Dec. 28, 2006
Post Game Notes
Iva Sliskovic, who earned SEC Player of the Week honors last week, hit double-figures in scoring for the third consecutive game. Sliskovic finished with 12 points.
Sliskovic also collected 11 rebounds to record her second double-double of the season. The Gamecocks have enjoyed success when she achieves the feat, going 8-1 in games that Sliskovic registers a double-double.
Lauren Simms has seen a rise in her numbers since moving to point guard three games ago. Simms’s 15 points marked her third consecutive double-digit performance since making the move. She previously scored in double-digits three times in the first nine games.
Simms collected eight rebounds to tie her career-high. Her 15 points were a team-high with most coming from her 7-of-7 effort from the free-throw line in the final minutes.
Melanie Johnson led the Gamecocks with seven points at the half and finished with 13 points. Johnson’s steal and fast break layup with 47 seconds remaining to take a 60-55 lead sealed the game for the Gamecocks.
Lakesha Tolliver blocked a game high two shots. She also rejected two shots in Carolina’s last game against South Carolina State and has a block in each of Carolina’s last five games.
The Gamecocks entered the game leading the SEC with a +11.5 rebounding margin. Carolina only enjoyed a 32-25 margin in the win against Samford.
South Carolina went 0-for-5 in three-pointers, the second time this season they did not register a shot from beyond the arc. The other time occurred in the loss at N.C. State when they went 0-for-9 from three-point range.
South Carolina entered the game ranking third nationally in steals (14.36 per game). Carolina managed to collect 7 steals against Samford.
Samford’s bench outscored South Carolina’s bench 23-22 in the game, only the third time that occurred this season. The other two times were in the two losses to Penn State and N.C. State.
Thursday’s win marked the third consecutive win for South Carolina, matching the longest winning streak of the season. Carolina knocked off North Carolina A&T, Clemson and Mercer in succession earlier this season.
Thursday’s win improved Carolina’s record to 7-2 all-time against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference. It was Carolina’s first meeting against the OVC since the Gamecocks handed Austin Peay a 90-51 beating in 1993.
Thursday’s game was the first ever meeting between South Carolina and Samford, who went 21-8 last season and was picked in the preseason coach’s poll to win the Ohio Valley Conference this season.
Thursday’s win improved Carolina’s record to 21-3 in home games played against unranked opposition since February of 2005.
South Carolina travels to UNC-Wilmington on Dec. 30 for its next contest. It will be the second game in a stretch of four games in eight days for the Gamecocks.
