Feb. 1, 2008

		Game Notes
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Last Time Out
South Carolina battled early but saw No. 8 LSU go on an 18-0 run early in the second half and cruise to a 67-37 victory Thursday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Junior forward Demetress Adams led the Gamecocks with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Tigers shot 45.5 percent from the field with Sylvia Fowles and Quianna Chaney leading the way with 14 points apiece.

Series Notes
Arkansas leads the series 14-6, but South Carolina has won the last two meetings. The Gamecocks claimed a 74-69 victory on Feb. 8, 2007, in Fayetteville, following a Jan. 29, 2006, 61-52 win in Columbia. South Carolina is 5-5 against Arkansas when playing in Columbia, including a 4-2 mark in the Susan Walvius era.

Injury Report
Freshman Courtney Newton underwent season-ending knee surgery on Fri., Jan. 11. She originally suffered the injury on Nov. 23 against Illinois and had been rehabbing in an effort to return to the court this season. It was eventually decided that surgery was the best decision for her long term.

Suddenly Susan
Head coach Susan Walvius is in her 11th season as the Gamecocks’ mentor with a 160-154 record. She has led South Carolina to two NCAA Tournaments and two WNITs, including an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001-02. Her players have also excelled in the classroom. In 2006-07, 10 Gamecocks appeared on the SEC Winter Sports Academic Honor Roll. In the last four years, South Carolina has placed more student-athletes on that list than any other school. Walvius has an 18-year career mark of 258-255.

Ticket Information
Adults are admitted for $7. Youth under the age of 18 are admitted for $3. Season tickets are $40. For more information or to order tickets, contact the South Carolina Ticket Office toll free at 800-4SC-FANS or locally at 803-777-4274. Tickets can also be ordered via the athletics web site GamecocksOnline.com.

A South Carolina Win Would …

• Be the Gamecocks’ third straight over Arkansas.
• Give the Gamecocks a 10-4 record this season at the Colonial Center.
• Improve Susan Walvius’ SEC regular-season record to 48-99.

Triple Threat
After a 2006-07 season that ended with no Gamecocks averaging double-figure points, three players are currently at the mark this season. Freshman Jordan Jones leads the way with 12.4 ppg, while junior forward Demetress Adams is second at 11.4 ppg. Junior guard Brionna Dickerson rounds out the group at 10.4 ppg. Seniors Ilona Burgrova and Lakesha Tolliver are just outside the mark with 9.8 and 9.5 ppg, respectively.

Stop! Thief!
Junior Demetress Adams is third in the SEC and 47th in the nation with 2.67 steals per game. Hovering around the league’s elite in the category, she has picked an opponent’s pocket four times or more in six games this season, including a career-high six steals at Clemson on Dec. 22. Nationally, Adams trails Delaware’s Kyle DeHaven’s NCAA-best 4.5 swipes per game, while Ashley Houts of Georgia leads the SEC at 3.05. With 56 steals this season, Adams has already surpassed her previous career-best of 52 steals, which she collected last season. She has a long way to go to get to Katrina Anderson’s school-record 126 in 1978-79.

It’s a Block Party!
Through games of Jan. 27, South Carolina was 10th in the nation with 5.60 blocked shots per game, a number that is second in the SEC to Tennessee’s 6.55 per game. Both teams trail North Carolina’s NCAA-best 7.5 blocks per game.

From Way Downtown – Bang!
Freshman Jordan Jones is ninth in the nation with an SEC-leading 2.76 3-pointers per game. She is 45th in the country and third in the SEC with 38.9 percent accuracy from behind the arc. Robert Morris’ Sade Logan leads the nation with 3.8 3-point field goals per game, while Sonya Rogers of Montana is the country’s most efficient 3-point shooter at 47.8 percent. Karen Middleton holds the South Carolina record for 3-point field goal percentage by a freshman after hitting 43.4 percent (75-of-163) in 1987-88. Middleton holds the four best 3-point percentages in school history, including the record 46.9 percent (76-of-162), which she set as a junior in 1989-90.

Prime Time Players
South Carolina has played three teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation. While the Gamecocks lost all four contests, senior Ilona Burgrova and junior Demetress Adams showed they can match up with the best. The duo accounted for 87 of the team’s 187 points (46.5 percent) against the top-10 foes with each including a double-double among her accomplishments. Burgrova, who scored 15 or more points in two contests, has scored 11.5 points per game on 58.6 percent shooting against the top-10 foes. Adams has averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Losing Pace
Junior transfer C.J. Pace has been declared academically ineligible for the spring semester. Prior to the start of classes this term, Pace played in 16 games, including two starts, and added 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She enjoyed a breakout game on Jan. 3 against UNC Asheville in which she scored a season-best 15 points.

