Feb. 10, 2006
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THE BASICS
The South Carolina women’s basketball team (12-9; 3-6 SEC) travels to Gainesville for a battle with the Florida Gators (18-5; 6-4 SEC), set to tip off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
ON THE AIR
The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis. For listeners outside of Columbia, the live radio broadcast will also be aired worldwide via the internet on the official web site of South Carolina athletics, www.uscsports.com.
ACCESSING THE WEB BROADCAST
To access the internet broadcast, go to www.uscsports.com, then go to the women’s basketball home page and click on “Schedule/Results”. At the top of the page is a link for Audio Broadcasts. Click on that link, then select the game you wish to listen to.
THE COACHES
Susan Walvius is in her ninth year at the helm of the South Carolina women’s basketball program and her 16th year overall as a head coach. Prior to USC, she coached at Virginia Commonwealth and West Virginia. The 2002 SEC Coach of the Year led the Gamecocks to consecutive top-20 national finishes and NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. Her 2002 squad advanced to the Elite Eight. In her fourth year at the helm of the Florida women’s basketball program, head coach Carolyn Peck is enjoying her best season in Gainesville this year. Peck led Purdue to the 1999 National Championship before taking the job at Florida. As a player, Peck starred at Vanderbilt from 1985-88 and went on to play professionally in Japan. In her second year at Florida, Peck orchestrated the greatest one-season turnaround in program history. The 2003-04 Gators posted a 19-11 overall record, winning 10 more games than they did in 2002-03, when the team posted a 9-19 record.
COACHING QUICK HITS
South Carolina
Susan Walvius
Alma Mater Virginia Tech, 1986
USC Record 126-126/9th year
Overall Record 224-227/16th year
Florida
Carolyn Peck
Alma Mater Vanderbilt, 1988
Florida Record 60-50/4th year
Overall Record 117-61/6th year
SOUTH CAROLINA FROM A DISTANCE
Height, experience, defense and balanced scoring are the name of the game for South Carolina, as the Gamecocks boast eight players that stand 6-0 or taller and rank as the 15th-tallest team in the nation. Carolina’s roster is dotted by eight juniors and one senior, but freshman Demetress Adams has emerged as an early bright spot, ranking among the team leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals. The Gamecocks endured a brutal schedule to open the conference slate, facing No. 1 Tennessee, No. 3 LSU, No. 23 Vanderbilt and Kentucky in Lexington. Of Carolina’s nine losses this season, six came at the hands of ranked opponents, with a pair of additional losses coming to a very good Kentucky team.
FLORIDA FROM A DISTANCE
On its way to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years under head coach Carolyn Peck, Florida has done a very good job of protecting its home court, compiling an 11-2 record in Gainesville this year, with the only two losses coming to Kentucky and Georgia. The Gators have won their last three games, including a 63-48 win over Mississippi State on Thursday. The Gators aren’t spectacular on the stat sheet, but in forwards Dalila Eshe and Brittany Davis along with freshman guard Sha Brooks, they have a trio of players who all average more than 12 points per game. Brooks has emerged as one of the best freshmen in the SEC this year, with Sarah Lowe stepping up as one the conference’s steadiest guards.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET (JAN. 16, 2005)
The University of South Carolina women’s basketball team held an eight-point lead at halftime, but could not stop Florida’s second half surge as it fell 67-57 at the Colonial Center in last year’s meeting between the two schools. Both teams shot the ball fairly well in the first 20 minutes of the game. Early on, UF’s best success on the offensive end of the floor came from long range. The Gators’ first five made field goals were from behind the three-point arc, including two apiece for Tamia Williams and Tashia Morehead. The Gamecocks found their shooting touch from deep as well, hitting 6-of-13 threes in the first half. Angela Hunter led the way as she drained 3-of-5 treys and paced USC with 11 points. Melanie Johnson was productive as well. She scored six points and grabbed five rebounds to go with a pair of steals and a pair of assists. In the opening minutes of the second half, it looked as if Carolina would maintain control. The two teams traded baskets for the first five minutes and USC led 46-34 with 15:22 remaining. From there, the Gamecocks struggled to put the ball in the basket. Florida took over, going on a 24-3 run over the next seven minutes, and USC never really answered to get back in the game.
