Dec. 7, 2006
South Carolina Post-Game Notes
Thursday’s announced crowd of 2,355 marked the second-largest home crowd of the season for the Gamecocks, who played in front of a season-high 2,416 against Clemson on Nov. 20.
Oklahoma started the game with a 13-4 run, but South Carolina answered with a 9-2 run of its own to cut the lead to 15-13 after a Stacy Booker three-pointer at the 12:09 mark.
Stacy Booker scored a game-high 10 points in the first half. She finished with 10 points. Booker scored 19 points against Fordham last game.
Iva Sliskovic, Carolina’s leading scorer, battled foul trouble throughout the first half and was forced to the bench after picking up her third foul with just over a minute remaining in the opening stanza.
South Carolina’s starting five (Shannel Harris, Iva Sliskovic, Demetress Adams, Lauren Simms and Kellindra Zackery) were a combined 0-for-12 from the field in the first half.
Courtney Paris, Oklahoma’s All-America forward, was held to only 1-of-4 shooting from the field in the first half, with her only field goal coming on a putback after a missed jumper by Kendra Moore.
Courtney Paris grabbed 16 rebounds, which tied NC State’s Khadijah Whittington for the highest total for any Carolina opponent this year.
Oklahoma converted on 57.7 percent shooting from the field, the highest percentage for a Gamecock opponent this year.
Oklahoma took a 32-24 lead into the locker room at halftime, but opened the second half with a 20-8 run to open its lead to 52-32.
Poor shooting from the field haunted the Gamecocks for the third time in the last four games, as Carolina converted on 22-of-77 attempts from the field (.286 pct.) The Gamecocks shot at a .309 pct clip from the field against Louisiana-Lafayette and a .234 mark against NC State. Entering Thursday’s game, South Carolina owned a .455 shooting percentage in its five wins, but only a .274 shooting percentage in its three losses.
Despite the game’s result, South Carolina’s power ranking figures to go up after playing the Sooners, who are ranked fifth in the nation in Jeff Sagarin’s RPI and are ninth nationally in Jerry Palm’s RPI rankings.
Ranked No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press poll, Oklahoma is the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit the Colonial Center since the building opened in 2002 and the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Columbia since No. 3 Auburn battled the Gamecocks in the Carolina Coliseum in 1990, back when the Gamecocks were a member of the Metro Conference. South Carolina pulled the upset in that game, claiming an 83-76 win.
The Gamecocks won their last home game against a non-conference opponent played at the Colonial Center, claiming a 79-61 win over No. 16 Minnesota last year.
Oklahoma Post-Game Notes
GAME NOTES
• No. 3 Oklahoma remained unbeaten at 7-0 this season. It marks the sixth time in OU history that the Sooners have opened the season with at least seven straight victories. The school record for consecutive wins to start a season is 10 and was set in 1984-85 and 2001-02.
WINNING STREAK NOTES
• OU has won 12 straight true road games, which breaks the Big 12 Conference record. OU set that mark at 11 straight games from December 2000 to December 2001.
• OU has won 21 straight regular season games dating back to Jan. 14, 2006. The streak is the tied for the second longest in Big 12 history with a 21-game streak by Baylor (2005-06). The Big 12 record is a 25-gamer by Oklahoma (January 2001-December 2001).
• OU has won 13 straight games away from Norman which is three shy of tying the Big 12 record of 16. The streak includes true road games and games at neutral sites. OU set that mark with 16 straight wins from December 2000 to December 2001.
PLAYER NOTES
• With 15 points and 16 rebounds, Courtney Paris collected the 40th double-double of her career. She has played 43 games and has collected a double-double in 35 straight outings. Paris
• Courtney Paris has shot 73 (11-15) percent from the free throw line in the last two games. She shot 57 (13-23) from the line in the fi rst fi ve games.
• C. Paris had already tied a season high for blocks with four by halftime. She fi nished the game with fi ve blocks.
• Britney Brown tied a career high with 10 assists. She also accomplished the feat against BYU in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
• Leah Rush, 13 points, scored in double fi gures for the fourth straight game. She picked up her pace after only scoring four points in the fi rst half. Additionally, Rush has made 11 of her last 13 three-point attempts, including 3-4 tonight. The hot stretch dates back to the game at UCLA on Nov. 21.
• Chelsi Welch (13 points) scored in double fi gures for the fi fth time in seven games. She only reached double fi gures in four preconference games last season.
STREAKS
Numbers and descriptions of streaks that were extended today:
29 – Consecutive starts for Chelsi Welch.
35 – Consecutive games with a double-double for Courtney Paris.
43 – Consecutive starts for Courtney Paris.
43 – Consecutive games with double fi gure points for Courtney Paris.
93 – Consecutive starts for Leah Rush, which is the longest streak on the team.
102 – Consecutive games with a made 3-pointer.
