Post players coming up big for Titans as they head to title game

All three of Eastern Florida State College wins in Hutchinson, Kansas have two things in common, they outrebounded the opponent and scored more points in the paint.

Protecting the house, head coach Jeremy Shulman calls it and the trio of Shaq Carter, Eli Abaev and Noah Horchler have been doing it as well as any team in the country.

"We have some of the most underrated post players in the country, especially when it comes to defense and rebounding," sophomore Austin Awad said. "They are under rated and they are so physical down there. They have such an impact on the game, they are crucial players for us."

And are one of the big reasons the team is playing in the NJCAA National Championship Game at 8 p.m. EDT.

But it hasn't always been like this. The trio of freshmen have grown into these roles and as the season has progressed, so has their play.

"Those freshmen have really grown up, from first semester to conference season and they have taken another step here in the postseason," Shulman said. "It is amazing how much they have grown up and are playing great basketball right now."

Abaev comes into the championship game averaging 12 rebounds per game while Carter is averaging almost eight and Horchler comes off the bench and grabs six per game as they head into the matchup with Hutchinson Community College for the national championship.

Hutchinson has beaten both St. Petersburg and Northwest Florida on their way to the title game for the second straight season.

"To win a national championship you have to beat the best teams in the country and we had to beat Northwest Florida this season, we had to beat South Plains and we have to beat Hutch and those are the top three teams in the national poll and three of the best teams in the country and I would like to include us in the four, but it's going to be a heck of a game," Shulman said. "Coach (Steve Eck) does an outstanding job with Hutch and they are a great club. I have to be honest, and I will speak for the guys here, we are excited to play them, we wanted to play them."

Awad agreed, playing the hometown team for a national championship is special.

"It is the best atmosphere in junior college basketball, we want that crowd, that intensity. We are looking forward to that," Awad said.

The game will tip off at 8 p.m. EDT and can be seen live on efsctitans.com/webcast