Lake Worth, Florida - Cape Fear men's basketball won its opening game of the season by defeating Broward College 89-85.

JJ Miles and Donte Tatum tied for most points with 19, while JV Millner and Quate McKinzie added 14 and 10 respectively. To go along with his 19 points, Tatum recorded his first collegiate triple double, notching 19 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and 5 steals.

The Sea Devils were down 15 at one point in the first half, but were able to cut the score to 49-40 by halftime. That gave them just enough momentum to make a comeback and hold on for the win.

"It took us a while to find our rhythm tonight," said head coach Ryan Mantlo. "We are extremely proud of the grit the team showed tonight."

The Sea Devils won despite being outshot at the free throw line. Broward shot 35-for-43, while Cape Fear struggled, making just 17-for-30.

"The odds of winning on the road when your opponent shots more free throws than you attempt are very small so we felt fortunate to come away with the win," said Mantlo.

Cape Fear moves to 1-0 on the season. They enter the 2018-19 season ranked #8 by Sporting News and #24 in NJCAA poll in the preseason rankings.

Courtesy of Nick Denning