Oct. 16, 2006

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball player Lauren “Cocoa” Falohun is out for the season after sustaining an injury to her left knee during practice last Friday. She will undergo surgery next week.

A 5-8 freshman point guard from Atlanta’s Pace Academy, Falohun was expected to log significant minutes during her first year at the collegiate level. A first-team all-state selection as a senior in high school, Falohun had caught the eye of Gamecock Head Coach Susan Walvius as a player who could pressure opposing point guards with strong and physical play.

“It’s tough to have this happen, but my role now is to support my teammates and work hard in my rehab to get back next year and continue everything that the team is doing this year,” Falohun said. “I’m going to work hard and hopefully come back stronger than ever.”

“We are certainly disappointed about the injury. We thought Cocoa was going to make a considerable impact, especially defensively in her first year,” Walvius said. “We feel bad for her. She worked hard all summer to be in position to help this team immediately and we believe she would have done that. We will miss her presence on the floor this year.”

Following a Nov. 8 exhibition with Lake Truck, the Gamecocks open the 2006-07 campaign against East Tennessee State at 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Colonial Center.