Eastern Florida State College Sports Roundup

By  //  March 6, 2014

Eastern Florida’s Men’s Basketball Loses in Tournament Quarterfinal, Season Over

 A season that spanned 31 games over more than four months ended in a flash. Eastern Florida sophomore and co-captain Torrance Rowe slashed to the basket for what would have been the winning layup only to see his shot swatted away at the buzzer. And with that Eastern Florida's men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 69-68 loss to Polk State College in the quarterfinal round of the Florida College System Activities Association/NJCAA Division I Region 8 tournament at the College of Central Florida in Ocala to end its season. (EFSC image)
A season that spanned 31 games over more than four months ended in a flash. Eastern Florida sophomore and co-captain Torrance Rowe slashed to the basket for what would have been the winning layup only to see his shot swatted away at the buzzer. And with that Eastern Florida’s men’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 69-68 loss to Polk State College in the quarterfinal round of the Florida College System Activities Association/NJCAA Division I Region 8 tournament at the College of Central Florida in Ocala to end its season. (EFSC image)

A season that spanned 31 games over more than four months ended in a flash.

Eastern Florida sophomore and co-captain Torrance Rowe slashed to the basket for what would have been the winning layup only to see his shot swatted away at the buzzer.

And with that Eastern Florida’s men’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 69-68 loss to Polk State College in the quarterfinal round of the Florida College System Activities Association/NJCAA Division I Region 8 tournament at the College of Central Florida in Ocala to end its season.

Just like that.

Eastern Florida, which advanced to the tournament by virtue of its second consecutive FCSAA Southern Conference title for the first time in 34 seasons, finished the campaign at 24-7.

Jermohn Queen
Jermohn Queen

The Titans certainly had their chances to advance. They built leads in the first and second halves only to allow Polk to hang close and in the end pull a rabbit – and a victory – out of the hat.

Eastern Florida led 68-64 with 20.3 seconds to play but Polk sophomore Brock VanLier, who finished with 14 points including four three-pointers, sank a shot from behind the line to cut the lead to 68-67.

After consecutive Polk timeouts, Eastern Florida freshman Jermohn Queen was fouled with 10.7 seconds to play but missed both free throws. Polk rebounded and pushed the ball up the floor and into the right corner where VanLier was fouled attempting another three-pointer.

ROWE AND McREYNOLDS LED EFSC WITH 16 POINTS EACH

He sank two of the three shots for a 69-68 lead with 4.3 seconds to play.

Eastern Florida, which advanced to the tournament by virtue of its second consecutive FCSAA Southern Conference title for the first time in 34 seasons, finished the campaign at 24-7.

Following a Titans timeout Rowe dribbled up the left side and cut to the basket but was denied by Polk freshman Shavanno Cooper and the game was over.

Rowe and freshman Demetrius McReynolds led Eastern Florida with 16 points each. Sophomore Ben Patrick contributed 15.

Sophomore Jamal Evans also scored 14 points for Polk while Cooper added 12 and Tyquan Burno added 10.

Demetrius McReynolds
Demetrius McReynolds

Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, Eastern Florida going 25-for-38 and Polk 17-34. Polk grabbed 43 rebounds to 39 for Eastern Florida.

Polk shot 42.6 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent on three-pointers while Eastern Florida shot 35.3 percent from the floor and 23.3 percent from the three-point line.

In the end, it just wasn’t Eastern Florida’s night.

EFSC Baseball Earns First Conference Victory, 2-1 Over Indian River State

- Eastern Florida's baseball team broke a three-game losing streak and captured its first Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference victory of the season defeating host Indian River State College 2-1 on Wednesday in Fort Pierce. (EFSC image)
Eastern Florida State’s baseball team broke a three-game losing streak and captured its first Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference victory of the season, defeating host Indian River State College 2-1 on Wednesday in Fort Pierce. (EFSC image)

Eastern Florida’s baseball team broke a three-game losing streak and captured its first Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference victory of the season defeating host Indian River State College 2-1 on Wednesday in Fort Pierce.

Eastern Florida improved to 11-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Indian River fell to 9-10 and 1-1.

ADMISSION TO HOME GAMES IS FREE

Eastern Florida started Dulvis Borjas went 6 2/3 innings allowing five hits and one unearned run before yielding to Josh Smith who got the win by virtue of 1 1/3 innings pitched with one hit.

Chayce Hubbard
Chayce Hubbard

Chayce Hubbard got the save with three strikeouts.

Offensively for Eastern Florida Jack Machonis went 2-for-4 with a run batted in and Alessandro Lima went 1-for-3 with a triple.

Next up for Eastern Florida is a visit from conference foe Broward College with games at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday at Bruce Bochy Field on the Melbourne Campus. Admission is free.