DEKALB, Ill. – Elon held the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team to just 30.5 percent (18-of-59) shooting from the field, including 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from three, as the Phoenix claimed a 75-48 victory over the Huskies at the NIU Convocation Center on Wednesday night (Nov. 20). 

James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) scored a team-high 16 points and dished out a team-high four assists. 

"We didn't come out with the right intentions on either side of the ball," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Their zone made us a little bit stagnated. Our inability to defend (without fouling), they shot 27 free throws to our 10. We shot 30 percent and had seven offensive rebounds. You can't not defend, foul and shoot the way we shot, and not have second and third attempts at the basket."

Elon finished with a 53-25 advantage in rebounding. 

In front 15-14, the Phoenix used a 6-0 burst to go in front by seven, 21-14, with 10:43 remaining in the first half. Dent then knocked in a pair of triples, sandwiched around an Elon basket, to bring the Huskies back within three, 23-20. 

Elon used a 10-0 run to take a 33-20 lead with 5:45 to play in the opening half. 

NIU (2-3) closed the half on a 9-4 run, trimming the Phoenix lead to 38-29 at the break. Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year Prep) had seven points during the burst for the Huskies. 

TK Simpkins scored nine points and had seven rebounds to lead Elon at the intermission, Dent and Joe Munden Jr. (Harlem, N.Y./Monsignor Scanlan) each had eight points to pace the Huskies. The Phoenix went 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the free-throw line in the opening half while the Huskies were just 2-of-4. 

Elon (2-2) scored seven of the first eight points to begin the second half as the Phoenix pushed their lead to 45-30 four minutes into the second stanza. 

The Phoenix pushed their lead to as much as 30 as Elon held NIU to just 25.9 percent (7-of-27) shooting it the second half, including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from three-point range. The visitors had a 28-18 edge in points in the paint and a 26-11 advantage in bench points. 

Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) and McPherson each finished with nine points, Munden closed with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. 

TK Simpkins finished with a game-high 19 points for Elon to go along with 10 rebounds. Sam Sherry also had a double-double for the Phoenix with 12 points and 10 rebounds. TJ Simpkins added 16 points and Nick Dorn chipped in 12 points. 

NIU returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the Huskies travel to DePaul. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised FS2.