SARASOTA, Fla. - The New College of Florida Mighty Banyans lost a highly competitive matchup 83-72 against NAIA no.14 St. Thomas.
The Banyans (1-3) came into this game looking to improve their play after a close loss to Thomas University on Saturday. Their opponent, St. Thomas (3-1) has built one of the most impressive resumes in the country through the first two weeks of play, with their only loss coming to no. 22 Mobile on Nov. 3.
The Banyans opened the action with back-to-back threes from Jack Scott and Shawn Lefresne. Quincy Snoddy Jr. scored at the rim off a great pass from Giovanni Toscanini, forcing the Bobcats to take their first time out with the Banyans up 8-0.
Shawn Lefresne drove left and nailed a floater, extending the Banyan's lead to 10.
The Mighty Banyan defense was stellar in the opening minutes. New College blocked three shots and nabbed two steals by the 15:00 mark.
St. Thomas found their rhythm in transition, scoring twice off Mighty Banyan turnovers.
Malachi Pearson subbed into the game and scored off an offensive rebound, putting the Banyans ahead 23-16.
The Bobcats went on a 7-0 run of their own halfway through the period, tying the game at 23.
Shawn Lefresne scored on another left-handed drive, bringing his total to 16 with four minutes remaining in the half.
The Banyans finished the half with exceptional energy, leading the Bobcats 41-38 at the break.
St. Thomas opened the half strong, scoring seven unanswered points in the first four minutes.
Schuyler Pimentel scored the Banyan's first points of the half from the free throw line.
The Bobcats continued to get to the rim with ease, pushing their lead to 10 with 12 minutes to play.
Quincy Snoddy Jr. sank a 15 foot jump shot to force a Bobcat timeout with the Banyans trailing 43-53.
The Banyans offense struggled in the second half, shooting 14.3% through 15 minutes of play.
The Banyans rallied with two minutes to go, bringing the game back within single digits. The surge ultimately fell short, with the Bobcats beating the Banyans 83-72.
Shawn Lefresne led the team with 25 points, with 15 points coming from beyond the arc. Schuyler Pimentel and Quincy Snoddy Jr. both scored in double figures.
"We knew tonight was going to be a battle", said head coach Andew Wingreen. "I thought we came out executing our game plan and had a great first half. We struggled to score early in the second and had too many lapses on defense. Credit to them for capitalizing on our mistakes. They are one of the best teams in the country for a reason. I love seeing our team grow and get better every day".
The Banyans play again on Wed. Nov. 15 at Florida National University.
