Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Jan. 21, 2005
THE BASICS
South Carolina (6-12 overall; 0-4 Southeastern Conference) heads to Fayetteville to face Arkansas (11-6 overall; 1-5 SEC) at 3 p.m. (EST) Sunday at Bud Walton Arena.
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 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 click the “Audio/Video” link at the top of the screen. Follow the prompts from there to select the game you want to listen to.
SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
Season tickets for South Carolina women’s basketball are now available for only $40, making Gamecock women’s hoops one of the best values in town. The Gamecocks play in the premier women’s basketball conference in America, and the SEC schedule is one that gives fans the chance to see some of the best women’s basketball players in America night in and night out.
THE COACHES
Susan Walvius is in her eighth year at the helm of the South Carolina women’s basketball program and her 15th 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. Now in her second season at Arkansas, Susie Gardner has compiled a 27-18 record. At her prior post, Gardner enjoyed a good deal of success at Austin Peay State University, where she closed out her years with a complete sweep, undefeated regular-season title and postseason tournament championship, Gardner built the Lady Govs from the bottom into the top team in the Ohio Valley Conference. Leading APSU to a 27-4 overall record in 2002-03, Gardner assembled one of the nation’s longest winning streaks at 22 games. As a player, Gardner went to two Final Fours and was a part of three Southeastern Conference championships at Georgia.
A CAROLINA WIN WOULD:
* Be the Gamecocks first-ever win in Fayetteville, where South Carolina is 0-7 all-time.
* Mark the Gamecocks’ second win over Arkansas in the last three meetings between the two schools.
* Snap South Carolina’s 10-game losing streak against teams from the SEC. The Gamecocks’ last win over an SEC opponent was a 77-51 victory over Alabama on Feb. 12, 2004.
* Be Susan Walvius’ fourth victory over the Lady Razorbacks since 2001. Prior to Walvius’ arrival, Carolina had compiled a 1-6 record against Arkansas all-time.
* Snap the Gamecocks’ nine-game road losing streak against SEC opponents. South Carolina’s last road win over an SEC opponent was a 79-64 victory over Ole Miss on March 2, 2003.
* Be the Gamecocks’ first road win against any opponent this season. Carolina has lost to Washington, Middle Tennessee State, Virginia and Vanderbilt in its four true road games this year. Dating back to last season, the Gamecocks have lost nine consecutive road games, with the last win an 84-61 triumph over the College of Charleston on Jan. 28, 2004.
A CAROLINA LOSS WOULD:
* Move the Gamecocks to 0-5 this year in conference play and extend the Carolina’s losing streak against SEC opposition to 11 games, with the last win a 77-51 victory over Alabama on Feb. 12, 2004.
* Extend the Gamecocks’ road losing streak against SEC opponents to 10 consecutive games. South Carolina’s last road win over an SEC opponent was a 79-64 victory over Ole Miss on March 2, 2003.
* Keep the Gamecocks winless on the road this season. Carolina has lost to Washington, Middle Tennessee State, Virginia and Vanderbilt in its four true road games this year. Dating back to last season, the Gamecocks have lost nine consecutive road games, with the last win an 84-61 triumph over the College of Charleston on Jan. 28, 2004.
* Mark the Gamecocks’ seventh loss in their last eight games this year.
* Keep the Gamecocks winless against Arkansas in Fayetteville, where USC has compiled an 0-7 record all-time.
* Mark Arkansas’ fifth win in its last six meetings with South Carolina.
CAROLINA’S KEY NUMBERS
* 20:00 – The Gamecocks are yet to win a game in which it trailed at the half. Conversely, Carolina is 6-3 when leading after the first 20 minutes of play.
* 3/10 – South Carolina is 5-1 in games this season when three or more players score at least 10 points in the same game. The Gamecocks are 1-11 when two players or less hit double-figures.
* 40% – Carolina is 0-9 this year when shooting less than 40 percent from the field. Conversely, the Gamecocks’ opposition is 7-1 when shooting 40 percent from the field.
* 66 – Dating back to a 65-54 win over Auburn on Feb. 23, 2003, USC has lost its last 26 games when scoring less than 66 points.
* 16 – Carolina is 5-0 this season in games in which it distributes 16 assists as a team.