A CAROLINA WIN OVER FLORIDA WOULD:
>> Mark Carolina’s third straight SEC road win. The Gamecocks knocked off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Mississippi State in Starkville in their last two road contests. Carolina has never won three consecutive road SEC games since joining the league for the 1991-92 season.
>> Keep the Gamecocks’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Carolina would have 13 wins with five regular-season games remaining before the SEC Tournament, including wins over two teams with RPI rankings among the top 30 in the nation (Minnesota and Florida). Of Carolina’s five remaining regular-season games, four will be played against teams with RPI rankings lower than Carolina’s.
>> Mark the Gamecocks’ second win in their last three trips to Gainesville. Carolina handed Florida a 78-64 defeat in 2003.
>> Snap Florida’s current three-game winning streak. The Gators enter Sunday’s contest fresh off consecutive wins over Auburn, at Kentucky and at Mississippi State.
ADAMS AN ALL-FRESHMAN CANDIDATE
It doesn’t take most observers very long to recognize that freshmen Demetress Adams is usually one of the most talented players on the court. Adams started the season averaging 10.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game through her first 10 games. In the 11th game of the year, Adams injured her hand and was forced to wear a bulky and cumbersome bandage on her shooting hand for the next five games. Since getting the bandage off, Adams is averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during the last five games, all of which were played against SEC opposition. During that same span, Adams has converted on 22 of her 29 field goal attempts (75.9 percent).
BOOKER A SIXTH-WOMAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
Junior guard Stacy Booker leads the Gamecocks in scoring with 9.6 points per game despite never starting a game this year. Booker is the team’s best three-point shooter and is a surprisingly good rebounder for a player her size, hauling in 3.0 boards per game despite her 5-8 frame. In addition, Booker owns a positive assist-to-turnover ratio at +1.3.
DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING ARE CAROLINA’S KEYS
Most coaches will tell you that defense and rebounding win games, and an examination of Carolina’s stats certainly illustrates that point. In the Gamecocks’ 12 wins, they have limited the opposition to 44.6 points per game on 27.0 percent shooting from the field and hold a +13.4 rebounding margin. In the Gamecocks’ nine losses, the opposition averages 69.0 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from the field, with Carolina’s rebounding margin dipping to -0.1.
CAROLINA GETTING DEFENSIVE
Through South Carolina’s first 20 games, only Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU and Georgia have shot 40 percent or better from the field. The Gamecocks have limited 10 different opponents to either 30 percent shooting from the field or lower this year and have held 12 of their last 16 opponents below their season field goal percentage entering the game.
GAMECOCKS ARE THE FABULOUS NO-NAMES
Among the consistent themes of the 2005-06 season has been the fact that no Carolina player has emerged as a star, but as Susan Walvius has said numerous times, “The strength of our team is our team.” Her thoughts are backed up by the fact that no Gamecock has a double-figure scoring average this season, but five different players average between 7.6 points and 9.6 points per game. In addition, a total of 11 different players average more than 10 minutes played per game. A total of eight different players have led the Gamecocks in scoring in a game this year. Among SEC teams, only Mississippi State has had more players lead the team in scoring in a game this year, with nine.
THE BENCH MOB
Through South Carolina’s first 21 games, the Gamecock bench averages 34.8 points per game against 17.2 points per game from the opponent’s bench. During South Carolina’s seven-game winning streak earlier this season, the Gamecocks’ non-starters combined to average 46.1 points per game, whereas the opposition’s non-starters combined to average 9.3 points per contest.
COMMON THREADS IN CAROLINA’S WINS
>> The Gamecocks led at the half.
>> The opponent shot less than 40 percent from the field.
>> The Gamecocks scored more points in the paint than the opponent.
>> The Gamecocks had more fast break points than the opponent.
WHAT’S NEXT
South Carolina returns to action when it travels to Auburn for a Thursday date with Auburn at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320-AM with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports South with Beth Mowins handling play-by-play and Debbie Antonelli providing analysis.
