Gamecocks Return Home, Host Akron On Saturday

Dec. 27, 2013

South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena on Saturday to host Akron in the second of back-to-back contests between the two schools. The Gamecocks and Zips met in the third-place game of this week’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Christmas Day, with South Carolina earning the 69-59 come-from-behind victory. The meeting on Saturday is the second all-time between the two schools. Game time is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

OPENING TIP
Date: Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013
Tipoff: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Series: South Carolina leads 1-0
Last Meeting: South Carolina win, 69-59, on Dec. 25, 2013, in Honolulu, Hawaii (Diamond Head Classic)
Broadcast: ESPNU
Talent: Joe Davis (pxp), Paul Biancardi (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network/107.5 The Game in Columbia
Sirius: 111; XM: 199
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Game Notes | | @GamecockMBB on Twitter | Tickets

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 106th season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are led by Frank Martin in his second year. Matt Figger is the associate head coach, and Perry Clark and Lamont Evans are assistant coaches. Andy Assaley is in his second year as the director of operations for the Gamecocks.
– South Carolina responded after the loss to Boise State, with a come-from-behind victory over Akron on Christmas Day in the final contest of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. The Gamecocks out-scored the ZIps 44-28 during the second half to complete a 69-59 victory. Freshman guard Duane Notice tallied a season and team high 15 points in the win, and four different Gamecocks – Notice, Ty Johnson, Michael Carrera and Desmond Ringer – collected five rebounds each.
– Carolina earned third place at the Diamond Head Classic with victories over Saint Mary’s and Akron.
– Rookie guard Duane Notice out-scored his own season high in each successive game in Hawaii. He began tournament play with 11 points vs. Saint Mary’s, before posting 13 against Boise State and 15 against Akron. For the tournament, Notice hit 59.3 percent (16-27) from the field, averaging 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
– After his suspension from the USC Upstate contest for his part in a post-game altercation vs. Manhattan, sophomore forward Michael Carrera played sparingly vs. Saint Mary’s, before an eight-point effort in seven minutes against Boise State. He saw 19 minutes of action in Wednesday’s win vs. Akron, posting 10 points and five rebounds. It was Carrera’s first double-digit scoring contest since scoring 10 points vs. the Jaspers.
– Saturday’s game vs. Akron is the sixth in an eight-game in 18 days stretch for Carolina which began with the Dec. 17 Manhattan game. Following the game vs. the Zips, Carolina hosts Marshall on Monday, before concluding non-conference play hosting SC State on Jan. 3.
– After a stellar win over Saint Mary’s on Sunday, the Gamecocks suffered an 80-54 loss to Boise State in the semifinal round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Monday. The Gamecocks struggled in the contest, hitting just 37.3 percent (19-51) from the floor, compared to the 53.7 percent (29-54) from the Broncos. Senior guard Brenton Williams led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while Notice tallied 13. The Gamecocks dished just six assists and committed 18 turnovers, which led to 20 Boise State points, in the game.

Scouting Akron
Akron enters Saturday’s game with a 6-4 overall record after a victory over Oregon State at the Diamond Head Classic and losses to No. 14 Iowa State and South Carolina … The team is led by head coach Keith Dambrot in his 10th season … Senior forward Demetrius Treadwell paces the team with 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game … In Wednesday’s contest, Carolina held Treadwell to 12 points and seven rebounds … Senior forward Quincy Diggs paces the team with 3.2 assists per game; he tallied 10 points and four assists in Wednesday’s matchup … The Zips average 8.0 made 3-point baskets per game and are shooting 36.7 percent from beyond the arc this season … Akron hits just 60.8 percent from the free throw line and the team swipes 6.8 steals per game.

Series vs. Akron
Saturday’s meeting vs. Akron marks the second all-time and the second in a four-day span between the two schools.

By The Numbers
2 – South Carolina has two wins and two losses at home this season, after dropping back-to-back games to visiting Manhattan and USC Upstate last week at Colonial Life Arena prior to the Diamond Head Classic.
75.5 – South Carolina averages an admirable 75.5 points per game in home games this season. The Gamecocks hit 43.5 percent of their field goal attempts and hold opponents to just 39.6 percent from the field.
13.0 – Freshman guard Duane Notice led three Gamecocks who averaged double-figures at the Diamond Head Classic with 13.0 points per game, hitting a stellar 59.3 percent average from the floor. Senior guard Brenton Williams added 11.3 points per game and junior guard Tyrone Johnson contributed 10.3, including a team high 16 points in the win vs. Saint Mary’s.
10 – After committing 18 turnovers vs. Boise State, the Gamecocks committed just 10 in the win vs. Akron, including just two in the second half. South Carolina averages 14.0 turnovers per contest this season.
12 – Sophomore forward Laimonas Chatkevicius posted a career high 12 points in the win vs. Saint Mary’s at the Diamond Head Classic, hitting 5-of-6 attempts from the floor. His seven rebounds vs. the Gaels were also a season high.
5.8+ – Over the course of the last five games, seven different Gamecocks average at least 5.8 points per game, led by freshman guard Sindarius Thornwell’s 12.4 per outing. Junior guard Tyrone Johnson is the only other player in double figures at 10.8 points per game.
11.3 – After scoring just a combined eight points in the previous three games entering the Diamond Head Classic, senior guard Brenton Williams tallied 11.3 points per game in Hawaii to rank among team leaders in the category. He played a seson high 30 minutes in the win vs. Akron and contributed 12 points.