Going 9-15 from behind the three-point line with 13 baskets overall, Hanson recorded 39 points in 39 minutes of play to shatter the career mark of 27 he set just three nights ago at Samford. Willie Powers III who had his first career double-double Monday vs. the Bulldogs added a second to his accolades with 14 points and 10 assists. Ben Drayton III (St. Mary, Ga) scored 18 for his fourth straight double-figure game.

The Eagles outscored the Phoenix 66-45 in the second half, with Hanson's 20, Drayton's 13 and Powers' 12 accounting for more than 50 percent of the scoring in the half. More remarkable, however, was that Georgia Southern trailed by 11 at halftime, 32-43, and scratched back from another double-digit deficit to record the win.

"It is so special to send the six seniors out with a win like this," said Eagles Head Coach Charlton "C.Y." Young. "It's the last time they will smell the popcorn, hear the band, get taped up, put on the uniform. We stayed together and scrapped it out, we played well and the seniors deserved this."

With its best game field goal percentage of the season, Georgia Southern shot 55.6 percent for the game, following a 41.9 percent mark in the first half and scorching 68.8 percentage in the second. Hanson hit 65 percent on his own and 60 percent from behind the arc. The Eagles, without a free throw for the first 25 minutes of the contest, finished 15-19 for 78.9 percent.

Opening the second half with a 10-2 run and hitting 75 percent from the field, Georgia Southern pulled within one, 44-45 with just two minutes off the clock, forcing Elon to call a timeout. Regaining its composure, the Phoenix hit back-to-back layups and the "and one" to pull back out to a six-point lead with 14:36 left in the game.

Adding free throws by Powers and a three by Drayton, GSU was within two, 51-53, before a Spencer dunk tied the score at 53 all. Both teams tangled with a one-point lead over the next three minutes before Wohleb hit a three to put the Eagles up by one, 61-60 at the 12:15 mark. In five minutes, Georgia Southern had a 19-4 run to grab a 80-64 lead, the largest GSU lead of the second half.

Elon took advantage of Georgia Southern's three-minute drought from the 7:12-4:22 mark to cut the lead to seen with jumpers by Josh Bonney, a three by T.J. Douglas and Devan Carter layup. Carter added another after Drayton broke the cold spell at the 4:11 mark. Powers added a layup in the paint and the and one, then another layup as the Eagles had an 87-75 lead with 3:08 to go.

Hanson hit a jumper in the lane off a fastbreak and would add four points to his totals as the Phoenix were willing to send the Eagles to the line in exchange for keeping time on the clock. Drayton had three more points from the foul line and freshman guard Alex Coxworth (Alpharetta, Ga.) closed out the scoring two two free throws.

Georgia Southern's six seniors were honored before the game for their efforts and contributions in building a foundation of success for the basketball program. Five of the six started in their final game at Hanner Fieldhouse: Antonio Hanson, who has started every game this year, Krzysztof Janiszewski, Antoine Johnson, Sandy Perry (Perth Amboy, N.J.) and Tyler Troupe (Gallatin, Tenn).

Building off the emotion of senior day and the final home game of the season at Hanner Fieldhouse, Hanson and the senior starters ran out to a 17-8 score off three quick baskets, two trey and a jumper by Hanson and two jumpers by Janiszewski. Hanson added another for a 20-12 GSU lead with Drayton added a jumper for a 10-point margin, 22-12. The tide turned almost as quickly as the Phoenix knocked down the lead to two points, 22-20, within two minutes.

The two teams would tie at 24 and 26 as Elon and Georgia Southern kept the margin cose midway through the first half. The Phoenix lead crept up to six, but another trey by Hanson brought it down to three. Capitalizing off six missed shots and a turnover, Elon took a 12 point lead with three minutes left before halftime, 41-29. Drayton brought the score under double digit with a three-pointer, but Elon's Chris Long put it back at 11 with two free throws on the next possession.  Neither team would score for the final 2:32 of the first half.

In the first half, Elon dominated in the paint with 20 points to Georgia Southern's two and converted Eagle turnovers to 15 points on the other side. Elon still won the battle inside, but Georgia Southern evened it up I the second half with 18 points and had the advantage with 26 points off Elon's 13 second-period miscues.

-GS-