Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Feb. 3, 2006
THE BASICS
The South Carolina women’s basketball team travels to Starkville for a battle with Mississippi State set to tip off at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday.
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 radio 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 go to the women’s basketball home page and click on “Schedule/Results”. At the top of the page is a link for Audio Broadcasts. Click on that link, then select the game you wish to listen to.
THE COACHES
Susan Walvius is in her ninth year at the helm of the South Carolina women’s basketball program and her 16th 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. Now in her 11th year at Mississippi State, Sharon Fanning was recognized as the SEC Coach of the Year in 2000 and ranks among the top 25 among active coaches in career victories. Fanning’s first head coaching job came at Tennessee-Chattanooga, where she patrolled the sidelines from 1976-87. She moved on to Kentucky, where she led the Wildcat program from 1987-95 before moving on to Mississippi State in 1995.
COACHING QUICK HITS
South Carolina
Susan Walvius
Alma Mater Virginia Tech, 1986
USC Record 125-125/9th year
Overall Record 223-226/16th year
Mississippi State
Sharon Fanning
Alma Mater UT-Chattanooga, 1975
Miss. State Record 176-140/11th year
Overall Record 499-366/30th year
SOUTH CAROLINA FROM A DISTANCE
Height, experience, defense and balanced scoring are the name of the game for South Carolina, as the Gamecocks boast eight players that stand 6-0 or taller and rank as the 15th-tallest team in the nation. Carolina’s roster is dotted by eight juniors and one senior, but freshman Demetress Adams has emerged as an early bright spot, ranking among the team leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals. The Gamecocks endured a brutal schedule to open the conference slate, facing No. 1 Tennessee, No. 3 LSU, No. 23 Vanderbilt and Kentucky in Lexington. Of Carolina’s eight losses this season, six came at the hands of ranked opponents, with a seventh loss coming to a very good Kentucky team in Lexington.
MISSISSIPPI STATE FROM A DISTANCE
Mississippi State is going through a rough patch of its schedule leading into Sunday’s game against South Carolina, as the Bulldogs have lost six in a row and nine of their last 11 games. Mississippi State claimed an impressive 70-59 win over in-state rival Ole Miss in Oxford for its lone SEC win this year, with losses coming at the hands of Arkansas twice, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn and in the rematch with Ole Miss. Averaging 10.4 points per game, freshman guard Robin Porter is Mississippi State’s leading scorer, with senior forward Mamie McKinney hauling in a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game.
BULLDOGS VISIT LAND OF THE GIANTS
Sunday’s contest should be an interesting contrast in personnel, as Mississippi State will be giving up a lot of height to South Carolina. Of the 14 players on South Carolina’s roster, eight are 6-0 or taller, with five players standing at 6-3 or above. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have only three players taller than 6-0 and nobody above 6-3.
WHERE HEIGHT COMES INTO PLAY
The height advantage that South Carolina has on Mississippi State is reflected on the two teams’ season stat sheets, as the Gamecocks average 6.9 blocked shots per game, with the Bulldogs blocking 3.5 per contest. In addition, the Gamecocks own a +9.2 rebounding margin on their opponents, whereas the Bulldogs have a -2.6 rebounding margin.
SUBS COME IN WAVES
The Gamecocks and Bulldogs are similar in that they both play a lot of players. A total of 11 Carolina players average 10 minutes played or more per game, with 10 Mississippi State players averaging 14 minutes played or more per game.
COMMON OPPONENTS
South Carolina and Mississippi State share five common opponents in Purdue, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Georgia. With Purdue sitting atop the Big Ten standings and Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Georgia all ranking among the SEC’s top teams, both South Carolina and Mississippi State share an identical 0-4 record against those four opponents. Where the difference comes is against Arkansas, as the Razorbacks claimed a 66-45 win over Mississippi State on Jan. 5, then came back to edge the Bulldogs, 60-58 on Jan. 22. South Carolina handed Arkansas a 61-52 defeat last Sunday in Columbia.
A CAROLINA WIN WOULD:
>> Mark Carolina’s third win in its last four SEC games after getting off to a 1-5 start in conference play, with the losses coming at the hands of powerhouse teams like Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and Vanderbilt, as well as a defeat at the hands of a tough Kentucky team in Lexington.
>> Mark the first time the Gamecocks have won consecutive SEC road games since Carolina knocked off Kentucky and Alabama on the road in 2003. South Carolina defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa two weeks ago in its last road game, 67-48.