Just Czeching
Since finding her offensive rhythm with a career-high-tying 17 points against Charleston Southern, senior Ilona Burgrova reached double-figure points in the next five outings. After a two-game hiatus from double figures, during which she scored nine points against UNC Asheville and seven against Savannah State, the center from the Czech Republic bounced back in conference play with a team-high 13 points at Alabama. Burgrova recorded her first double-double of the season with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against No. 2 Tennessee. In all, she has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 15 games, including three games against teams ranked in the top 10.

Round, Round, Get Around
Junior Demetress Adams has been a multi-dimensional player for the Gamecocks and has been the team leader in either points, rebounds or assists in at least two games this season. The many facets of her game have been on full display in several recent outings. In South Carolina’s 64-43 victory at archrival Clemson on Dec. 22, she recorded her fifth double-double of the season while also matching her career high with five blocked shots and swiping a career-high six steals. Two games later, against UNC Asheville on Jan. 3, the forward narrowly missed a double-double with a team-high 12 rebounds and eight points to go along with five assists and five blocks. Adams matched that rebound total on Jan. 6 against Savannah State while also completing a her sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and adding five steals and three blocks. She enjoyed her best all-around SEC game of the season against No. 2 Tennessee, recording 10 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Adams went on to score 15 points and grab 11 rebounds while handing out two assists, blocking two shots and swiping two steals at No. 8 LSU.

Definitive Demetress
Junior Demetress Adams has recorded 11 career double-doubles, including seven this season, and the Gamecocks are 10-1 in those games, taking their first loss at No. 8 LSU on Jan. 31. South Carolina is undefeated in Adams’ three career games with five or more blocked shots, including two this season. In her five career games with five or more assists, including four this season, the Gamecocks are 4-1, suffering its first loss under those conditions on Jan. 27 against Florida.

Balancing Act
After a 2006-07 campaign that saw the Gamecock frontcourt carrying the load, South Carolina’s offense this season has been more of a balance between inside and outside play. The inside quartet of Demetress Adams (240 pts), Ilona Burgrova (206 pts), Jewel May (74 pts) and Lakesha Tolliver (142 pts) has provided 31.5 of the teams 66.3 points per game (47.5%). Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 39.5 of the team’s 68.6 ppg (57.8%).

Bounce Back
Annually playing a difficult non-conference schedule in addition to its SEC slate, South Carolina has suffered a handful of decisive setbacks. The Gamecocks tend to recover quickly, however, and have done so this season. In the last four seasons, the Gamecocks are 7-4 in games after a loss of 20 or more points, and one of those losses was last season’s three-point defeat against No. 7 LSU following a 36-point loss at No. 3 Tennessee. The total of seven wins includes three games this season – a 63-95 setback at No. 9 Oklahoma preceded an 80-52 win over UNC Asheville, a 97-39 loss at No. 2 UConn was followed by an 88-41 victory over Alabama A&M two days later, and a 91-58 loss to Illinois yielded an 82-66 win over Florida International.

Hold `Em
The Gamecocks tied a school record when they held Charleston Southern to just 26 points on Dec. 4. The Lady Bucs’ limited offense matched that of Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 21, 2005. South Carolina allowed Charleston Southern to shoot just 16.7 percent from the field, the second-lowest efficiency by an opponent in Gamecock history, trailing Bethune-Cookman’s 14 percent accuracy.

Like a Broken Record
One game after etching her name in as the school record holder for blocked shots in a game with seven against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 1, senior Lakesha Tolliver completed her trifecta of blocked shot records by becoming the South Carolina career record holder with five swats against Charleston Southern on Dec. 4. Just nine games into her senior season, Tolliver’s 165 career blocks has eclipsed the Michelle Murray’s previous record of 148. Tolliver set the school record for single-season blocked shots in 2006-07 with 60. She has 35 so far this season.

The Adams Family
Junior Demetress Adams (Bishopville, S.C./Lee Central) leads the Gamecocks and ranks seventh in the SEC with 8.4 rebounds per game … is second on the team at 11.4 ppg … has been the team’s leading scorer four times and the leading rebounder in 14 games … has reached double figures in points in 17 games and recorded seven double-doubles … was the lone Gamecock to shine at No. 8 LSU with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds … tied for team-high honors with six rebounds and led the club with five assists against Florida … narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds against Kentucky … was 4-of-5 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line for 13 points at Mississippi, while tying for team-high rebound honors with seven … netted 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with seven rebounds and five steals … was limited by foul trouble to just 22 minutes at Alabama but reached double figures with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five rebounds.

