ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — The Elon Phoenix and Furman Paladins, teams with nearly identical early-season records, will meet in a nonconference men’s basketball matchup Wednesday at Schar Center. Both teams are looking to rebound from Friday losses. Elon (4-3) fell 91-84 at home to Mercer, despite a 24-point performance from Chandler Cuthrell. Furman (4-4) dropped a 72-65 contest at Illinois State, where Alex Wilkins scored a game-high 25 points for the Paladins. The Phoenix have been strong at home, with their only blemish the recent loss to Mercer. Key contributors include Cuthrell, averaging a team-high 24 points in the last outing, and Randall Pettus, who added 13. Furman, which has struggled on the road with losses at High Point and Northern Iowa, is led by Wilkins. He is complemented by Collin O’Neal and Cooper Bowser, who each scored 12 points against Illinois State. This game is the first of a two-game homestand for Elon before a visit to Wofford on Saturday. Furman returns home to face Harvard on Saturday.