Jan. 12, 2010

The Gamecock men’s basketball team (10-5, 1-0 SEC) will host LSU (9-6, 0-1 SEC) in its Southeastern Conference home opener on Wednesday evening at Colonial Life Arena. The contest will tip at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network with Eric Collins and Mark Gottfried on the call. Fans can also listen to Andy Demetra and Casey Manning on the Gamecock Radio Network across the state.

A special pre-game pep rally will be held exclusively for the Garnet Army. Doors will open for students only at 6 p.m. Garnet Army T-shirts will be available to the first 1,500 in attendance, while food and beverages and a wide variety of on-the-court games and prizes will also be featured.

GAME INFORMATION

South Carolina Game Notes vs. LSU

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tipoff: 8 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Series: South Carolina leads 12-11
Television: SEC Network
(WIS DT2 – Columbia)
Talent: Eric Collins (pxp), Mark Gottfried (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
(107.5 FM – Columbia/GamecocksOnline.com)
Talent: Andy Demetra (pbp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Multimedia: ESPN360.com
Tickets: Tickets are available via the Gamecock Ticket Office. (1-800-4SC-FANS).

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 102nd season of basketball.
– Carolina is 9-3 this season in games in which it scores at least 70 points.
– The Gamecocks are 7-11 all-time in home SEC openers.
– The Gamecocks are 8-0 when holding their opponent to under 70 points this season. South Carolina held Alabama A&M to just 50 points, a season low for Gamecock opponents, in the season opener on Nov. 13.
– The Gamecocks snapped a three game road losing streak with their first road win of the season at Auburn on Saturday. Carolina finished last season with a 3-5 record in SEC road games (wins at Kentucky, at Alabama, at Georgia).
– The Gamecocks are 7-1 in games played at Colonial Life Arena this season – averaging 83.5 points per game in those contests. Senior point guard Devan Downey leads Carolina with 19.8 points per game in home contests this season.
– Downey (19.5 ppg) leads the team and the SEC in scoring. He has led or shared the team lead in scoring 11 times this season, including the last seven games. Downey’s 20 points vs. Baylor, 18 points vs. Longwood and 33 vs. Auburn led the Gamecocks.
– Carolina’s 7.9 blocked shots per game rank second in the Southeastern Conference, behind Mississippi State’s 8.13 per contest, and fifth in the nation (as of Jan. 11 NCAA stats). Junior forward Sam Muldrow paces the Gamecocks with 3.4 blocks per game, second in the SEC and eighth in the nation.
– Devan Downey’s 3.1 steals per game lead the league and rank third in the nation.
– The Gamecocks are in their 19th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference in 2010. Carolina owns a 117-172 (.405) all-time record in SEC play. South Carolina owns a 76-68 (.528) record all-time in SEC homes games.
– Darrin Horn-led teams are 68-27 (.715) all-time in league play. Horn led Carolina to a 10-6 record in SEC action during his first year in Columbia.
– Darrin Horn led teams are 86-15 (.851) all-time in home games. South Carolina is 23-4 (.852) at Colonial Life Arena under Horn’s direction.
– The Gamecocks own a 394-334 (.541) all-time record in the month of January. Darrin Horn led South Carolina to a 7-2 record during the first month of the year in 2009, including notable wins over then-No. 19 Baylor and then-No. 24 Kentucky – both road victories.

By The Numbers
– 103 – Senior point guard Devan Downey needs just 103 points to reach the 2,000-point plateau for his career, including his one-year total from Cincinnati (403). The Chester, S.C., native needs just six points to reach 1,500 in his Gamecock career.
– 11 – South Carolina hit 11 3s in its SEC road victory at Auburn on Saturday. It matched a season high for Carolina, who also hit 11 from beyond the arc vs. Miami on Nov. 22.
– 2 – Entering Saturday’s game at Auburn the Tigers averaged 8.2 made 3-point field goals per game. South Carolina held Auburn to just two made 3s in the contest – none in the second half.
– 52 – Sam Muldrow has blocked 52 shots this season – one more than the total of all 15 of Carolina’s opponents. Muldrow blocks 5.4 shots per 40-minute game entering Wednesday’s contest vs. LSU.

LSU Series Information
– South Carolina holds a slight 12-11 upperhand in the all-time series vs. LSU. The series is tied at 5-5 in games played in Columbia.
– The Tigers have won five of the last six meetings between the two schools, including an 85-68 win last season in Baton Rouge. South Carolina’s only win in the stretch was a 77-73 nuetral site win at the 2008 SEC Tournament.
– Prior to South Carolina joining the SEC, the schools met just once. A 77-64 Gamecock win on Dec. 21, 1974.

Pressure D
– South Carolina has played stellar defense this season. Known for his up-tempo, pressure defense style of play, Gamecock head coach Darrin Horn’s squad uses its defensive energy to spark its offensive performance. Carolina averages 20.1 points per game off of turnovers and 10.2 fast break points per outing. South Carolina currently ranks atop league standings with 9.6 steals per game.

Downey Nears Career Milestone
– Devan Downey will finish his Gamecock career at the end of this season ranking among Carolina greats in several categories. As mentioned in the “By The Numbers” note, Downey needs just six points to reach 1,500 for his Gamecock career. The feat has been accomplished by just eight in Carolina history. He needs just 12 points to pass Art Whisnant (1,505) for eighth all-time at South Carolina in scoring.

Carolina Rookies In SEC Stats
– Entering Wednesday’s game vs. LSU, Ramon Galloway ranks eighth among SEC freshmen in scoring (8.8) and sixth in assists (1.7). Classmate Lakeem Jackson ranks among the top rookies in several categories, including scoring (7.1/9th), rebounds (4.1/5th), steals (1.8/3rd) and assists (1.9/5th).