Nov. 27, 2010
Game Information
Date: Sunday, November 28, 2010
Time: 2 p.m. (PT)/5 p.m. (ET)
Location: Davis, California
Arena: The Pavilion (7,100)
UC Davis Series: First Meeting
Radio: WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats:
South Carolina Notables
- This is the Gamecocks’ 36th season as a varsity sport.
- South Carolina has outrebounded four of its five opponents this season. No. 3/2 Stanford was the first team to top the Gamecocks on the glass (40-30).
- Through five games, three different players have been the team’s leading scorer. Three different Gamecocks have been the team’s top rebounder as well.
- South Carolina is third in the SEC in offensive rebounding, grabbing 19.6 per game.
- The Gamecocks’ strength of schedule is rated second in the nation (through games of Nov. 26).
- Samone Kennedy is doubtful for today’s game with a toe injury (right foot).
Notes
A South Carolina Win Would…
- Bring head coach Dawn Staley within one of her 200th career coaching victory.
Dawn Staley in sole possession of fifth place on the program’s coaching wins list. She is currently tied with Pam Backhaus, who led the Gamecocks to 26 wins over two separate stints as the head coach. - Be the Gamecocks’ first (in five tries) in the state of California.
- Give the Gamecocks a .500 record through six games for the third-straight season.
Beating the Big West
South Carolina has played just one other school in the Big West – Nevada. The Gamecocks are 1-1 against the Wolfpack.
Gamecocks’ Last Time Out…
South Carolina’s shooting woes followed them across the country in a 70-32 loss at No. 3/2 Stanfor Friday afternoon. The Gamecocks hit just 21.8 percent from the field in their lowest-scoring game in school history as no player reached double-figure points.
Stop, Thief!
South Carolina is averaging 9.0 steals per game this season, which is as high an average as the team has amassed since finishing the 2007-08 campaign with 9.0 per game. The Gamecocks have swiped 10 steals in two of their five games (Clemson, at No. 3/2 Stanford) and have not recorded fewer than eight in a game so far this season.
Where’s the Help?
Despite having arguably the game’s all-time best point guard at the helm, the Gamecocks have been stingy with the assists this season. South Carolina has amassed just 38 assists on 106 field goals this season (35.8%). After opening the season with assists on half the team’s field goals in the first two games, the Gamecocks have not reached the 10-assist plateau in the last three games. The trend reached its nadir at No. 3/2 Stanford when South Carolina recorded just two assists on its 12 field goals (16.7%).
A-B-C Her Play
Forward Ashley Bruner opened her sophomore season with a pair of double-doubles, marking the second-straight season a Gamecock has accomplished the feat. Bruner’s 17 points and 15 boards against No. 5/6 Xavier were career highs, and she followed that effort with a 11-point, 12-rebound showing against Illinois. In her most recent outing, Bruner ripped down six offensive rebounds at No. 3/2 Stanford.
Bruner’s stellar start has her ranked eighth in the SEC with 8.6 rebounds per game. Her 15 rebounds against Xavier are tied for the third-most by an SEC player this season.
She’s a Jewel
Senior Jewel May has started 35 of the team’s last 36 games because of what she brings to the team outside the box score. That was never more evident than at No. 3/2 Stanford where her stat line of two points and two rebounds did not begin to describe her effort against the Cardinal frontcourt.
Quick and athletic on both sides of the ball, May earned praise from head coach Dawn Staley following the Clemson game as an example of what the coaching staff had been preaching about taking good shots. Calm decision-making and poise in the post helped May to a six rebounds, including three offensive, and eight points along with a career-best four steals.
This season, May is third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. Nine of her 21 total rebounds have come on the offensive end, helping her to 4.2 points per game. She has led the team in rebounding twice (Clemson, at Penn State).
Now in November
The Gamecocks are 69-37 (.651) all-time in the month of November, including a 34-9 record at home. Under head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina is 8-8 in the first month of the season. The Gamecocks went 3-2 in Staley’s first year at the helm (2008-09) and were 3-3 last season.
Road Warriors
South Carolina has a 176-224 (.440) all-time record on the road. In non-conference action, that number improves to 120-109 (.524) all-time. The Gamecocks best season on the road was 1979-80 when they went 11-4.
Tough Slate, High RPI
According to collegerpi.com (through games of Nov. 26), South Carolina is playing the second-toughest schedule in the country. With 20 of 29 games this season coming against teams that participated in the 2010 postseason, South Carolina has its work cut out for it right from the opening tipoff. Six Gamecock opponents (nine games) advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, five of those games will be played at Colonial Life Arena.
Early RPI ratings (through games of Nov. 26) have South Carolina coming in at 22. Around the SEC, Tennessee is in at 4, while Arkansas and Florida come in at 19 and 21, respectively. Mississippi State (34), Kentucky (60), Alabama (74), Vanderbilt (80) and Ole Miss (89) round out the SEC schools ranked in the top 100.
