Saturday Home Games Loom Big for EFSC Women, Men

Every FCSAA Southern Conference game counts the same for Eastern Florida's men's and women's basketball teams.

But the two on tap for Saturday matching four teams with clean conference records could have further consequences in the annual game of leapfrog.

Eastern Florida's defending champion women's team, 10-7 overall and 3-0 in the conference, hosts Palm Beach State (11-5 and 2-0) at 2 p.m. The three-time defending conference champion Eastern Florida men (15-3 and 3-0) host resurgent Indian River State (12-4 and 3-0) at 4 p.m.

Admission is free to the games at the Titan Field House on the Melbourne Campus.

Each Southern Conference team plays three games against each conference opponent to determine the top two finishers who advance to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament.

And while much basketball remains between now and the tournament in March, every conference victory takes the winner one step further forward while each conference defeat takes the loser one step further back.

Broward College's women (2-1), Indian River (1-2), Miami Dade College (0-2) and St. Petersburg College (0-3) trail Eastern Florida and Palm Beach.

On the men's side, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami Dade are 1-2 while newcomer ASA Miami is 0-3.

"Yes, every conference game is important but when you are playing not only a rival but an unbeaten rival things get ratcheted up," said Eastern Florida women's head coach Jim Grimes.

"Everyone is looking to get the advantage that a victory brings."

And the route to that advantage can be both simple and complex.

"Seriously it comes down to preparation, making sure you've done everything you can to ensure your game plan is sound and the players are prepared to execute that game plan," said Eastern Florida men's head coach Jeremy Shulman.

"It then comes down to winning every single possession or limiting the damage on the possessions you don't win. The team that does that will win and have the advantage at the end of the day."

Heading into Saturday, sophomore guards Paola Vasquez and Nene Johnson are setting the pace for the Titan women. Vasquez is averaging 14.6 points per game and Johnson 14.3.

Vasquez is ninth nationally in three-pointers with 55. Johnson is averaging 5.2 assists per game.

Freshman Trudy Walker and sophomore Crystal Townsend are leading in rebounding at 8.8 and 8.4 respectively.

As a team the Titans are fourth nationally in made three-pointers per game at 9.9.

On the men's side, freshman and NJCAA Region 8 player of the week Kareem Brewton is leading Titan scorers at 16.5 points per game.

Freshman C.J. Jackson is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 assists. Sophomore B.J. Gladden is leading in rebounding at 9.4.

The Titans are sixth nationally as a team at 49.5 rebounds per game.