SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men's basketball team (1-0) took down the Erskine Flying Fleet 112-58 in its season opener at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on Monday night. The team saw double-doubles from both Kyler Filewich (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Belal El Shakery (11 points, 12 rebounds), the first of his career, on the way to a dominant win.
 
"We did a good job of not just looking for a good shot but a great shot," said head coach Dwight Perry. "One of the main areas we focused on is the defensive end - trying to generate more negative plays and get in the passing lanes while still being disciplined. Overall, we were really pleased to get a great team win with a lot of contributions from everybody."
 
Seven Terriers closed the game with double-digit scoring, led by two 16-point outings from both Justin Bailey and Jeremy Lorenz. Jackson Sivills followed with 15 points, including nine in the second half alone. Kyler Filewich, Belal El Shakery and Dillon Bailey scored 11 points apiece, along with 10 from freshman guard Kahmare Holmes. The scoring output was fueled by 31 assists, the most since 34 helpers against UVA Wise in 2016.
 
Wofford dominated the glass all night, grabbing 65 boards compared to Erskine's 30 – the most rebounds by the team since 2001-02. Kyler Filewich, Anthony Arrington, Jr. and Belal El Shakery led the group in the category, pulling down 10, 10 and 12, respectively. Arrington Jr. flirted with a triple-double, finishing the night with eight points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists.
 
"Just coming out playing hard and playing together helped everything fall into place," said Belal El Shakery on his career night. "We have to keep that same intensity and carry it over game-to-game, and the results will come by itself."
 
The team hounded the Fleet on the defensive end, forcing 23 turnovers while swiping 18 steals, which is the most in a game since the 2018-19 season when Wofford totaled 20 against Mars Hill. Justin Bailey had a team-high five steals, along with Arrington Jr. tallying three. Five Terriers followed behind with two steals apiece.
 
"Our defensive pressure has been really good," said Justin Bailey. "We have worked on it all summer and talk about raising the level every day in practice, film and even the scrimmages. I feel like I can bring that energy to that side of the ball and that is what I am focused on."
 
The Terriers opened the night on a 7-0 run that was started by a three-pointer from Dillon Bailey. Kyler Filewich followed with a dunk, along with Justin Bailey's first points as a Terrier to cap the run. Erskine scored back-to-back baskets, but Wofford answered with another 8-0 run. Jeremy Lorenz finished it off with a strong and-one at the rim for his first points of the season. The team would head into the first media timeout leading Erskine 21-9.
 
Wofford rattled off a 17-0 run coming out of the break which was led by six consecutive points from Justin Bailey. The Flying Fleet settled in on the defensive end, however, holding the Terriers to just 20% shooting in the final eight minutes of the half (4-20). Wofford would head into the break leading Erskine 56-30.
 
The second stanza saw a quick 16-3 run behind a pair of treys from Justin Bailey and Dillon Bailey and a nice turnaround jump shot from Corey Tripp. Jeremy Lorenz added in back-to-back buckets. Kyler Filewich closed out the run with an emphatic two-hand slam. The run would take the game into its first media timeout of the half with the Terriers holding a 70-33 lead with 14:12 remaining.
 
The Terriers continued to dominate every facet of the game, ultimately defeating the Flying Fleet 112-58. Four players scored their first points as a Terrier on the night – Luke Flynn, Kahmare Holmes, Justin Bailey and Don Douglass.
 
Justin Bailey scored 16 points in his Terrier debut, tying Jackson Paveletzke in 2022 for the most points in a Wofford debut. He is joined by Kahmare Holmes, who scored 10 points, as the two are now just the seventh and eighth Terriers to score double figures in their debut. Bailey also notched five steals, tying his career high, which is the most since Corey Tripp in 2022.
 
Wofford shot 47.8% (44-92) from the field while shooting 29.4% (15-51) from deep. The team held Erskine to 35.7% (20-56) from the field and 24.2% (8-33) from three. The Terriers outrebounded Erskine 65-30, including 18 second chance points. Wofford totaled 33 points off 23 turnovers from the Fleet along with 22 fast break points.
 
The Terriers will embark on a six-game road stint, first starting with a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday. Wofford will take on Lipscomb University at 5:00 pm eastern time. Last year was the first time the teams had ever met, and it was Lipscomb claiming an 85-78 victory.