The Eastern Florida State College men's basketball team came up one win short of a national championship tournament last season.
Now they are back and looking to make another run.
Carter and the Titans weren't sure they would get that chance after losing in the quarterfinals of the FCSAA State Tournament, but a 27-4 record with one of the toughest schedules in the country catapulted the Titans to the No. 8 seed in the NJCAA National Championship Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
"I think we have some of the best talent in the country and we just have to dig in and be mentally locked in and believe that we will get better and take advantage of the opportunity we have," starting forward Silas Adheke said.
The Titans will open the national tournament at 5:30 p.m. EST Tuesday against the winner of Monday's first-round matchup between No. 9 Trinity Valley and No. 24 Baltimore City Community College. Baltimore City came to Titan Field House for the Josh Artis Memorial Classic Dec. 29 with the Titans winning, 96-81.
A win Tuesday would send the Titans to the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday with the championship game set for 8 p.m. on March 24.
The Eastern Florida State College softball team reached the .500 mark with a sweep over Miami-Dade on Saturday afternoon on the road.
The Titans, who have won six in a row and eight of the last 10 games, improved to 3-2 in the Southern Conference with the 5-0 and 8-1 victories.
In Game 1, Olivia Everett picked up her ninth win of the season, tossing the two-hit shutout while Nikki Pennington had three hits and Caitlyn Meyer had two, both doubles. Meyer and Brooke Diaz each drove in two runs.
In Game 2, Mary Waldron drove in a pair and scored twice while Pennington, Meyer, Jordan Lawlis and Abigail Kendrick all drove in runs for the Titans. Lawlis picked up the win.