By Josh Noel (@Josh_DDH)
ELON, N.C. — Entering Wednesday, Chandler Cuthrell had scored 15 or more points in every game so far this season, and ranked third nationally in points per game (22.7). Cuthrell scoring a season-low nine points wouldn’t seem like a recipe for Elon success.
Yet the graduate forward came through when it mattered the most.
Cuthrell’s acrobatic lefty layup between two defenders and succeeding free throw made the difference in lifting Elon (7-4) to a 73-70 victory over Richmond (9-2).
“To be able to get a hard-fought victory like this is really important for us for our growth and development,” said Elon coach Billy Taylor. “I have a lot of respect for Coach (Chris) Mooney and the Richmond program. I’m just really pleased with our guys for finding a way. We just continue to compete.”
Cuthrell’s layup may not have been exactly what Taylor had in mind, but the Phoenix’s coach praised his graduate forward’s efforts in delivering the game-winning basket.
“He’s a creative finisher in the paint,” Taylor said. “I saw there was enough contact where he was going to be able to get the ball up and give it a chance on the backboard. When he gets in the paint, he’s very difficult to stop.”
Kacper Klaczek led the Phoenix Wednesday night with 16 points, including a perfect line from both 3-point range and the free throw line. Klaczek expressed appreciation for his teammates, who helped him post his third straight game scoring double-figure points.
“At first, the game wasn’t going how I wanted,” Klaczek said. “It took us a long time to figure out the Richmond defense. They switch everything. At first, we weren’t making threes. Later, all of it kind of fell together.”
No one on the Elon roster had faced Richmond in game action besides Klaczek, who scored a combined four points against the Spiders in four games while enrolled at Saint Joseph’s. Klaczek admitted it was a relief to finally flip the script on the Spiders.
“In the first three years for me at Saint Joseph’s, I didn’t have a big game against Richmond in my career,” he said. “When they put a bigger guy on me, I had an advantage on the perimeter. I got confidence the more we played and I knew what to do.”
Richmond coach Chris Mooney complimented Klaczek’s performance and skill set.
“I really like his game,” Mooney said. “He fills the stat sheet. He’s physical, aggressive, a good passer, and I’m a big fan of his game.”
Ja’Juan Carr scored 13 points for the Phoenix, including the first seven of the game, while Isaac Harrell added 11 points. AJ Lopez tallied 15 points to lead the Spiders and Apostolos Roumoglou supplied 12 points.
The Phoenix and Spiders displayed their respective 3-point prowess Wednesday, shooting 41.4 and 40 percent, respectively. It was a tale of two halves, though, as to when each side found success from beyond the arc.
Richmond connected on nine of its 14 three-point attempts in the first half, equaling its season average, but shot 3-for-15 in the second half. Conversely, Elon went 3-for-10 in the opening stanza but straightened out to shoot 7-of-15 in the second.
“We figured out how to get the ball in the paint then spray it out for threes,” Taylor said. “We were getting our drive-and-kick game going instead of moving around the perimeter and launching threes like we did in the first half.”
The Spiders’ first half 3-point discrepancy may have been enough to outrun the Phoenix had they not been bitten by the turnover bug. Richmond committed 20 turnovers, the most for the program since committing 20 against La Salle in 2020. The Phoenix converted the 20 Spider giveaways into 29 points.
“I thought our communication defensively locked into not giving them easy opportunities they can normally get,” Taylor said. “Those turnovers allowed us to get out in transition and continuing to put pressure on the basketball.”
The turnovers heated up the game so much that Mooney removed his suit jacket after the Spiders turned it over for the eighteenth time.
“That’s something we really have to look at,” he Mooney. “Tonight’s the most I can ever remember this happening. We’ll have to work hard in the next couple of days to take better care of the ball.”
Between the trading of threes and turnovers, the entirety of Wednesday’s game stayed within single digits. A Mike Walz triple to open the second half gave the Spiders their largest lead at 44-35, but it would be the only time Richmond led by more than seven points. The game featured a total of 13 ties and 12 lead changes.
The Phoenix briefly reclaimed the lead twice, but surrendered it back immediately to the Spiders for much of the second half until Cuthrell’s layup and free throw sealed the game.
Among all the positive takeaways of the victory, Taylor says the Phoenix’s defense is something the team can take with it going forward.
“Holding a team like that to 29 points in the second half shows our defense is really taking some steps,” he said. “It doesn't always show up because we do play fast and there's a lot of possessions. In a slower tempo game, our guys were able to figure out a way to grind it out.”
Elon travels to Virginia Tech Saturday to take on the Hokies at 2 p.m. Richmond returns home to continue its non-conference slate against The Citadel Saturday, at 6 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.