Dec. 23, 2006
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Five Gamecocks scored in doubles figures Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C., as the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team ran its 2006-07 record to 7-4 with an 85-42 victory against South Carolina State University. It marked the Gamecocks’ third win in their last four games, while the Bulldogs dropped to 2-9.
Iva Sliskovic led South Carolina in scoring with 15 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, and she totaled seven boards. Lauren Simms had her first career double-double coming on a season-high 14 points and a career-best 10 assists. Brionna Dickerson established a new career standard with a dozen points, while Lakesha Tolliver equaled that amount for her third double-digit scoring effort of the season. Tolliver went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Kellindra Zackery had 10 points and missed just one of her six attempts from the floor.
Rasheeda Jones was the Bulldogs’ high scorer with 12 points. Brittany Baity had a game high with nine rebounds and fell two points shy of double figures while contributing four steals and three assists.
South Carolina had its best shooting percentage of the year with a 57.6 percent mark (34-of-59), while the Bulldogs mustered just a .263 figure (15-of-57). The Gamecocks’ 39 rebounds were five more than South Carolina State’s tally, and points in the paint favored USC 40-18. South Carolina also scored 22 fast break points, which tied for its second-highest output of the season.
The Gamecocks raced out to an 18-3 advantage in the first 4:22 of the game, hitting 8-of-9 from the floor. Sliskovic made all three of her attempts during the stretch and led all scorers at halftime with 10 points while adding five rebounds.
South Carolina’s early 15-point lead was trimmed to nine over the next 9:46 with a 13-9 run by the Bulldogs. Dickerson ended the Gamecocks’ 0-for-8 slump on field goal tries with a jumper at the 5:13 mark to put her team ahead 27-16. USC ended the half strong with a 14-4 tear over the final 5:08 to go up 39-20 at the intermission.
The Gamecocks’ lead only increased in the second half. Up 58-36 with 10:06 to play, South Carolina outscored the Bulldogs 27-6 the remainder of the period. Tolliver tallied 10 of her 12 points in the game’s final 10 minutes.
South Carolina returns home for its next contest against Samford on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Colonial Center. Children under the age of 18 will be admitted free with a paying adult.
