New College of Florida men's basketball travels to Miami on Monday to face NCAA Division I Florida International at 7 p.m. at Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
The matchup will serve as an exhibition for the Mighty Banyans and the regular-season opener for FIU. NCF enters the trip following Thursday's 113-70 victory over Baptist University of Florida, moving to 1-1 on the season.
Monday marks the programs' first meeting since Dec. 6, 2024, when New College pushed the Panthers into the closing minutes before falling 70-63 in Miami.
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GAME NOTES
DIVISION I TEST: Monday begins a week of exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents for the Mighty Banyans, who will also visit Florida Gulf Coast on Friday. Neither game will count toward NCF's regular-season record.
OFFENSE FINDS ITS RHYTHM: New College scored 113 points against Baptist while shooting 66.7% from the field. The Mighty Banyans recorded 27 assists on 44 made field goals, scored 66 points in the paint and placed six players in double figures.
MURPHREE BREAKS OUT: Redshirt freshman Will Murphree led NCF with 22 points Thursday, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He added four rebounds, two steals and a block. Through his first two collegiate games, Murphree is averaging 15.5 points.
HARRISON PROVIDES CONSISTENT SCORING: Graduate guard Cyncier Harrison has scored 17 points in each of his first two games with the Mighty Banyans. He shot 6-of-8 from the field against Baptist, including two 3-pointers, and added four assists.
CHAMBERS FINISHES INSIDE: Junior forward Zachary Chambers finished with 16 points and nine rebounds Thursday, making seven of his eight field-goal attempts. He also recorded a block and a steal as NCF outrebounded Baptist 39-29.
TOSCANINI KEEPS CLIMBING: Senior Giovanni Toscanini scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting against Baptist while adding five assists. He now has 667 career points, placing him 126 behind program career scoring leader Jordan Clark's 793.
CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE LINEUP: Jonathan Olodude scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting Thursday, while Dezmond McKinney contributed eight points, six assists and four rebounds. Ricardo Corvil added nine points, six rebounds, three assists and a block. NCF received 62 points from its bench.
A COMPETITIVE LAST MEETING: New College led FIU 31-29 at halftime during the December 2024 matchup. The Mighty Banyans held a 61-58 advantage with 4:23 remaining and led 63-62 with 2:15 left before the Panthers scored the final eight points. Charlie Yoder led NCF with 20 points, Diego Eslava added 16 and Clark finished with 14.
KNOW THE PANTHERS: FIU begins its first season under head coach Joey Cantens with 14 newcomers. The Panthers hosted Murray State in an exhibition Oct. 22, falling 86-79, before turning their attention to Monday's regular-season opener.
SERIES HISTORY
Previous Exhibition Meeting: FIU won 70-63 in Miami on Dec. 6, 2024. The game counted as an exhibition for NCF and a regular-season contest for FIU.
Key Player: Senior guard Tijan Saine Jr., a Weber State transfer and preseason All-Conference USA selection, averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists last season while earning first-team All-Big Sky honors. He shot 89.6% from the free-throw line and led the Big Sky in scoring during conference play at 20.8 points per game.
UP NEXT: NCF travels to NCAA Division I Florida Gulf Coast on Friday at 7 p.m. The matchup will count as an exhibition for the Mighty Banyans and a regular-season game for the Eagles.
