Dec. 1, 2006
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The Basics
South Carolina (4-3 overall) looks to get back in the win column when it hosts Fordham (1-5 overall) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Colonial Center.
Ticket Information
Adults are admitted for $7. Youths under the age of 18 are admitted for $3. A family of four is admitted for $18, with a $3 admission for each additional child. The group rate is $3 Groups must call the Colonial Center in advance. The group rate number is 803-576-9077. All other ticket arrangements can be made through the USC Ticket Office toll free at 800-4SC-FANS or locally at 803-777-4274.
On The Air
The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Radio in Columbia, with Brad Heller handling play-by-play duties and Robin Muller providing analysis. For fans outside of the Columbia area, the game can be accessed worldwide via the internet at uscsports.com.
How To Access the Web Broadcast
Go to uscsports.com, then click on the women’s basketball link on the left side of the page. From there, click on the “schedule” link near the top of the page, then click on the “Audio Broadcasts” link at the top of the page. Choose women’s basketball from the scroll bar on the right side of the page and choose the desired game from the list.
Live Video Stream On The Internet
In addition to the web audio broadcast, the game will also be streamed live on the internet at www.uscsports.com. To access the live video stream, simply go to uscsports.com, then click on the “Gamecocks All-Access” link in the upper-right hand side of the page. From there, choose women’s basketball and then select the game you want to view.
About The Coaches
South Carolina Head Coach Susan Walvius is in her 10th year at the helm of the Gamecock women’s basketball program. The 2002 SEC Coach of the Year, Walvius led the Gamecocks to the Elite Eight in 2002 and has guided Carolina to the postseason in three of the last five seasons. She has attracted top-15 recruiting classes to Carolina in 2003 (10th) and in 2005 (13th). Coach Cathy Andruzzi is in her first year at Fordham after serving as an assistant coach at Seton Hall during the 2005-06 season. Andruzzi held previous head coaching tenures at Wagner (1976-78) and at East Carolina (1978-84). She served as the General Manager of the ABL’s Philadelphia Rage from 1997-2000, working with current South Carolina assistant Tammy Holder in 1997, as Holder was the team’s Assistant G.M. that season before moving on to take the Head Coaching job with the ABL’s Seattle Reign the next year.
Series History
Sunday’s game marks the first-ever meeting between Fordham and South Carolina, but the Gamecocks are no strangers to the Atlantic 10 Conference, as Carolina owns a 20-8 record all-time against Atlantic 10 oppositon, most recently losing a 70-65 overtime decision at Xavier in the first round of last year’s Women’s NIT.
Game Storylines
Sunday’s game provides the Gamecocks to get back on track after losing back-to-back games against Louisiana-Lafayette and NC State in its two most recent games. Carolina has struggled from the field lately, but should see improvement going against a largely undersized Fordham squad that allowed its first six opponents to shoot better than 51 percent from the field. The Rams have been outrebounded by an average margin of 11.7 boards per contest this year and have not yet faced a team with as much height as South Carolina. The Gamecocks will need to stop the perimeter game of Fordham senior guard Lisa Carrol, who averages 14.3 points per game and has drained 6-of-11 three-point attempts this season (.545 pct.) Carrol is coming off a career-high 26-point outburst in the Rams’ win over Manhattan. Fordham will need to find a way to score against a Gamecock team known for its defense. The Rams are converting at a .324 pct. clip from the field this year and average 47.5 points per game, with South Carolina limiting its first seven opponents to .338 pct. shooting from the field and 56.9 points per game. Of Fordham’s first six opponents, Florida State is the most similar to South Carolina, with the Seminoles handing the Rams an 84-34 beating in the second game of the year.
Who’s Got The Hot Hand Lately
Senior Iva Sliskovic has scored in double figures in five of Carolina’s first seven games this year and is coming off a season-high 17-point performance at NC State. Sliskovic has drained 18-of-31 field goal attempts in the last four games (.581 pct.) In addition, Sliskovic has knocked down 16 of her last 18 free throw attempts (.889 pct.) Sophomore Demetress Adams has grabbed 39 rebounds in her last four games (9.8 per game during that span), collecting 11 rebounds against Clemson and 10 boards against both Mercer and Louisiana-Lafayette.
Gamecock Trends
* Dating back to last year, South Carolina is 12-2 when Demetress Adams scores 10 or more points.
* Dating back to last year, South Carolina is 14-2 when dishing out 16 or more assists in a game.
* Dating back to the 2003-04 season, South Carolina is 19-6 when a Gamecock player posts a double-double.
* Dating back to last season, South Carolina is 18-5 when winning the points-off-turnovers battle.
* The South Carolina bench has outscored that of the opposition by a 246-106 margin this year.
* South Carolina has limited five of its first six opponents to less than 20 field goals made.
* South Carolina has outrebounded its first seven opponents by an average of 13.4 boards per game.
* South Carolina has forced its first seven opponents into committing 25.0 turnovers per game. The Gamecocks boast a +5.7 turnover margin this year.
* A different player has led the Gamecocks in scoring in six of Carolina’s first seven games this year.
A South Carolina Win Over Fordham Would…
>> Improve Susan Walvius’ record to 95-45 in regular-season games played against non-conference opposition. >> Get the Gamecocks back on track after losing consecutive games against Louisiana-Lafayette and NC State.
>> Improve Susan Walvius’ record to 63-10 all-time in home games played against non-conference opposition.
>> Improve the Gamecocks’ record to 21-8 in games played against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.
>> Snap a modest two-game skid against Atlantic 10 opposition, as the Gamecocks lost a 70-65 overtime contest at Xavier in the Women’s NIT last year and a 78-72 decision to Charlotte at the Colonial Center in 2004.
Gamecocks Lead The SEC In Three Categories
As of Dec. 1, South Carolina leads the SEC in offensive rebounds (22.71 per game), rebounding margin (+13.4) and rebounding offense (49.6 per game). The NCAA has not yet released its national rankings summary.
Bench Press
Though bench production is not measured in any conference or national rankings, South Carolina’s non-starters certainly rank as a formidable unit. Through the first seven games of the year, the Gamecock bench has outscored that of the opposition by a 246-106 margin. The Gamecock bench has outscored that of the opposition in every game but two this season, with the exceptions being at Penn State and at NC State.
Looking Ahead
South Carolina returns to action when it hosts Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 7 at the Colonial Center. The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Radio with Brad Heller calling the action and Robin Muller providing analysis. The broadcast can be accessed worldwide via the internet at www.uscsports.com.
