Andres Rodriguez | Staff Writer
The FIU Men’s Basketball team (2-6) faced off against the New College of FL Mighty Banyans (7-2) on Friday, December 6, 2024.
After a loss to rivals FAU, the Panthers responded with an emphatic win against the Mighty Banyans, with the final score being 70-63. FIU is now 3-6 on the season, with an overall home record of 2-2, heading into their next matchup at Stetson.
FIU had a slow start to the first half, but Junior Center Vianney Salatchoum got on the board quickly with a couple of layups in the first minutes of the game. Salatchoum finished the game with a team-high 19 points on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting from the field. He also delivered several impressive finishes in the paint, including a fast-break dunk assisted by Junior Guard Dashon Gittens. Gittens contributed significantly off the bench, scoring 15 points on 60% shooting.
Going into halftime, the Panthers trailed 31-29. They struggled from beyond the arc in the first half, shooting just 11.1% from three-point range and 25% overall. This continued the Panthers’ ongoing struggles from three-point range over the past three games.
The second half was a completely different story for FIU. Freshman Guard Ashton Williamson came alive in the second half, scoring 7 of his 11 points during this period. With 9 minutes left in the half, NCF’s Freshman Guard Diego Eslava and FIU’s Freshman Guard Kole Williams traded consecutive three-pointers, giving FIU a one-point lead.
The Mighty Banyans responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Sophomore Guard Ben Walker, giving NCF a three-point lead with 4:23 left to play. From that moment, the Panthers surged back, led by Junior Guards Asim Jones and Jayden Brewer, who combined to score 9 of the 12 points in a decisive 12-2 run, securing the Panthers’ 70-63 victory. Junior Center Vianney Salatchoum had a stellar game, leading the Panthers in scoring with 19 points and rebounding with 7 boards. Along with Salatchoum, FIU had three other players in double figures.
Despite the win, FIU did not improve their three-point shooting. They made just 4 of their 16 three-point attempts on the night, compared to NCF’s 8 completions on 23 attempts. Over their last three games, the Panthers have completed 14 three-pointers in 53 attempts, a 26.4% success rate.
FIU Men’s Basketball looks to continue its winning ways in its next matchup at Stetson on December 14.
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