Preview: Drexel Dragons at Elon Phoenix

ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in the tightly packed Colonial Athletic Association standings will meet Saturday when the Elon Phoenix hosts the Drexel Dragons at Schar Center.

The matchup features squads with nearly identical records. Drexel (12-12, 6-5 CAA) looks to rebound from a tough 81-60 road loss at Campbell on Thursday. Elon (13-11, 6-6) is also coming off a difficult defeat, falling 87-79 in double-overtime at Hampton on the same night.

The game will showcase two of the conference’s top recent performers. Drexel is led by guard Shane Blakeney, who has scored in double figures in eight straight games. He is averaging 16.1 points per game over that stretch, including a 19-point, 9-rebound effort in a one-point win over North Carolina A&T on Jan. 31.

Elon counters with high-scoring guard Chandler Cuthrell, who is coming off a career-high 32 points in the double-OT loss to Hampton. Cuthrell has been on a tear, averaging 20.9 points over his last seven contests. His scoring prowess will be central to the Phoenix’s hopes against a Drexel defense that allowed 81 points in its last outing.

The Dragons have shown resilience, winning four of their last six games prior to the Campbell loss, with three of those victories coming by five points or fewer. Elon’s recent path has been more uneven, having dropped four of its last six, though the losses include narrow defeats to Stony Brook (72-68) and William & Mary (79-76) and the double-overtime thriller at Hampton.

Historically, the venue has been kind to Elon this season, where they hold a 9-3 record. Drexel is 4-7 in true road games. A win would push the victor closer to the top tier of the CAA standings with the conference tournament roughly a month away.

Saturday’s contest is scheduled for a 4 p.m. EST tip-off. Following this game, Drexel will host Monmouth on Feb. 12, while Elon travels to face UNC Wilmington on the same date.