Dec. 19, 2007
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COLUMBIA – Freshman Jordan Jones matched her career high with 20 points as South Carolina screeched past Alabama A&M 88-41 at the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks (8-3) had four players in double figures and shot 51.6 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range. Jones hit a career-high six 3-pointers, one shy of the Colonial Center record.
The Bulldogs came out firing as Katrich Williams hit a 3-pointer seven seconds into the game. Junior Brionna Dickerson opened her hot-shooting night with a 10-foot jumper on the right baseline, then gave the Gamecocks the lead with a 3-pointer from the left elbow. Senior Ilona Burgrova drove the lane to hit a tough lay-up and converted the ensuing free throw for an 8-4 lead. The Bulldogs narrowed the gap to 9-7 on a Rebekkah Barnes 3-pointer, and Williams made it a one-point game with a free throw at the 14:00 mark.
Senior Ebony Jones started a 10-2 run with a 3-pointer from the left baseline and added another a minute later. Freshman Jasmine Payne closed the spurt with a tough put back for a 19-10 lead with 11:40 on the clock. The Bulldogs mounted a rally behind a spate of Carolina turnovers, narrowing the gap to three points on Sade Lett’s baseline jumper. A 20-3 Gamecock run, kicked off by the first of Jordan Jones’ 3-pointers, closed the half and gave Carolina a 41-21 lead.
The second half opened just as strongly for the Gamecocks as the first had finished. South Carolina yielded just a single point to the Bulldogs for the first seven minutes of the period while rattling off 19 points of their own. Jordan Jones hit four of her 3-pointers in the second half, while Demetress Adams netted nine of her 12 points over the final 20 minutes.
Joining Jordan Jones and Adams in double figures were Burgrova with 15 and Dickerson with 12. Junior C.J. Pace grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in just 20 minutes of play, while Burgrova added eight. Freshman Samone Kennedy matched her career high with eight assists. Jordan Jones finished the night hitting 6-of-11 from 3-point range and scoring the only two-point field goal she attempted.
South Carolina closes its pre-holiday schedule with a 2 p.m. tipoff at rival Clemson on Sat., Dec. 22.
