Women's basketball team ready to tip off conference season

The Eastern Florida State College women's basketball team begins a new season Wednesday night as they tip off the Southern Conference portion of the season.

 "Everyone is 0-0 now. Obviously we want to win every time we go out there, but the conference games are the ones that really matter, those are the ones that are really important," Eastern Florida State College women's basketball coach Jim Grimes said. "We are focused on that, it is a clean slate now and all of our goals we set before the season are still in front of us."

The Titans begin the Southern Conference schedule on the road, traveling to Florida Southwestern for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

Florida Southwestern comes into the game 8-7 overall and is led by Erna Normil who is one of four players averaging at least 10 points per game. Normil comes into Wednesday's game averaging 14.6 points per game this season.

Trudy Walker leads the Titans into the conference season averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and has nine double-doubles while Idaysha Sealey has come back from an injury and is averaging 10.4 points per game.

It will be a battle as Palm Beach State, Broward College, Miami Dade, Florida Southwestern, Indian River State College and ASA Miami will challenge the Titans on a nightly basis.

"This year's conference is the best we have seen," Grimes said. "There are no nights out. Everybody is a challenge, it is hard. You don't schedule wins here, you have to go out and play well or you will get beat."

But he feels good about where his team is as they enter the conference season.

"I feel if we play the way we can, we commit to our principles and play well, we can play with anybody in the country," Grimes said. "We have played the best teams in the country and competed with them. As long as the team grabs a hold of that and is consistent with their effort and attitude, we can play with anyone."