Full Game Notes In PDF Format

Dec. 29, 2005

In its last game of 2005, South Carolina will host Detroit Mercy at 2 pm on New Year’s Eve Day at the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks enter the game 7-4, after a disappointing 51-58 loss on Wednesday to No. 23 Pittsburgh. USC will start off 2006 with a 7 pm game with SC State on Tues., Jan. 3. The Titans enter the game one game under .500 at 6-7. In its last venture on the court, Christmas Eve, UDM was on the losing end of a valent effort at No. 11 Louisville when it dropped a 56-48 game to the Cardinals. It was the second lowest output of points for the Cardinals this season. The 48 points did represent a season-low in points for the Titans.

The last non-televied game at the Colonial Center this season will be carried on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color analyst). The game can also be heard via the internet at www.uscsports.com.

On them

Detroit Mercy is headed up by 13-year head coach Perry Watson. He is 233-147 during his tenure. 14-16 last season, the Titans finished 9-7 in the Horizon League (good enough for third place). This season they are 4-0 at home, but 2-7 away from Calihan Hall. They are already 0-1 in HL play, dropping a 58-69 game to Wright State on Dec. 7. UDM is led by Brandon Cotton (17.0 ppg) and Jon Goode (10.0 ppg). Torvoris Baker paces the team with 7.0 rpg and Chuck Bailey is second with 5.8 rpg.

Needing a win now

USC is 2-1 this year following a loss. USC was 8-3 last season following a loss. USC was 6-4 in 2003-04 following a loss.

3 of 5 Three of the five Gamecock starters are averaging double figure points. Individually Carolina is led by Tarence Kinsey, who is averaging a team-leading 15.5 ppg and is third with 4.7 rpg. Tre’ Kelley is second with 12.2 ppg and leads the team with 3.2 apg. Renaldo Balkman leads the team with 6.7 rpg and is third with 10.9 ppg.

Last on the state schedule: SC State Jan. 3

In early December, South Carolina played three straight games against in-state rivals and collected a 2-1 record in the stretch. Coach Odom is 57-10 overall against all teams in the state of South Carolina — with its only losses coming to in-state rival Clemson. That total includes one game against the Gamecocks as well. The most wins come against Clemson as Odom is 22-10 against the Tigers and is 33-0 against the rest of South Carolina. His first in-state test of the season was not a prosperous one as the Gamecocks fell at Clemson 82-63 on Dec. 3. After Wofford (73-43 win), the South Carolina State (Jan. 3) is the lone in-state school on the schedule this season.

Stop at 15 please! He did it again. Scoring a game-high 18 points, Tre’ Kelley kept a streak alive he wished he could break. When scoring 16 or more points, Kelley is 1-7. When scoring 17 or more during his Gamecock career, USC is 0-7.

See the following games:

PT TEAM/DATE RESULTS

23 vs. Marquette, 11/27/05 L 89-92 OT

22 at Miss. State, 1/22/05 L 65-73

22 Clemson, 12/4/04 L 62-63 OT

19 at Kentucky, 1/5/05 L 75-79

18 vs. Pittsburgh 12/28/05 L, 51-58

18 at Arkansas, 2/21/04 L 62-82

17 Florida, 2/27/05 L 65-66

16 Vanderbilt, 2/14/04 W 82-75

Starters pass it

The Gamecocks have collected 160 assists and the five starters have collected 139 (over 87% ). The five Gamecock starters all have 15 or more assists this season (Kelley, Wallace, Kinsey, Trice, Balkman). Tre’ Kelley leads the team with 35. But No. 2 and No 3 are junior forwards Brandon Wallace (32) and Renaldo Balkman (30). Tarence Kinsey has 22 to Rocky Trice 20.