Jan. 26, 2005
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THE BASICS
South Carolina (6-13 overall; 0-5 Southeastern Conference) is home to host No. 5/6 Tennessee (14-3 overall; 4-0 SEC) at 7 p.m. (EST) Thursday at the Colonial Center.
ON THE AIR
The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis. 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.
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. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Pat Summitt is one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. With a career record of 866-170 during her 31 years, Summitt has won six national championships and 13 SEC Championships. Her win total trails only Adolph Rupp (876 wins) and Dean Smith (879 wins). Her 1996 national championship squad was led by current South Carolina Assistant Coach Michelle Marciniak, who earned Final Four Most Valuable Player honors.
A CAROLINA WIN WOULD:
* Snap Tennessee’s 29-game winning streak over the Gamecocks.
* Snap Tennessee’s 38-game winning streak in SEC regular-season games.
* Mark South Carolina’s first win over an opponent ranked in the top-10 since a 71-52 victory over No. 6 Vanderbilt on Jan. 3, 2002.
* Mark Susan Walvius’ first win over Tennessee.
* Snap South Carolina’s 11-game losing streak against teams from the SEC. The Gamecocks’ last win over an SEC opponent was a 77-51 victory over Alabama on Feb. 12, 2004.
A CAROLINA LOSS WOULD:
* Put the Gamecocks at 0-6 in SEC play this year.
* Extend Tennessee’s winning streak in regular-season SEC games to 39.
* Extend South Carolina’s losing streak against SEC opponents to 11 games, dating back to a 77-51 win over Alabama on Feb. 12, 2004.
* Mark the Gamecocks’ eighth loss in their last nine games this year.
* Drop South Carolina’s record to 2-13 in the month of January over the last two seasons, with the two wins both coming over the College of Charleston.
CAROLINA’S KEY NUMBERS
* 20:00 – The Gamecocks are yet to win a game in which it trailed at the half. Conversely, Carolina is 6-3 when leading after the first 20 minutes of play.
* 3/10 – South Carolina is 5-1 in games this season when three or more players score at least 10 points in the same game. The Gamecocks are 1-12 when two players or less hit double-figures.
* 40% – Carolina is 0-10 this year when shooting less than 40 percent from the field. Conversely, the Gamecocks’ opposition is 7-1 when shooting 40 percent from the field.
* 66 – Dating back to a 65-54 win over Auburn on Feb. 23, 2003, USC has lost its last 27 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 0-6 this year in games decided by 10 points or less, and are 0-11 in their last 11 games decided 10 points or less, dating back to an 81-79 win over Southern Utah on Dec. 5, 2003.
* 23 – …as in the jersey number of Melanie Johnson. In South Carolina’s six wins, Johnson averages 14.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 4.8 steals per game. In Carolina’s 13 losses, Johnson averages 4.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. South Carolina is 6-1 when Johnson scores in double figures.
SINGLE-SEASON SCHOOL BLOCKS RECORD FALLS
South Carolina ranks seventh in the SEC and among the leaders nationally in blocked shots. The Gamecocks have rejected an SEC-best 119 shots this year, for an average of 6.3 shots per game. USC’s previous single-season school record for blocks was 115, held by the Gamecocks of 2001-02. Having already set the school record, the current team is on pace to block 175 shots during the regular season. The single-season SEC record for blocked shots is 238, set by Tennessee in 1998.
FRESHMAN FINDING HER WAY
South Carolina freshman center Ilona Burgrova is showing why the coaching staff had such high expectations of her coming into the season. Burgrova has scored in double-figures in three of South Carolina’s last four games, including a 14-point, seven-rebound effort last game at Arkansas in which she converted on six of her seven attempts from the field. During the last four games, Burgrova has converted on 16 of her 29 attempts from the field.
OUT OF WHACK STAT
Gamecock guard Stacy Booker more than doubled her career high by grabbing 13 rebounds last game against Arkansas. Entering Sunday’s game, the 5-8 Booker had never collected more than six rebounds in a game. She grabbed five offensive and eight defensive rebounds against the LadyBacks.
YOUTH SHOWS IN CLOSE GAMES
South Carolina is 0-5 this year in games decided by 10 points or less and 0-11 in games decided by less than 20 points. Dating back to last year, the Gamecocks have lost their last 10 games decided by 10 points or less and their last 23 games decided by less than 20 points.
POINTS ARE HARD TO COME BY
With the exception of Carolina’s 67-37 win over the College of Charleston on Jan. 13, the Gamecocks have scored 62 points or less in each of their last seven games. Included in that span are five games of less than 50 points.
A TREND EMERGES
South Carolina is 6-1 this year when scoring more points off turnovers than its opponents and 0-12 when scoring less points off turnovers than its opponents. With the exception of Carolina’s 75-62 loss at Alabama in which the Gamecocks owned a 13-12 advantage over the Crimson Tide in points off turnovers, the stat has correctly foreshadowed the winner of the rest of Carolina’s 18 games.
