Eastern Florida’s men’s basketball team opened defense of its three straight Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference championships on Wednesday by defeating Palm Beach State 74-72 in Lake Worth. (ESFC Image)
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida’s men’s basketball team opened defense of its three straight Florida College System Activities Association Southern Conference championships on Wednesday by defeating Palm Beach State 74-72 in Lake Worth.
The Titans won on a buzzer-beating layup by freshman Kareem Brewton who went the length of the floor in four seconds off a set play.
“It was a tough layup over the outstretched hand of the defender,” said Eastern Florida head coach Jeremy Shulman.
The victory moved nationally 25th-ranked Eastern Florida to 13-3 while dropping the nation’s third-ranked team Palm Beach State to 14-1.
The game also was the conference opener for Palm Beach State, which came into Wednesday ranked No. 1 in Florida. Eastern Florida was ranked fifth.
Eastern Florida led 32-28 at halftime.
Jeremy Shulman
“The guys played with unbelievable heart and toughness,” said Shulman.
“I am so unbelievably proud of these guys. We have faced adversity throughout the entire non-conference season and we have grown as a team. We faced adversity again tonight against an outstanding team on the road and our guys came together and simply willed a win.”
The Titans led 50-41 in the second half but Palm Beach rallied. The game went back and forth until Brewton scored the game-winner.
“It was big shot after big shot,” Shulman said.
“Jon Martin, C.J. Jackson, Kareem, really everybody stepped up tonight. Richard Gaines came off the bench and played great minutes.”
Next up for the Titans is a 4 p.m. Saturday game against conference foe Broward College. Admission at the Titan Field House on the Melbourne Campus is free.
The game will be televised live on WEFS-TV and streamed at www.efsctitans.com
