phoenix jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the game, but the Mountaineers responded to go up 11-5 with 15:30 in the first half. “I felt like we started the game okay and then let it get out of hand,” Barefoot said. “They did a great Job pressuring and disrupting our flow. Our rhythm wasn’t there.” Elon trailed 49-25 at halftime — the first time the Phoenix has trailed at halftime all season. Sophomore forward Lei Lei Hairston led the team in scoring with a career- high 19 points, 8-of-13 shooting from the field. In the game the Phoenixhad 31 turnovers, compared to the 19 by the Mountaineers. Appalachian State forced Elon to play in a hurry and cause it to make a lot of unforced turnovers. Barefoot said. “We went into half time and just talked about one play at a time and getting better and tougher,” Barefoot said. “We really came out second half and did that. We dug too big of a hole and weren’t able to get out of that.” During the course of the week, the team will play three away games. Thursday’s game is one of two the Phoenix has before it heads into a 13- day break for finals. It will play 7 p.m. Thursday at West Virginia, and then the team will play Morgan State University 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in Baltimore. “This is a week where we’ve had three away games,” Barefoot said. “When we play on the road, nothing changes. We have to get comfortable, and we have to execute the game plan and not rush. I’m looking forward to the challenges that are ahead of us. We’re young, and we’re trying to get better.” West Virginia is 3-0 on the season, and in the recent Associated Press Women’s Basketball poll, it is ranked No. 10 in the nation. “West Virginia is probably the toughest teaml’ve ever scheduled," Barefoot said. “I just want us to go in there and be competitive and composed and really try to execute the game plan and not let the game plan get away from us. You have to take one possession at a time. That’s going to make us better as a team.” The team will resume SouthernConferenceplay Dec. 18 against Western Carolina University after the break for finals.
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Dec. 1, 2010, edition 1
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