SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, Nick Dorn led the Elon Phoenix with an impressive performance, scoring 24 points and sinking 5 of 6 attempts from beyond the arc. TK Simpkins added 17 points, and the Phoenix finished strong with a pivotal 10-2 run to secure an 84-77 victory against Notre Dame, the alma mater of Elon’s head coach Billy Taylor.
Taylor played for the Fighting Irish from 1992 to 1995, taking part in 112 games and serving as team captain during his final year. His previous encounter with Notre Dame was on November 27, 2006, when he was head coach at Lehigh, a game that ended in a 93-87 victory for the Irish.
With just over a minute left in the game, Isaac Harrell made a crucial contested layup, marking his only points of the night, which put Elon ahead 78-75. This prompted Notre Dame to call a timeout as they strategized their next move. However, their efforts to penetrate the paint were thwarted by Sam Sherry, who forced a difficult shot that Elon was able to rebound.
The Simpkins brothers combined their efforts, with TK assisting TJ under the basket for an 80-75 lead. The Phoenix then secured the win by converting four free throws in the closing moments of the game.
In addition to Dorn and TK Simpkins, TJ Simpkins contributed 16 points off the bench, while Sherry added 13 points along with seven rebounds for Elon, who improved to 3-2 this season. On the other side, Notre Dame’s Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry shone for the Fighting Irish, contributing a combined total of 47 points and hitting nine 3-pointers. Burton shot 10 for 18 from the field, including four 3-pointers, to finish with 25 points, while Shrewsberry contributed 22 points with five 3-pointers made.
The Phoenix now have a week of rest before they compete against Maine on November 29 at the Cathedral Classic Invitational in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is gearing up for a challenging road trip, facing ranked opponents in back-to-back matches in Las Vegas, starting with No. 24 Rutgers on Tuesday.