BRADENTON, Fla. - New College of Florida men's basketball came up short to the University of Fort Lauderdale 79-72 in the teams final game of the 2023 season.
The Mighty Banyans struggled to maintain possession on the offensive end. New College turned the ball over 24 times, leading to 23 fast break points. The Banyans offense also struggled to convert on their field goal opportunities in the first half, knocking down 8 of their 24 field goal attempts.
The Fort Lauderdale Eagles played well in the first half. The Eagles guards pressured the Banyans for all 94 feet, setting the tone early. The Eagles connected on 35% of their shots in the first half, struggling in the half court. Even with these struggles, The Eagle defense propelled the team forward, helping Fort Lauderdale extend their early lead to as many as 12 with just over 3 minutes remaining.
Giovanni Toscanini and
Jordan Clark scored on back-to-back possessions, helping New College get the lead down to 6. A final layup at the buzzer kept Fort Lauderdale in front at the half, as they led 32-24 going into the break.
Giovanni Toscanini led the way at the half for NCF, scoring 7 points.
The Eagles opened the second half with aggression, attacking the Banyan guards and extending their lead to double digits with 12 minutes remaining.
The Banyans went scoreless over the next four minutes, struggling to gain any consistency at the rim.
Jordan Clark broke the drought, grabbing a defensive rebound and going coast-to-coast to score at the rim.
New College continued to fight late into the second half, getting the Eagles lead down to 5 with two minutes remaining.
Both teams dominated the final two minutes on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and blocking shots as the clock continued to wind-down.
Ben Walker subbed into the game and grabbed a huge rebound, getting fouled in the process to go to the line with a minute remaining. Walker sunk both free throws, giving the Banyans a good chance at the lead if they continued to get stops.
Fort Lauderdale extended their lead at the line, but
Jack Scott answered back quickly at the other end. Scott drilled a top of the key three to make the score 77-72 with 27 seconds remaining.
The Banyan comeback came up just short, with Fort Lauderdale claiming a 79-72 victory.
Jordan Clark showcased his talent all evening, racking up 22 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds.
Jack Scott recorded another double-double performance, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Ben Walker provided a key spark off the bench, scoring 7 points and making all 4 of his free throws.
The Mighty Banyans ended their Inaugural season with a final record of 7-18 as they look to begin preparations for their first season in the Sun Conference.
