Titan Women Fall Short at Broward Setting Up Saturday Game vs. Indian River for Conference Title

Broward College's women's basketball team denied Eastern Florida's attempt at winning its second straight FCSAA Southern Conference championship on Wednesday, handing the Titans an 81-67 defeat in Davie.

The loss dropped Eastern Florida to 12-2 in the conference while Broward improved to 12-2.

Broward led 40-35 at halftime and outscored the Titans 22-16 in the third quarter and 19-16 in the fourth.

Sophomore Nene Johnson led the Titans with 18 points. Classmate Crystal Townsend recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The Titans shot 36.8 percent (25-of-68) from the floor; 33.3 (9-for-27) percent from the three-point line and were 8-for-15 from the free throw line.

Eastern Florida owns the first-place tiebreaker with Broward thanks to its two previous victories this season, should the teams finish with identical records. The Titans must defeat Indian River State at home on Saturday to win the title.

Tipoff for the Sophomore Day game is 2 p.m. at the Titan Field House on the Melbourne Campus. Admission is free.

Broward visits Palm Beach State at 2 p.m. in Lake Worth.

Eastern Florida has defeated Indian River 89-63 and 85-78. Broward defeated Palm Beach 66-54 and 68-59.

Eastern Florida, 19-9 overall, and Broward, 20-6, have both secured berths in the March 2-5 NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA Tournament at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.

The Southern Conference champion opens the tournament against the Panhandle Conference runner-up, either defending national champion and nationally sixth-ranked Chipola College or nationally second-ranked Gulf Coast State.

The Southern Conference runner-up opens against Mid-Florida Conference runner-up Santa Fe College.