>> Mark the Gamecocks’ second win in their last three trips to Starkville. Though Mississippi State won the first six meetings between the two schools played in Starkville, the Gamecocks and Bulldogs have split the last two meetings, with Carolina claiming a 79-64 win in 2002 and Mississippi State returning the favor by a 72-62 margin in 2004.
GAMECOCKS GETTING DEFENSIVE
Through South Carolina’s first 19 games, only Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU and Georgia have shot 40 percent or better from the field. Carolina established school records by limiting Bethune-Cookman to only seven points in the first half and 26 points in the game, with the Gamecocks matching a school record by limiting Bethune-Cookman to 14.0 percent shooting from the field (8-of-57). The Gamecocks have limited nine different opponents to either 30 percent shooting from the field or lower this year and have held 13 of their last 17 opponents below their season field goal percentage entering the game.
POINTS FROM FABBRI THE MISSING INGREDIENT?
South Carolina point guard Lea Fabbri is showing a side of her game recently that she had not shown in her career to date, namely, she is scoring points in bunches. Fabbri is Carolina’s leading scorer over the span of the last three games against Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas, averaging 12.0 points per game on 13-of-19 shooting from the field (.684 pct.) To put those numbers into perspective, Fabbri averaged 4.3 points per game on .310 pct. shooting from the field prior to this three-game flurry. With Fabbri increasing her scoring production, the Gamecocks have won two of their last three SEC games and are playing some of their best ball of the year.
OTHER INDIVIDUAL PLAYER TRENDS OF NOTE
>> Lea Fabbri has drained six of her last 12 attempts from three-point range during the last four games against Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas.
>> Stacy Booker has converted on 48.0 percent of her attempts from three-point range in Carolina’s six road games, but has drained only 28.8 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc at the Colonial Center.
>> Demetress Adams has converted on 20 of her 33 field goal attempts against SEC opposition (60.6 percent).
>> Lakesha Tolliver has converted on 66.7 percent of her field goal attempts on the road.
>> After going through a bit of a slump following an injury to her hand that led to her being forced to wear a bulky and cumbersome bandage on her shooting hand, Demetress Adams is averaging 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during the last three games. During that same span, Adams has converted on 13 of her 18 field goal attempts (72.2 percent).
FIVE INDICATORS OF CAROLINA’S SUCCESS
5. In South Carolina’s 11 wins, the trio of Melanie Johnson, Demetress Adams and Iva Sliskovic combines to average 30.1 points per game and 19.0 rebounds per contest. In South Carolina’s eight losses, the trio combines to average 17.5 points and 15.4 rebounds per contest.
4. In Carolina’s 11 wins, the Gamecocks have limited the opposition to 27.3 percent shooting from the field. In Carolina’s eight losses, the Gamecocks have allowed the opposition to convert on 41.3 percent of its field goals.
3. In Carolina’s 11 wins, the Gamecocks are shooting 69.9 percent from the free throw line. In Carolina’s eight losses, the Gamecocks are shooting 57.5 percent from the charity stripe.
2. In Carolina’s 11 wins, the Gamecocks have scored 77.8 points per game. In Carolina’s eight losses, the Gamecocks have scored 56.2 points per game.
1. In Carolina’s 11 wins, the Gamecocks have outrebounded the opposition by an average margin of +15.1. In Carolina’s eight losses, the Gamecocks have outrebounded the opposition by an average margin of only +1.1.
THE BENCH MOB
Through South Carolina’s first 19 games, the Gamecock bench averages 35.1 points per game against 16.7 points per game from the opponent’s bench. During South Carolina’s seven-game winning streak earlier this season, the Gamecocks’ non-starters combined to average 46.1 points per game, whereas the opposition’s non-starters combined to average 9.3 points per contest.
COMMON THREADS IN CAROLINA’S WINS
>> The Gamecocks led at the half.
>> The opponent shot less than 40 percent from the field.
>> The Gamecocks scored more points in the paint than the opponent.
>> The Gamecocks had more fast break points than the opponent.
>> The final margin of victory was 18 points or more.
COMMON THREADS IN CAROLINA’S LOSSES
>> The opponent’s starting five outscored Carolina’s starting five.
>> The Gamecocks had equal or less free throws made than the opponent.
>> The Gamecocks scored 66 points or less.
3FGM STREAK SNAPPED AT 136
Though Carolina claimed a 61-52 win over Arkansas on January 29, it marked the end of a streak of 136 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made. The streak dated back to November of 2001 and was the longest such streak in school history.
WHAT’S NEXT
South Carolina returns to action when it hosts Kentucky at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Colonial Center. The two teams met in Lexington on Jan. 8, with the Wildcats claiming a 72-60 win. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320-AM with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis.
