The Eastern Florida women’s basketball team’s 2014-2015 season can be best defined as one step at a time: One drill, one practice, one possession, one half, one game. (EFSC Image)
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Eastern Florida women’s basketball team’s 2014-2015 season can be best defined as one step at a time: One drill, one practice, one possession, one half, one game.
And in 26 games to date the steps have added up to 19 overall victories, 10 in the FCSAA Southern Conference, and the college’s first berth in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament since 2003.
But more steps remain, including Wednesday’s home finale at 5:30 p.m. against conference foe Broward College in the Titan Field House.
A victory on Sophomore Night in Melbourne will give Eastern Florida a 20-win season and move it one step closer to clinching the college’s first women’s basketball conference championship since the 2001-2002 season.
Two games remain beyond Wednesday, 2 p.m. Saturday at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce and the regular-season finale at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth.
Victories in the final three games will give first-place Eastern Florida the conference title but second-year head coach Jim Grimes isn’t devoting any time to any thoughts about that.
“No way,” Grimes said. “We’ve got three conference games to play, the final two on the road. Road games in this conference are fights from beginning to end. We can’t go into any of our last three games with any thoughts other than adhering to what got us this far and what it’s going to take to get us beyond that.
Jim Grimes
“We enjoyed qualifying for the state tournament. There is a sense of accomplishment,” said Head Coach Jim Grimes.
“Even though we haven’t won here in a while we can’t leave things at where they stand now. That would be disappointing for everyone.”
Broward comes into Wednesday at 4-20 overall and 1-11 in conference, having defeated Indian River 61-59 on Saturday.
Indian River heads into Wednesday’s game at second-place St. Petersburg College (15-11, 9-3) at 7-18 and 4-8. Palm Beach, which plays at third-place Miami Dade on Wednesday, is 8-19 and 5-7. Miami Dade is 12-15 and 7-5.
Eastern Florida will honor five sophomores on Wednesday, co-captains Rachelle Aupont and Jessica Doyle, along with Rhaven Kemp, Deja Bradshaw and Kristina Bugarski.
Doyle leads Eastern Florida in scoring at 12.4 points per game. Aupont is averaging a double-double, 11.8 points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman Nene Johnson is averaging 11.4 points per game and 3.5 assists. Classmate Crystal Townsend is at 9.5 points and 9 rebounds. Classmate Paola Vasquez is averaging 5.6 points and 2.4 steals.
The FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament is March 4-7 at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
