Women's Hoops at Home Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. –   No. 22/24 South Carolina women’s basketball plays the last of three straight games at Colonial Life Arena on Wed., Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. The Gamecocks (4-4) host Appalachian State (5-3) in the first regular-season meeting between the two teams in the Dawn Staley era. 

SOUTH CAROLINA NOTABLES
• Tonight marks just the second meeting between these two teams in the Dawn Staley era. South Carolina played Appalachian State in the 2011 WNIT, the Gamecocks’ first postseason appearance of the Staley era, topping the Mountaineers 67-54 in first-round action in Columbia.

• With a 131-31 overall record at Colonial Life Arena in the Dawn Staley era, the Gamecocks have been particularly efficient in non-conference action with a 64-10 slate. Against unranked non-conference foes, the Gamecocks are 60-1 with the lone loss coming in the first such game of the Staley era – a 52-45 loss to Clemson on Nov. 19, 2008.

• Over the last five games, including two against ranked opponents with sizable frontcourts, the Gamecocks have a +2.6 rebounding margin. South Carolina out-rebounded #9/8 Oregon State by five and trailed #4/5 Baylor, which ranks fifth in the nation in rebounding, by just three.

• Graduate transfer Nelly Perry has shown maturity and solid decision-making all season, and her offensive production has come around in recent weeks as she works her way back to 100 percent health. Over the last five games, she has hit 55.6 percent from 3-point range (5-of-9) and 57.1 percent overall to average 6.6 points. Her all-around contributions during that time include 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as well.

• Sophomore LeLe Grissett, who earned her first start of the season against Dayton, has been a steady producer the last five games, shooting 66.7 percent from the field for 7.4 points per game to go with 6.0 rebounds per game. She picked up her first career double-double, posting 11 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes against #4/5 Baylor (Dec. 2). Overall, Grissett leads the Gamecocks in field goal percentage (.606) and is fifth on the team with 6.9 points per game.

BY THE NUMBERS
1 Home loss to an unranked non-conference team in the Dawn Staley era

5 100-point games by the Gamecocks in the Dawn Staley era (11th season)

11.5 Turnover average over the last five games by the Gamecocks, who rank 25th in the nation in turnover margin (+6.5)

22.5 Points off turnovers per game by the Gamecocks, who force 19.9 turnovers per game

APP STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Gamecocks hold an 11-4 edge in the series against Appalachian State, including a 1-0 mark in the Dawn Staley era and a 5-1 record in Columbia. The teams have met just twice in the 2000s with both games going to South Carolina, which has won six straight against the Mountaineers. Appalachian State’s last win in the series was a 70-64 decision on Dec. 30, 1994, in Orlando, Fla.

PICKING UP THE PACE
With the deepest guard lineup of her South Carolina career, head coach Dawn Staley is looking to lift the game’s tempo on both sides of the ball. 

South Carolina’s defense ranks 44th in the nation in steals per game at 11.3 and forces 19.9 turnovers per outing. The effort has helped offset the Gamecocks’ own 13.4 turnovers per game to put the team at 25th in the nation in turnover margin (+6.5).

Offensively, South Carolina averages 65.0 field goal attempts per game. The Gamecocks’ 73 shots against #9/10 Maryland (Nov. 18) and #9/8 Oregon State (Nov. 23) tied for the fourth most in the Staley era. Over the previous 10 seasons under Staley, the Gamecocks averaged 57.2 field goal attempts per game with a high of 59.5 per game in 2009-10 and a low of 53.3 in 2013-14. 

ALEXIS NEXUS
Senior forward Alexis Jennings has found her place in the spotlight of the frontcourt this season after last season’s effort earned her 2018-19 preseason accolades – Katrina McClain Award Watch List, Preseason All-SEC. 

After missing the season opener and playing restricted minutes early as she recovered from an injury, Jennings was dominant in the last four games, including two against top-10 opponents. Her 12 points and 14 rebounds against #9/8 Oregon State (Nov. 23) were the first double-double of the season for South Carolina and marked her fourth against a ranked opponent in the last two seasons. Over the last four games, Jennings has averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. In the two games against ranked opponents, those numbers go up even more – 10.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg.

Jennings is third on the team with 9.0 points per game to go with her team-high 6.1 rebounds per game.

Including her two seasons at Kentucky, Jennings ranks fifth among active SEC players in career double-doubles (14), coming in fourth in rebounds (645) and ninth in blocked shots (44).