Feb. 8, 2006
It doesn’t matter if it takes one, two, or 100 times. Junior Stacy Booker has to leave pre-game shootaround on a made three-pointer.
Lately, though, Booker has found that superstition has its limits.
“It’s never really been working for me the past couple of games,” the Lawrenceville, Ga., guard said, laughing.
An honest statement, for sure. The Gamecocks’ leading scorer at 9.5 points per game, Booker has shot a Sisyphean 1-for-18 from the field over the last two games. Her backcourt mates have been similarly score-starved: 41 percent shooters before, Carolina’s guards only shot 26 percent in the last two contests.
Yet despite their arctic outside shooting, the Gamecocks won both games last week, improving to 12-8, 3-5 SEC.
They haven’t been the prettiest or most complete efforts. But the Gamecocks have learned that in the SEC, the same rule of nature applies: adapt to survive.
“Our depth makes it really hard for people to guard,” head coach Susan Walvius said this week. “I’m excited for that night when everybody shows up. We’re going to need that as we continue to go on through this stretch of the season.”
In the absence of steady perimeter play, Walvius’ frontcourt has more than picked up the slack. Consider: in their 61-52 win over Arkansas, the Gamecocks outscored the Lady Razorbacks in the paint, 46-16. Against Mississippi State, 42 of the Gamecocks’ 51 points came from post players, either by driving to the hole or drawing free throws.
Sophomore Ilona Burgrova – who inherited her post skills from her 6’10” father, a former Czech pro – missed a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds against MSU. She says her teammates’ passing accuracy is still unquestioned.
“They’ve learned how to pass us the ball, where to pass, and in which moments,” Burgrova said.
The Gamecocks also benefited from Melanie Johnson’s most productive stretch of her SEC career. The junior jumping-jack averaged 16.5 points and 7 rebounds in Carolina’s wins last week.
“It’s almost like she’s in slow motion. She can find the rim, and she can score. She’s extremely athletic,” Walvius said.
Still, Walvius knows that if you stay unbalanced long enough, you’re bound to tip. As the Gamecocks enter a critical stretch, her outside scoring needs to return.
“We’re trying to create a sense of urgency in our basketball team offensively. I think sometimes that’s misunderstood, and perimeter players are trying to take quick shots.
“Stacy and Lauren [Simms] are both smart looks for our team, and in game situations when we need a basket, we are going to look to them. And they’ll get it back on track,” she said.
Big games loom against Kentucky (RPI #24) and Florida (RPI #26) this week. The Gamecocks hope they’ve saved their best shot.
The Tip Drill
Retrofitted: A fan since the Terry Bradshaw days, assistant Ken Griffin wore his Franco Harris 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers throwback jersey during shootaround Super Bowl Sunday.
Road Show: Prior to her 18-point outburst at Mississippi State, junior Melanie Johnson had saved her best shows for the road. Through January 30, Johnson averaged 10.5 points per game on the road, but only 4.7 points per game at home.
Eat Your Heart Out, Kobe: If you’re looking for an explanation to Lea Fabbri’s recent scoring surge, maybe it’s congenital. Fabbri told me that her father, a former professional guard in Yugoslavia, once scored 100 points in a game… without a three-point line.
Coming and Going: Guess who shared a roof with the Gamecocks Saturday in Starkville? Former USC head coach-turned-television analyst Eddie Fogler, who was working the Auburn-Mississippi State men’s telecast the night before and stayed in the same hotel.
