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Jan. 7, 2005
GAMECOCK HEADLINES
* South Carolina (5-9 overall; 0-1 Southeastern Conference) continues its SEC schedule when it heads to Nashville to face No. 16/12 Vanderbilt (11-2 overall; 0-0 SEC) at 3 p.m. (EST) Sunday at Memorial Gym.
* The Gamecocks have won two of their last three meetings with the Commodores and are in search of their second consecutive win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
* Carolina is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent since claiming an 83-59 win over then-No. 13 Arkansas on Feb. 16, 2003.
* South Carolina held Mississippi State to 16-of-65 shooting from the field this past Thursday (.246 pct.) to set a new single-game Colonial Center record for field goal percentage defense for either men or women.
* Sunday’s game is a case of strength against strength, as the Commodores lead the SEC with a .521 field goal percentage, while the Gamecock defense has limited its last six opponents to .314 shooting from the field.
THE BASICS
South Carolina (5-9 overall; 0-1 Southeastern Conference) continues its SEC schedule when it heads to Nashville to face No. 16/12 Vanderbilt (11-2 overall; 0-0 SEC) at 3 p.m. (EST) Sunday at Memorial Gym. The Gamecocks have won two of their last three meetings with the Commodores and are in search of their second consecutive win over Vanderbilt in Nashville.
ON THE AIR
The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play. For listeners outside of Columbia, the live broadcast will also be aired worldwide via the internet on the official web site of South Carolina athletics, www.uscsports.com.
ACCESSING THE WEB BROADCAST
To access the internet broadcast, go to www.uscsports.com, then click the “Audio/Video” link at the top of the screen. Follow the prompts from there to select the game you want to listen to.
SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
Season tickets for South Carolina women’s basketball are now available for only $40, making Gamecock women’s hoops one of the best values in town. The Gamecocks play in the premier women’s basketball conference in America, and the SEC schedule is one that gives fans the chance to see some of the best women’s basketball players in America night in and night out.
THE COACHES
Susan Walvius is in her eighth year at the helm of the South Carolina women’s basketball program and her 15th year overall as a head coach. Prior to USC, she coached at Virginia Commonwealth and West Virginia. The 2002 SEC Coach of the Year led the Gamecocks to consecutive top-20 national finishes and NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. Her 2002 squad advanced to the Elite Eight. In her fourth season at Vanderbilt, where she has compiled a 59-20 overall record, Melanie Balcomb came to Nashville from Xavier, where she served as head coach from 1995-2002. Her first head coaching job was at Ashland, where she coached from 1993-95. Last season, she guided the Commodores to their fourth SEC Tournament championship. During her time at Vandy, she has led her squad to consecutive seasons with 22 or more wins and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances.
A CAROLINA WIN WOULD:
* Be the Gamecocks’ third win in their last four games against Vanderbilt. * Mark Carolina’s second consecutive win over Vanderbilt in Nashville, where the Gamecocks had compiled an 0-7 record prior to claiming their first-ever win in 2003. * Be the Gamecocks’ first win over a ranked opponent since claiming an 83-59 win over then-No. 13 Arkansas on Feb. 16, 2003. * Snap a nine-game Carolina losing streak against ranked opposition. * Mark the Gamecocks’ first road win over a ranked opponent since claiming a 66-57 win over then-No. 17 Vanderbilt in Nashville on Jan. 16, 2003, snapping a seven-game skid in road games against ranked opposition. * Snap South Carolina’s seven-game losing streak against SEC opponents. The Gamecocks’ last win against an SEC opponent was a 77-51 triumph over Alabama on Feb. 12 of last year. * Snap Carolina’s 10-game losing streak in games played away from the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks’ last road win was an 84-61 triumph at College of Charleston on Jan. 28, 2004.
A CAROLINA LOSS WOULD:
* Be the team’s fourth consecutive defeat, marking the longest such skid of the season. * Mark the Gamecocks’ eighth consecutive defeat at the hands of an SEC opponent. The Gamecocks’ last win against an SEC opponent was a 77-51 triumph over Alabama on Feb. 12 of last year. * Move the Gamecocks to 1-8 all-time in games played at Vanderbilt. * Extend Carolina’s losing streak to 10 games in contests played against ranked opponents. USC’s last win over a ranked opponent was an 83-59 win over then-No. 13 Arkansas on Feb. 16, 2003. * Extend Snap Carolina’s losing streak in games played away from the Colonial Center to 11. The Gamecocks’ last road win was an 84-61 triumph at College of Charleston on Jan. 28, 2004.
CAROLINA’S KEY NUMBERS
* 20:00 – The Gamecocks are yet to win a game in which it trailed at the half. Conversely, Carolina is 5-2 when leading after the first 20 minutes of play.
* 40 – Carolina is 0-7 this year when shooting less than 40 percent from the field. Conversely, the Gamecocks’ opposition is 5-1 when shooting 40 percent from the field.
* 60 – The Gamecocks are 0-6 this season when scoring less than 60 points.
* 66 – Dating back to Feb. 23, 2003, USC has lost its last 23 games when scoring less than 66 points.
* 16 – Carolina is 5-0 this season in games in which it distributes 16 assists as a team.
* 10 – The Gamecocks are 0-4 this year in games decided by 10 points or less.
* 23 – …as in the jersey number of Melanie Johnson. In South Carolina’s five wins, Johnson averages 14.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 5.0 steals per game. Her season averages are 8.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.8 steals per game.
CAROLINA DEFENSE SETS RECORD
South Carolina held Mississippi State to 16-of-65 shooting from the field on Jan. 6 (.246 pct.) to set a new single-game Colonial Center record for field goal percentage defense for either men or women.
DEFENSE BECOMING CAROLINA CALLING CARD
South Carolina has stepped up its defense lately, holding its last six opponents to an average of 51.5 points per game on 109-of-347 shooting from the field (.314 pct.)
WHAT’S NEXT
The Gamecocks are back in action when they host the College of Charleston at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Colonial Center to put a cap on the non-conference schedule. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia and on the internet at www.uscsports.com, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis.
