ELON, N.C. — UNC Greensboro dug itself a deep first-half hole Friday night and never fully climbed out, falling 74-65 to Elon in the Phoenix home opener just down the road from Greensboro.
The game was even at 13 before Elon took control. The Phoenix went on a 9-0 burst and then finished the half with 10 straight points, keeping the Spartans off the scoreboard for the last 5:28 before intermission and taking a 39-22 lead into the break.
UNCG came out of the locker room with much more energy. RJ Greer scored seven of the Spartans points in a 12-2 surge, and a three-pointer by Jon Mani with 14:45 to play pulled UNCG within 45-39.
Elon pushed right back. A 10-2 Phoenix run rebuilt a 55-41 cushion, and while UNCG kept chipping away, getting as close as 71-65 with 1:49 left, the Spartans did not score again. They missed their last five shots from the field as Elon closed it out at the foul line.
Greer finished with a team-high 18 points for UNCG. Dionte Neal and Mani added 16 each, giving the Spartans three players who combined for 50 of their 65 points.
Rebounding decided much of the night. Elon owned the glass 45-22 and pulled down 14 offensive boards, which helped the hosts outscore UNCG 10-2 on putbacks. Inside, the Phoenix piled up 32 paint points to 24 for the Spartans.
The Spartans did shoot better from beyond the arc, making eight threes to four for Elon, and they hit 81.8 percent of their free throws. Every one of the 10 Elon players who saw the floor scored at least once.
The Piedmont Triad rivals are separated by roughly 20 miles, and the loss sends UNCG back to Greensboro looking for answers on the boards before its next game.
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