Know Your ABCs
Freshman Ashlie Billingslea (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) has played in the last four games after missing the season’s first 17 games due to surgery on her left knee in mid-September … handed out four assists and swiped three steals against Kentucky … made her season debut at Mississippi.

That’s Czech Mate
Senior Ilona Burgrova (Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) is second on the team in rebounding with 6.8 boards per game and is adding 9.8 points per contest … has scored double-digit points in 11 of the last 15 games … has led the team in rebounding seven times this season and has recorded six games of double-digit boards … tied for team-high point and rebound honors with 12 points and six rebounds against Florida … netted 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds against Kentucky, despite being limited by foul trouble … tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds while shooting 4-of-5 from the field at Missisippi … snagged a career-high 13 rebounds and netted a team-high 16 points against No. 2 Tennessee for her first double-double of the season … scored a team-high 13 points and blocked four shots at Alabama.

What Do You Serve With Brie?
Junior Brionna Dickerson (Columbia, S.C./Heathwood Hall) is third on the team with 10.4 ppg … added six points, including the 400th of her career, at No. 8 LSU … matched Ilona Burgrova’s 12 points and six rebounds against Florida to tie for team-high honors in both categories … scored nine points and handed out three assists against Kentucky … added eight points and four rebounds at Mississippi.

My Friends Call Me Coco
Redshirt freshman Lauren Falohun (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) has come off the bench in 11 games … saw a career-high 13 minutes against Savannah State, scoring her first career point on a free throw … played a season-high nine minutes against Illinois … grabbed a pair of rebounds in her college debut against Saint Francis (Pa.).

Pastor Jones
Senior Ebony Jones (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) has played in 18 games, including five starts … is scoring 4.6 ppg and is the team’s second-best 3-point shooter at 34.2 percent … keyed the second-half comeback against Florida with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and a career-high five rebounds … hit a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points at Alabama.

J.J. is Dy-no-mite
Freshman Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill) leads the team in scoring at 12.4 ppg and is shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range to rank third in the SEC … has scored double-figure points in 14 games and has led the team in scoring seven times … matched her season-high with four assists playing the full 40 minutes at No. 8 LSU … netted 11 points against Florida, hitting three 3-pointers … sparked a comeback against Kentucky with 16 points on 3-of-6 from 3-point range … led the team with 18 points and handed out three assists at Mississippi … played 38 minutes against No. 2 Tennessee, adding eight points and three rebounds … did not start at Alabama after an injury in the previous game limited her practice time, but poured in three 3-pointers during a second-half comeback attempt to finish with nine points.

The Kennedy Legacy
Freshman Samone Kennedy (Birmingham, Ala./Ramsay) has played in all 21 games, including five starts … leads the team with 77 assists and has scored 3.7 ppg … ranks among the SEC’s top 10 in assists per game (3.67) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.38) … drew her second-consecutive start at Mississippi and dished out a team-high six assists to just two turnovers … handed out five assists and swiped a pair of steals to go with six points against No. 2 Tennessee … dished out five assists and scored eight points at Alabama.

Jewel of the Nile
Freshman Jewel May (Conyers, Ga./Heritage) has come off the bench in 17 games, averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds … sank both her field goal attempts in just five minutes at No. 8 LSU … grabbed a career-high six rebounds to tie for team-high honors against Florida … netted 10 points, including six straight during a second-half rally, against Kentucky … picked up a career-high five rebounds at Mississippi and scored seven points … added three points and three rebounds against No. 2 Tennessee … made her SEC debut at Alabama.

And All That Jas
Freshman Jasmine Payne (Bay Springs, Miss./Stringer) has played in 16 games, including three starts, and averages 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds … made her third-straight start at No. 8 LSU, grabbing three rebounds … added four points and a pair of offensive rebounds as a starter against Florida … drew her first career start against Kentucky and snagged a season-best six rebounds.

Tolliver Twist
Senior Lakesha Tolliver (Columbia, S.C./Dreher) is third on the team in rebounding at 5.5 rpg and is scoring 9.5 ppg … became the school record holder for career blocked shots against Charleston Southern … has reached double-figure points in seven games … returned to the lineup at No. 8 LSU after missing the previous six games due to exertional headaches, adding six points and a pair of rebounds in 16 minutes.