Jan. 1, 2007
Brionna Dickerson scored a career-high 16 points as the South Carolina women’s basketball team routed Winthrop 75-30 to give Coach Susan Walvius her 100th career non-conference regular season victory. Winthrop’s 30 points matched the third lowest point total ever allowed by South Carolina. The school record was set last year when Carolina limited Bethune-Cookman to 26 points. The Gamecocks improved to 10-4 on the season while the Eagles dropped to 3-12 overall.
Dickerson led all scorers on her 8-of-10 effort, her second consecutive game in double-figure scoring. She previously set a season-high of 13 points two days ago in Carolina’s win over UNC-Wilmington before increasing the mark against the Eagles.
Lauren Simms was the lone other Gamecock in double-figures, finishing with 10 points and five assists in a game where 11 of 13 players scored. Ilona Burgrova and Demetress Adams both finished with nine points. Lea Fabbri added eight points and six assists off the bench, along with Shannel Harris’s season high seven points.
The Gamecocks forced a season-high 29 turnovers, tying the mark set this year against UNC-Wilmington. All five starters registered at least two steals as the Gamecocks finished with 17 on the night.
The South Carolina defense held Winthrop to one field goal in the opening five minutes to push to an early 9-2 lead in the game. The Eagles were able to claw back to within four points before the Gamecocks held them scoreless in the final 6:37 of the half while going on a 15-0 scoring run. Five different players scored in the run, including Brionna Dickerson who added six of her 10 first half points, as Carolina went into the half with a 34-13 lead.
Winthrop’s 13 points tied for the fewest amount of points the Gamecocks allowed in a first half this season, matching the low set in Fordham game.
USC opened the second half much the same way they ended the first, using strong defense to build its lead. Averaging 13.8 steals per game as one of the nation’s top teams in takeaways, the Gamecocks forced six steals in the opening four minutes of the half.
Winthrop’s Ashley Fann was able to cut the Carolina lead to 50-24 with 13:10 remaining in the half before the Gamecocks held them scoreless over the next 6:28 as they ran the score up to a 61-24 lead. Shannel Harris then scored seven of Carolina’s final 14 points to finish the game and give Carolina its fifth straight victory.
South Carolina returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 8, when they open SEC play against the Kentucky Wildcats.