* 10 – The Gamecocks are 0-5 this year in games decided by 10 points or less, and are 0-10 in their last 10 games decided 10 points or less, dating back to an 81-79 win over Southern Utah on Dec. 5, 2003.
* 23 – …as in the jersey number of Melanie Johnson. In South Carolina’s six wins, Johnson averages 14.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 4.8 steals per game. In Carolina’s 12 losses, Johnson averages 4.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. South Carolina is 6-1 when Johnson scores in double figures.
SINGLE-SEASON SCHOOL BLOCKS RECORD FALLS
South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally in blocked shots. The Gamecocks have rejected an SEC-best 117 shots this year, for an average of 6.5 shots per game. USC’s previous single-season school record for blocks was 115, held by the Gamecocks of 2001-02. Having already set the school record, the current team is on pace to block 182 shots during the regular season. The single-season SEC record for blocked shots is 238, set by Tennessee in 1998.
MORE FROM THE SWAT TEAM
Sophomore forward Melanie Johnson and redshirt freshman forward and Columbia native Lakesha Tolliver are USC’s top shot blockers. Johnson has swatted 42 shots in 18 games (2.33 per game), with Tolliver sending back 36 shots in 17 games (2.12 per game). With most of the conference season yet to play, Tolliver has already set a new South Carolina freshman record with 36 blocks, eclipsing the existing record of 32 set in 1980-81 by Philicia Allen. The school record for blocked shots in a single-season is held by Teresa Geter, who swatted 58 shots in 2000-01.
OUT OF WHACK STATS VS. ALABAMA
South Carolina lost a 75-62 defeat at Alabama on Jan. 20, but the game did not bear the same earmarks of some of the Gamecocks’ other defeats this year. For example, Carolina shot 42 percent from the field, and entering the Alabama game, the Gamecocks were 6-2 this year when shooting 40 percent or better from the field. Carolina limited the Crimson Tide to 39 percent shooting from the field. Once again, entering that game, all six of Carolina’s wins came when outshooting the opponent. The 60-point mark also used to be a telling sign, as the Gamecocks were 6-3 entering the Bama game when scoring 60 or more points.
CAROLINA DEFENSE SETS RECORD
South Carolina held the College of Charleston to 13-of-63 shooting from the field on Jan. 13 (.206 pct.) to set a new single-game Colonial Center record for field goal percentage defense for either men or women, breaking the record set just one week earlier against Mississippi State, who was limited to 16-of-65 shooting from the field (.246 pct.) The Gamecocks’ defensive performance ranked as the fourth-best in school history in terms of field goal percentage defense and the lowest since holding Florida A&M to 11-of-57 shooting on Dec. 30, 2001 (.193 pct.)
THE IRON UNKIND FROM BEYOND THE ARC
South Carolina has struggled from three-point range as a team, ranking 11th in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage at .264 pct., while firing up the most attempts of any team in the conference.
TURNOVER TROUBLES CONTINUE
Turnovers have been a problem for the Gamecocks this year. Carolina commits an SEC-worst average of 21.0 turnovers per game. The Gamecocks have turned the ball over 20 or more times on 11 different occasions this season.
FORMER TEAM MANAGER PLAYS FOR USC
South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Susan Walvius announced the addition of freshman Ebony Jones to the roster on Dec. 18. Jones, a 5-6 shooting guard from Aiken HS in Aiken, S.C., enrolled at South Carolina last year and served as a team manager during the 2003-04 season and the beginning of the current season. A nursing major who is a sophomore in academic standing, Jones was a standout playing for coach Aubrey Pompey at Aiken HS, garnering all-state recognition as a senior and all-conference accolades during her junior and senior years. She played in the North-South All-Star Game as well as the South Carolina vs. Georgia All-Star Game. Jones saw her first game action against the College of Charleston on Jan. 13, scoring two points and grabbing a rebound.
UNDERCLASSMEN ABOUND
There are no seniors on the South Carolina roster. In fact, the team has only one junior. Forward Olga Gritsaeva is the only upperclassman on a roster that features eight sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and one true freshman.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Gamecocks come home to host Tennessee at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 27. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia and on the internet at www.uscsports.com, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis.
