(This story was updated to add new information.)
It was the homecoming that Elon head coach [autotag]Billy Taylor[/autotag] envisioned, as his Phoenix defeated Notre Dame men’s basketball on Friday evening, 84-77.
Taylor has long been away from South Bend as a coach, as he was with the team from 1998-1999 before moving on and eventually getting a lead position. The Phoenix came into the game as heavy underdogs, but that didn’t shake them as they shot a blistering 57.1% on the night.
Notre Dame just couldn’t buy a bucket late in the game, as Elon held the Irish scoreless for almost the final two-minutes of the game before a basket when the game was virtually over. Nick Dorn led the Phoenix with 24 points while Markus Burton paced the Irish with 25.
The loss is the first for Notre Dame this season, as they now sit at 4-1, while Elon moves to 3-2. This defeat will hurt the Irish’s chances to make the NCAA Tournament, as this will be considered a bad loss.
Notre Dame gets back on the court on Tuesday, as they host a ranked Rutgers team in Las Vegas.
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