Nov. 8, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s basketball team exploded right from the start in its exhibition game against Lake Truck at the Colonial Center Wednesday, roaring out to a 17-3 run to start the game and never looking back en route to an 88-46 victory in its only exhibition of the season.
The Gamecocks knocked down seven of their first eight shots, with a pair of Lea Fabbri three-pointers included in the early eruption. Carolina took a 49-16 lead into the locker room at halftime behind a team-high 12 points and four assists from Fabbri, who was successful on four of her five three-point attempts in the first half. Demetress Adams added eight points and seven rebounds in the opening stanza, with freshman Kellindra Zackery adding four points, seven rebounds and two assists in the first half.
The Gamecocks outrebounded Lake Truck by a 30-9 margin in the first half and limited Lake Truck to 5-of-30 shooting from the field (16.7 percent) and 1-of-12 shooting from three-point range (8.3 percent) before halftime.
Lake Truck held its own to start the second half, playing Carolina even through the first 12 minutes of the half, but it was not enough to lift them to victory. Adams recorded a double-double in the contest, scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds. Zackery added 11 points and eight rebounds. Fabbri led all scorers in the game with 15 points and added eight assists, with Lakesha Tolliver scoring 12 points and Stacy Booker adding 10 points.
The Lake Truck roster included a set of familiar names, led by 2006 All-America honoree and current Washington Mystic player Nikki Blue from UCLA. Former Tennessee Lady Vol Brittany Jackson and one-time Clemson Tiger Tasha Phillips were also in the starting lineup. Lake Truck faced reigning national champion and preseason No. 1 Maryland, along with top-shelf powers Oklahoma and LSU earlier in the exhibition season, but had not suffered a blowout as one-sided as the one that South Carolina handed them Wednesday.
Carolina officially tips off the 2006-07 season when it hosts East Tennessee State at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Colonial Center. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Radio with first-year announcer Brad Heller joining Robin Muller in calling all the action. The broadcast can be accessed worldwide via the internet at www.uscsports.com.
