FARMINGDALE (Interstat) — Fitchburg State and Montclair State will put 1-0 records on the line Saturday in a men’s NCAA Division III basketball game at the MBB FSC Tip-Off Tournament. The Falcons are the visiting team, and the Red Hawks are the home team.

Both teams opened their seasons with road wins. Fitchburg State beat Farmingdale State 88-84, while Montclair State defeated Hartford 79-62. The matchup gives each program an early test against another unbeaten opponent in the tournament.

Fitchburg State will look to Thomas Engel-Chatten for production. In the opener, Engel-Chatten finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists. Elijah Mobley led the Falcons with 22 points and added four rebounds and four assists, and Jalen Jackson contributed 13 points and six rebounds. Fitchburg State will need similar balance against a Montclair State team that also has scoring options.

Montclair State’s Kevin Beck is a player to watch. He had 16 points, five rebounds and one assist in the win over Hartford. Cristian Nicholson added 15 points and five assists, while Myles Primas finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks. The Red Hawks will try to use that depth to control the pace and capitalize on their home-court setting.

Fitchburg State’s victory at Farmingdale State showed the Falcons can produce offense in a close game. The Falcons scored 88 points and held on for a four-point win. Montclair State’s 17-point victory over Hartford was led by Beck and Nicholson, with Primas contributing on both ends. The Red Hawks will aim to carry that momentum into the game on Saturday.

The tournament setting adds another layer to the matchup. Both teams are seeking a second victory and an early statement in nonconference play. Fitchburg State will try to counter Montclair State’s scoring depth with its own experienced contributors, while Montclair State will look to build on its opening performance.

Fitchburg State’s upcoming schedule includes a home game against Gordon and a road game at Dean. Montclair State is set to host Cairn before traveling to SUNY Cortland. Those games will give both teams a chance to build on their opening-week results, but the focus is on the tournament matchup and the chance to start 2-0. The early-season matchup also offers each team a chance to test its depth against an unfamiliar opponent before the schedule moves deeper into nonconference play.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Montclair State 89, Fitchburg State 77. Interstat’s ELO system gives Montclair State a 99.1 percent probability to win.