Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SARASOTA, Fla. - The New College of Florida men's basketball team is primed for an exciting inaugural season. 

The Mighty Banyans men's basketball team officially began their 2023 campaign in dramatic fashion at the Ken Wood's Classic over the weekend. 

The Banyans faced off against Bethel University (TN) for their first matchup of the season. 

The Bethel Wildcats punished the Banyans inside, scoring all 44 of their first-half points from inside of the arc. The Wildcats got hot at the 13th minute mark of the half, going on a 14-0 run in the span of three minutes. 

The Mighty Banyans couldn't find a rhythm, converting on 35.5% of their first-half shot attempts. 

The Wildcats would head into the break with a 44-26 lead. An early second-half bucket gave Bethel their biggest lead of the game at 20 points. 

The Banyans would find their stride in the second half. Quincy Snoddy Jr. paced the Banyans all night, leading the team with 20 points while also tallying 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Jordan Clark also had a big second half, leading to an impressive 19 point, 8 rebound, and 4 assist outing. 

Jack Scott, Shawn Lefresne, and Giovanni Toscanini contributed big minutes down the stretch, helping the Banyans crawl back into the game.  

New College's comeback would be cut short with the Mighty Banyans losing a tight matchup 73-84. 

New College had another chance to bounce back on Saturday, this time against the Ken Wood's Classic host Life University. 

The Banyans got off to a much better start, keeping pace with the Running Eagles for the majority of the half. 

Quincy Snoddy Jr. impressed again, with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. 

Jordan Clark, Shawn Lefresne, Giovanni Toscanini, and Malachi Pearson played well in the second half, keeping the Banyans in the game. 

The Banyans came up just short again, losing a close game 76-84. 

Head Coach Andrew Wingreen was impressed with his team's improvement over the weekend. "I love the way we responded and battled this weekend. The first night, we made a lot of mistakes and felt like we gave the game away. Our guys were able to embrace the challenge of back-to-back games and came back the second day with great effort and energy. Life U is receiving votes in the NAIA national polls and is one of the best teams in the country. I'm proud of the way they competed and found ways to get better. We will continue to build this foundation into something special."

The Mighty Banyans are back in action this Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m.