Jan. 11, 2012
Game Information
Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012
Time: 8 p.m. (ET)
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Arena: Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,215)
TV: None
Radio:WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller and Marcy Girton); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats: LSUsports.net
LSU Series: LSU leads 21-4; In Baton Rouge: LSU leads 11-1; In Columbia: LSU leads 10-2; At Neutral Site: SC leads 1-0
South Carolina Notables
- This is the 38th season of women’s basketball at South Carolina and the Gamecocks’ 21st season in the SEC.
- South Carolina’s defense, rated second in the nation in points allowed (45.2), has held nine opponents to 48 or fewer points this season.
- Today’s game pits the nation’s No. 2 and No. 3 defenses against each other as LSU has allowed 46.5 points per game this season.
- In conference games only, the Gamecocks lead the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.115), steals per game (10.0) and turnover margin (+6.3).
- Freshman forward Aleighsa Welch leads the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting 66.3 percent on the season. She is the Gamecocks’ top scorer in conference play, pouring in 12.7 points per game on 66.7 percent shooting and has pulled in a team-best 7.7 rebounds per contest.
- South Carolina is second in the SEC in rebounding margin in conference games (+7.3) despite being one of just two teams in the league with fewer than two players who stand 6-foot-1 or taller.
Notes
A South Carolina Win Would…
- Be the Gamecocks’ 15th of the season, the best season start since the 2002-03 team also went 15-2.
- Be the Gamecocks’ ninth-straight victory, the longest win streak since the 2001-02 team put together 12 straight from Nov. 30 through Jan. 13 in non-conference action.
- Make the Gamecocks 4-0 in the SEC for the first time since the 2001-02 team started league play with four straight victories.
- Be the Gamecocks’ sixth on the road this season, making it the first season in which South Carolina has won more than five true road games since 1990-91.
- Be the Gamecocks’ second over LSU in the last three meetings.
By the Numbers
0 Games this season in which the Gamecocks have committed more turnovers than their opponent
.167 3-point field goal percentage (1-of-6) to which South Carolina limited Vanderbilt (Jan. 5), which had entered the game leading the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 43.8 percent
1 Game in which the Gamecocks did not attempt more field goals that their opponent – Alabama A&M (Nov. 14) who matched South Carolina’s 60 field goal attempts
2 National rank for the Gamecocks in scoring defense
5 Categories in which South Carolina ranks among the SEC’s top three in league games – scoring defense (2nd), 3-point field goal defense (1st), rebounding defense (2nd), rebounding margin (2nd), steals (1st), turnover margin (1st)
5 Games this season in which senior forward Charenee Stephens has been the team’s top rebounder (Clemson NC State, Savannah State, Drexel, and Vanderbilt), including three of the last five contests
7 More players who stand at least 6-foot-1 on the Lady Tigers’ roster (9) than on the Gamecocks’ (2)
8 Of the 13 Gamecocks on the active roster that have recorded at least one double-digit scoring game – the group has combined for double-digits 38 times
9 Rank of the Gamecocks’ +7.1 turnover margin in the country
11 Games this season that have been decided by more than 10 points, all won by the Gamecocks
14 Games in which South Carolina has had a lead at halftime, all resulting in victories
15 Games in which the Gameccocks’ bench has outscored the starters
Last Time Out
Senior La’Keisha Sutton hit a pair of free throws in the final five seconds to seal South Carolina’s 49-44 victory at Florida Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks led by as many as 13 midway through the second half, but the Gators put on a rally that nearly stole the game. Drawing within three with 22 seconds to play, Florida sent the Gamecocks to the free throw line, where South Carolina has struggled throughout the season. The difficulties continued, but offensive rebounding from first Sancheon White then Charenee Stephens saved the day, setting up Sutton’s final heroics.
LSU Series Notes
The Lady Tigers lead the series 21-4, but split last season’s series with the Gamecocks as each team won on its home court. South Carolina’s only win in its previous 12 trips to Baton Rouge was a 90-82 outcome on Jan. 15, 1994. South Carolina opened last season’s pair of matchups with a 63-61 win on Jan. 6 that snapped a 14-game losing streak to LSU. Junior guard Ieasia Walker hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to seal the come-from-behind victory as South Carolina rallied from an 18-point deficit. The tables turned in the Feb. 24 rematch in Baton Rouge as the Lady Tigers rallied to send the game into overtime and come out with a 54-51 victory. Senior guard La’Keisha Sutton has had the most productive career against the Lady Tigers, averaging 14.0 points on 40.3 percent shooting and 2.0 assists. Ashley Bruner, Markeshia Grant and Ieasia Walker also average 8.0 or more points against LSU. Charenee Stephens has had her share of success battling the traditionally taller Lady Tigers on the glass, pulling in 5.3 boards per game while adding 5.0 points per contest on 58.3 percent shooting.
Road Warriors
South Carolina has a 184-231 (.443) all-time record on the road. The Gamecocks’ best season on the road was 1979-80 when they went 11-4. Under head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina is 15-22 in road games. In her 11th season as a head coach, Staley has a 77-68 road record. The Gamecocks are 5-1 on the road so far this season, matching the most true road games South Carolina has won under Staley, which the 2009-10 team also amassed. The Gamecocks have not won more than five true road games in a season since the 1990-91 squad went 6-4.
Locking It Down
South Carolina has held an opponent to 48 or fewer points nine times this season, the most since the 2005-06 squad limited its foes to that number a school-record 11 times. South Carolina has never lost a game when holding an opponent to 48 or fewer points, which it has done in a total of 109 games (two games in the 1980-81 season were later forfeited).
