The Elon Phoenix (10-5) will have their chance to beat the Colonial Athletic’s best team when they square off against the James Madison Dukes (11-4) at JMU Convocation Center. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 7.
The Dukes were victorious over Delaware 73-63 the last time they played. Jackson Kent played a key role, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds to notch his first double-double this season. The Phoenix are coming off an 83-78 win over Drexel in their last outing. Tanner Samson led the team in scoring with 19 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
It will be a tale of two tempos, as the fast-breaking Phoenix (ranked 17th in the nation in possessions per game) take on the slow-paced Dukes (286th).
James Madison, an eight-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Elon. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 154 points. The Dukes enter the game with records of 11-4 Straight Up (SU) and 5-7 Against The Spread (ATS). James Madison is excellent from the perimeter with 148 three-pointers made (9.0 per game), the 20th-most in the country.
Across the court, Elon has a SU record of 10-5 and an ATS record of 4-4. The Phoenix rank 40th in the country in scoring, averaging 81.5 points per game. The Phoenix are an excellent long-range shooting team with 158 three-point shots made (10.0 per game), ranking 11th in Division I.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the conference rivals played, James Madison won, moving its SU record against the Phoenix to 2-0. The teams have an even record ATS, 1-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Elon, ATS Winner – Elon, O/U – Over
Notes
James Madison is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games.
James Madison and Elon both stand at an even 1-1 SU against their conference.
Elon scores 74.0 points per away game (ranked 84th). James Madison ranks a poor 137th in points allowed at home, allowing 65.3 points.
The Elon Phoenix average 75.3 possessions per game and 1.082 points per possession. The James Madison Dukes earn fewer possessions with 67.4, but they score more points with 1.130.
The Elon Phoenix average an effective field goal percentage of 53.0% this season. The James Madison Dukes have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have an eFG% of 53.0% or greater.
The James Madison Dukes average 25.0 three point attempts per game, and the Elon Phoenix attempt 29.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; James Madison is 9-4 and Elon is 10-5.
James Madison ranks 220th in offensive rebounds, while Elon ranks 92nd in defensive rebounds.
The James Madison Dukes make an average of 4.1 steals per game. When the Elon Phoenix allow 4 or more steals, they are a solid 10-5.
