Jan. 18, 2007
:: When the Gamecocks faced Ole Miss Thursday, it marked the fourth time this year that South Carolina faced a team ranked in the top 25. The Gamecocks lost their previous three games against No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 10 Stanford and No. 14 Vanderbilt.
:: Carolina’s last win over a team ranked in the top 25 was a 79-61 victory over No. 14 Minnesota at the Colonial Center last season. The Gamecocks’ last road win over a ranked opponent was a 66-57 victory over No. 17 Vanderbilt in 2003.
:: With Ole Miss claiming the win Thursday, it marked the 12th time in the last 13 meetings between the Gamecocks and Rebels that the home team has emerged victorious. Ole Miss is now 8-2 all time against South Carolina in Oxford, with the Gamecocks holding a 7-2 advantage over the Rebels in Columbia. Ole Miss holds a 14-9 edge in the all-time series.
:: South Carolina’s last win in Oxford was a 91-68 victory over the Rebels in 2003.
:: Iva Sliskovic finished Thursday’s game with 17 points, marking her first double-figure scoring performance since she scored 12 points against Samford on Dec. 28. Sliskovic averaged 3.0 points per game in Carolina’s six games since that contest. Sliskovic entered Thursday’s game as South Carolina’s leading scorer for the season with 8.9 points per game. Including Thursday’s game, Sliskovic has scored in double-figures nine times this year and 44 times in her career. Her season high scoring total is 18 points, scored against High Point.
:: Guard Lauren Simms scored 12 points Thursday, marking her 11th double-figure scoring game this year and the 48th double-figure scoring game of her career. Simms has reached double-figures in eight of her last 10 games and in each of her last three.
:: Ole Miss created early separation early in the first half when it went on a 13-0 run to take a 6-4 lead and turn it into a 19-4 advantage. The Gamecocks were held scoreless for a span of five minutes during the Rebel run.
:: Fouls were a problem for the Gamecocks in the second half, as Carolina committed its seventh foul to put Ole Miss in the bonus with 14 minutes and 11 seconds remaining in the half. The Lady Rebels were in the double bonus with 9:42 remaining.
:: Guard Shannel Harris matched a season-high with seven points Thursday. Her career high is 13 points, scored against Minnesota last season.
:: Senior point guard Lea Fabbri did not accompany the team to Oxford for Thursday night’s game after sustaining a sprained right ankle in the Gamecocks’ win over Alabama on Jan. 14. Fabbri is the only true point guard on the South Carolina roster. With Fabbri out and Lauren Simms in early foul trouble, sophomore Brionna Dickerson was forced into a point guard role for a chunk of the first half for the first time in her career.
:: Turnovers plagued South Carolina in the first half, as the Gamecocks gave the ball away 14 times in the opening stanza.
:: Ole Miss held a 40-25 halftime advantage over Carolina. The Gamecocks are 1-5 this year when trailing at the half. The Rebels’ 40 first half points were the second-highest first-half total allowed by the Gamecocks this year.
:: The Gamecocks entered Thursday’s game ranked in the top 10 nationally in steals (6th – 13.39 per game), rebounding margin (6th – +12.4 per game) and scoring defense (10th – 53.5 points per game).
:: South Carolina’s starting lineup consisted of Demetress Adams and Lakesha Tolliver in the frontcourt, with Shannel Harris, Stacy Booker and Lauren Simms in the backcourt. Thursday’s game marked the third consecutive game and the third time this season that this group of players started together.
:: South Carolina is back in action when it travels to Starkville, Miss., for a date with Mississippi State Sunday. The Gamecocks beat the Bulldogs twice last year and have won two of their last three over Mississippi State in Starkville.
