Titan women's basketball team tops Miami Dade in double overtime

As the Eastern Florida State College women's basketball team prepared to start the second overtime against Miami Dade, Trudy Walker remember what head coach Jim Grimes used to preach to her.

"Coach always got on me about being a leader, before he left us he was always preparing me, saying he needed me to be the leader and show what I am made of. I knew I had to do that today," the sophomore forward said.

Walker scored 10 of the team's 14 points in the second overtime, leading the Titans to an 83-76 win over Miami Dade Saturday afternoon in a Southern Conference game at Titan Field House on the Melbourne campus.

The game was tight for much of the afternoon as neither team was able to get a lead above seven points. With 11.1 seconds remaining in regulation, Caitlyn Smith hit a free throw to tie the game and eventually sending it to overtime tied 61-61.

The Titans seemed like they would win the game in the first overtime, leading the entire way but JeTaun Rouse hit a 3-pointer from the corner as the buzzer was sounding to send the game to double overtime.

Halfway through the second overtime Walker scored and was fouled. She hit the free throw, giving the Titans the lead for good at 75-73.

"Every girl stepped up and played well for us tonight and there was just such resiliency," Interim head coach Stephanie Shafer said. "There were times when we faced adversity and they could have crumbled a bit but they forged ahead and I could not be more proud of them."

Smith and Walker each finished with 22 points while Victoria Morales had 15 in the win. Walker also had 21 rebounds, giving her the 13th double-double of her season.

Eastern Florida State College improves to 3-5 in the conference and will travel to Broward College on Tuesday night.