Elon used suffocating defense and a balanced scoring attack to top High Point, 70-46, Saturday afternoon in men's basketball action in the Millis Center.

The Panthers finish the regular season at 7-19, 3-11 in Big South play. Elon improves to 12-14 (8-6).

Elon jumped out to a 19-3 lead and never looked back as HPU missed its first 12 shots from the field and finally connected on a Brent Halsch tip-in with 9:49 left until halftime to make the score 19-5. The Phoenix led 39-20 at the break.

HPU dressed just seven players for the second-straight game as Danny Gathings, Kashawn Hampton, Joe Knight, served the second game of a two-game suspension for violating the athletic department's study hall policy.

It was more of the same in the second half. High Point shot 35 percent (18-for-51), and made just 1-of-11 three-pointers.

In his final game at the Millis Center, Dustin Van Weerdhuizen led all scorers with 14 points. Fellow senior Ron Barrow finished with nine points, while junior Brent Halsch pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Elon was led in scoring by Ross Sims' 10 points. Jackson Atoyebi (nine points, 10 rebounds) and Gary Marsh (nine points) each contributed strong efforts off the bench.

Nine Elon players scored at least five points apiece.

High Point will be the eighth seed in the Big South Tournament and travels to Winthrop Tuesday night (7:00 pm) for a first-round game, with the winner advancing to the semifinals Friday night in Lynchburg, Va.

Depending on the results of Saturday night's Winthrop/UNC Asheville game, Elon will either host UNC Asheville or visit Charleston Southern Tuesday night at 7:00 pm for another first-round game.