Nov. 21, 2011

The South Carolina men’s basketball team will host Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, continuing play in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena, with the contest to be televised on SportSouth.

OPENING TIP
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena
Series: First Meeting
Television: SportSouth (check local listings)
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Daymeon Fishback (analyst)
Radio: Derek Scott (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)

Game Notes

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 104th season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are led by fourth-year head coach Darrin Horn.
– South Carolina began play in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational with a 64-63 loss to Tennessee State on Sunday at Colonial Life Arena.
– South Carolina sophomore guard Eric Smith tallied a career high 18 points in just 18 minutes vs. Tennessee State. The Mullins, S.C., native hit 6-of-10 from the floor, including a stellar 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Smith’s previous career high was nine points.
– Several Gamecocks were in foul trouble early in the contest vs. Tennessee State. Freshman forward Anthony Gill played just two minutes in the opening half, while fellow starter Damontre Harris played just seven.
– Tuesday’s contest vs. Mississippi Valley State marks the second in a stretch of four games in seven days. Carolina played Tennessee State on Sunday, MVSU on Tuesday and will play top-ranked North Carolina on Friday before a matchup between either Southern California or UNLV on Saturday.
– Tuesday’s game marks the first meeting between South Carolina and Mississippi Valley State.
– The Gamecocks have out-rebounded their opponent in all three games this season.
– Looking ahead, should North Carolina still be ranked as the No. 1 team in the AP poll when the two teams meet next week, it would mark the ninth time the Gamecocks would play the AP No. 1. The last time South Carolina faced the top-ranked team the Gamecocks earned a thrilling 68-62 victory over Kentucky at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 26, 2010, for their first win over a No. 1. The Gamecocks have played UNC when the Tar Heels have been ranked as the AP No. 1 three previous times, all during the 1957 calendar year.
– South Carolina is 78-30 (.722) all-time in the month of November. Carolina went 4-1 last season during the month.
– South Carolina earned a 75-50 victory over Western Carolina in the season opener on Nov. 11. Freshman forward Anthony Gill paced Carolina with 14 points, while sophomore guard Brenton Williams impressed, scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, while collecting five steals.

By The Numbers
18 – South Carolina sophomore guard Eric Smith doubled his career high with 18 points in Tuesday’s contest vs. Tennessee State. Smith’s previous high of nine points came earlier this season when he tallied nine vs. Western Carolina in the season opener on Nov. 11 (entering the season his career high was eight points vs. Kentucky on Feb. 19, 2011).
32.0 – South Carolina is averaging 32.0 points in the paint per game through three games this season. To compare, Gamecock opponents are averaging just 14.0 points in the paint per game.

Scouting MVSU
MVSU enters Tuesday’s contest with an 0-3 record after most recently suffering a 101-75 loss at top-ranked North Carolina on Sunday … Freshman guard Brent Arrington tallied 33 points off the bench for MVSU vs. the Tar Heels, hitting 12-of-18 shots, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range … Senior center Paul Crosby with 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds a year ago, and junior guard Terrence Joyner with 10.1 points last season are the top returners for MVSU … MVSU also suffered an 80-67 loss at Notre Dame and an 80-70 loss at DePaul earlier this season.