SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team fell to the Elon Phoenix on Saturday afternoon, 52-73, after accumulating a 35-point deficit in the first half.

The Terriers (6-4) were led by 12 points from Kahmare Holmes and Nils Machowski. Brian Sumpter led at the glass with five rebounds, adding another two-block performance. Cayden Vasko dished out four assists without turning the ball over. Holmes led with a career-high six steals.

How It Happened
Wofford struggled in the opening frame of the game, going 1-7 before the first media timeout. Kahmare Holmes dove to the basket to secure the first points for the Terriers after allowing Elon to amass an 8-0 lead. It took another 2:30 minutes for Wofford to grab another bucket, with Holmes grabbing his own rebound and finishing at the rim. Elon's offensive prowess was evident from the jump as the Phoenix went up 24-7, forcing the Wofford bench to call a timeout. With just under eight minutes on the clock, half of the Terriers' points came from the line.

Chace Watley hit the first three for the Terriers after 11 unsuccessful attempts. He was the first Terrier outside of Holmes to score a field goal in the half as well. The Phoenix shot 58.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc in the first half. On the other side of the stat sheet, Wofford shot 14.8 percent from the field and 6.7 percent from three. The Elon offense was electric, scoring an opponent's season high for the first half, 50, while the Terriers were held to a season-low 15 points in a half.

Nils Machowski kicked off the second half with a three-pointer, followed by a fast break lay-up. Wofford went 8-1, scoring on its first three possessions. Wofford nearly doubled its points before the first media timeout, outscoring the Phoenix 13-7, as they looked to shave away Elon's 35-point halftime lead. The teams traded scores for a period, as Wofford seemed to return to their normal form of play in the second half, shooting 53 percent from the field and 33 percent from the arc.

The Terriers were in dire need of defensive stops and scoring streaks. They found some relief with a 10-0 run while forcing Elon to take tough shots to bring the game to within 19 points for the first time in the half. The Phoenix scored for the first time in five minutes to end the run. Following a trade of scores, Elon scored six straight. Chace Watley hit back-to-back threes at the end of the game, but the first-half deficit was too large to overcome. Wofford lost its first non-conference home game since 2021 by a 73-52 margin.

Inside the Numbers

• Starters: Cayden Vasko, Brian Sumpter, Luke Flynn, Kahmare Holmes, Nils Machowski.
• The last time Wofford was held to 15 or fewer points in a half was at Duke last season.
• Kahmare Holmes reached a new career-high of six steals. His previous high (4) was set at VMI last season.
• Last time Wofford fell at home in non-conference play was against Richmond on December 1, 2021, where they lost 73-64.

Up Next
The Terriers are back in action on Monday, December 15, at Gardner-Webb. Wofford takes on the Runnin' Bulldogs in Paul Porter Arena after a week-long break. Tip-off set for 7 p.m. Listen along at wofford.leanplayer.com or watch on ESPN+.