TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. — Southeastern opened the 2026-27 men's basketball season with a comeback victory on Friday night, overcoming a halftime deficit to defeat Florida College 78-71 and give the Fire's new head coach, Cale Brubaker, a win in his first game at SEU.
The Fire trailed 39-34 at the break after Florida College shot 41.7% from three-point range in the first half. SEU stayed within striking distance, however, and responded with a strong second-half performance to secure the season-opening victory.
Trent McNair led the Fire offensively with 22 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field while adding nine rebounds.
Junior Camacho followed with 20 points and eight rebounds, providing a consistent presence on both ends of the floor. Camacho also recorded four assists and four steals.
Florida College extended its advantage to eight points early in the second half, putting Southeastern in a position to fight its way back into the contest. The Fire gradually closed the gap, with McNair connecting from beyond the arc and
Jayson Nixon adding a three-pointer to help fuel the comeback.
SEU tied the game at 54 before taking control. With the score tied at 56, the Fire put together a decisive stretch, getting contributions from
JJ Walton and
Anthony Kangah before
Carson Browne knocked down a three-pointer to give the Fire a 63-60 advantage.
The momentum continued as Camacho scored inside to extend the lead to five, followed by a McNair basket that pushed the advantage to 67-60 with 5:41 remaining. The group maintained its lead down the stretch despite Florida College attempting to rally late.
McNair continued to deliver in the second half, scoring 13 of his 22 points after halftime. Camacho also added 10 second-half points as the Fire outscored Florida College 44-32 over the final 20 minutes.
The team finished the night shooting 46.2% from the field and held a 48-22 advantage in points in the paint. The Fire also recorded 48 rebounds and nine steals, helping limit Florida College to 32.8% shooting from the floor in the second half.
With the 78-71 victory, SEU begins the season 1-0, marking a successful debut for its new head coach and giving the Fire early momentum heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
