Women's basketball team opens season with road win

The Eastern Florida State College women's basketball team opened the regular season with a victory against USC Salkehatchie Friday morning in Jacksonville.

The Titans hit some big shots down the stretch to pick up the 63-56 win. It marked the first college win for head coach Zack Banks.

Eastern Florida State College came out fast, winning the tip and scoring on a break and held a 7-0 lead in the game. The lead would reach 10 in the first quarter, 20-10 as four players had at least four points in the first quarter, led by Angela Mirkovic who had seven.

USC Salkehatchie cut the lead to four with a 7-2 run to finish the quarter down 24-20.

Both teams struggled in the second quarter and went to halftime with the Titans holding onto a 32-28 lead.

The Titans came out in the third quarter and scored 20 points as Shadia Lara Santacruz  came up big after the game was tied 40-40. Santacruz scored, then scored again and was fouled. She hit the free throw and then had a steal and a basket and the lead was back to seven. The Titans would head to the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead.

It would once again get close as USC Salkehatchie hit some big 3-pointers but an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter was the difference.

Bruna DaSilva and Santacruz each scored 13 points in the win while Ofir Parpara finished with 12 and Mirkovic had 10.

The Titans will play Chatahoochee Valley Community College at 2 p.m. Saturday in Jacksonville.