Feb. 15, 2008

Game Notes

Last Time Out
Senior Ebony Jones matched her career high of 12 points, nine of which came in the second half, to lead South Carolina past Mississippi 71-62 at the Colonial Center last Sunday. The Gamecocks struggled shooting in the first half, but turned it on to hit 43.3 percent in the second half en route to out-scoring the Lady Rebels 44-35 after the break.

Series Notes
Auburn leads the series 17-12, but the Gamecocks have won three of the last four, including both meetings last season. South Carolina topped Auburn 65-63 in the first round of the SEC Tournament last season after knocking off the Tigers 70-61 at the Colonial Center during the regular season. The Gamecocks also won the last regular-season meeting in Auburn 58-46 on Feb. 16, 2006, but the Tigers avenged the loss with a 64-48 victory over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament that year. Overall the Gamecocks are 3-9 against the Tigers in Auburn, including a 2-4 record there during head coach Susan Walvius’ tenure.

Suddenly Susan
Head coach Susan Walvius is in her 11th season as the Gamecocks’ mentor with a 162-155 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 260-256.

A South Carolina Win Would …

• Be the Gamecocks’ third straight over Auburn.
• Give the Gamecocks back-to-back SEC wins for the first time this season.

Dropping Dimes
Freshman Samone Kennedy has handed out 3.52 assists per game this season to rank seventh in the SEC, and she has accomplished the feat as the only player in the league’s top 10 averaging less than 25 minutes per game. In fact, Kennedy, who has played 19.6 minutes per game, hands out an assist every 5.57 minutes she is on the floor, which is the best number among the group. The next closest is the league’s assist/game leader, Shantell Black, who picks up an assist every 5.82 minutes she plays. Kennedy is also among the league’s top 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking ninth with a 1.31:1 mark.

It’s a Block Party!
Through games of Feb. 10, South Carolina was 14th in the nation with 5.29 blocked shots per game, a number that is third in the SEC to Tennessee’s 6.27 per game and Auburn’s 5.38. All three teams trail North Carolina’s NCAA-best 7.5 blocks per game. Individually, junior Demetress Adams leads the team with 44 blocks this season, ranking her fifth in the SEC and eighth in school history. Senior Lakesha Tolliver has swatted away 2.22 blocks per game to rank second in the league in that category.
Single-Season Blocked Shots
1. 60 by Lakesha Tolliver (2006-07)
2. 58 by Teresa Geter (2000-01)
3. 54 by Melanie Johnson (2004-05)
4. 53 by Michelle Murray (1990-91)
5. 49 by Michelle Murray (1991-92)
6. 48 by Petra Ujhelyi (2002-03)
7. 45 by Petra Ujhelyi (2001-02)
8. 44 by Demetress Adams (2007-08)
9. 43 by Michelle Murray (1992-93)

Long Distance Plan
Freshman Jordan Jones is 23rd in the nation and second in the SEC with 2.67 3-pointers per game. Mississippi’s Alexis Rack leads the league at 2.68 3-pointers per game, while Sade Logan of Robert Morris has hit an NCAA-best 3.8 per game from beyond the arc. Jones has hit 64 from long range for Carolina this season to already rank among the program’s all-time top 10 in the category.
Single-Season 3-Pointers Made
1. 115 by Karen Middleton (1990-91)
2. 84 by Christi Timmons (1991-92)
3. 82 by Shannon Johnson (1995-96)
4. 81 by Kelly Morrone (2003-04)
5. 79 by Christi Timmons (1993-94)
6. 76 by Karen Middleton (1989-90)
7. 75 by Karen Middleton (1987-88)
8. 64 by Jordan Jones (2007-08); by Shannon Johnson (1994-95)
10. 62 by Kelly Morrone (2002-03)

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 12.2 ppg, while junior forward Demetress Adams is second at 11.1 ppg. Junior guard Brionna Dickerson rounds out the group at 10.6 ppg. Senior Ilona Burgrova is just outside the mark with 9.8 ppg.

A Leader in the Board Room
Junior Demetress Adams’ record-setting performance against Arkansas helped move her into third place in the SEC with 9.0 rebounds per game. She has spent the entire season among the league’s top 10 and, through games of Feb. 10, ranked 50th in the nation in the category. Adams has posted double-digit rebounds in 10 games this season, including three of the last four outings.

Stop! Thief!
Junior Demetress Adams is tied for fourth in the SEC with 2.52 steals per game. Hovering around the league’s elite in the category, she has picked an opponent’s pocket four or more times in six games this season, including a career-high six steals at Clemson on Dec. 22. Ashley Houts of Georgia and Vanderbilt’s Jennifer Risper lead the SEC at 2.92 steals per game. With 58 steals this season, Adams has already surpassed her previous career-best of 52, which she collected last season. She has a long way to go to get to Katrina Anderson’s school-record 126 in 1978-79.

From Way Downtown – Bang!
Freshman Jordan Jones is third in the SEC with 36.8 percent accuracy from behind the arc. Vanderbilt’s Christina Wirth leads the SEC shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range. 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.

Definitive Demetress
Junior Demetress Adams has recorded 12 career double-doubles, including eight this season, and the Gamecocks are 11-1 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 on Jan. 27 against Florida.

Glass Ceiling?
Junior Demetress Adams grabbed a school record 26 rebounds against Arkansas on Feb. 3, breaking Denise Nanney’s 33-year-old record of 24. The first Gamecock since 1993 to bring down 20 or more rebounds in a game, Adams tied Mississippi State’s Sophie Ratliff’s 26 against Shorter in 1988 as the most by an SEC player since the league began officially sponsoring women’s basketball in 1982-83. Of her 26 boards, a school-record 17 came on the defensive end. Among her record-breaking 26 rebounds was the 500th of her career.

Just Czeching
After 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 12 of the last 18 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.

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 (266 pts), Ilona Burgrova (234 pts), Jewel May (78 pts) and Lakesha Tolliver (162 pts) has provided 30.8 of the teams 65.5 points per game (47.1%). Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 39.5 of the team’s 68.6 ppg (57.8%).

The Game On the Line
As a team, the Gamecocks have struggled from the free-throw line this season, hitting just 67.4 percent of their attempts. But, when the game is on the line (quite literally), South Carolina has been able to sink them, hitting 73.1 percent in the last five minutes and 75.4 percent in the final two minutes of games. The five regular starters (J. Jones, Adams, Dickerson, Burgrova and Tolliver) have missed just nine free throws in 41 attempts in the game’s final two minutes and have hit 52-of-69 (75.4 percent) at the under five-minute mark. (See box on Page 4 for player-by-player breakdown.) Overall, that starting group is hitting just 66.6(217-of-326) on the season. Senior Lakesha Tolliver’s 68.1 percent accuracy from the charity stripe is the eighth-best mark in the SEC.

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 170 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 40 so far this season.
Career Blocked Shots
1. 170 by Lakesha Tolliver (2004-present)
2. 148 by Michelle Murray (1989-93)
3. 116 by Petra Ujhelyi (2000-03)
4. 114 by Iva Sliskovic (2003-07)
5. 107 by Demetress Adams (2005-present)

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.

The Adams Family
Junior Demetress Adams (Bishopville, S.C./Lee Central) leads the Gamecocks and ranks third in the SEC with 9.0 rebounds per game … is second on the team at 11.1 ppg … has been the team’s leading scorer five times and the leading rebounder in 16 games … has reached double figures in points in 18 games and recorded eight double-doubles … was limited by foul trouble to just 17 minutes against Mississippi … picked up double-digit rebounds for the third-straight game with 10 boards at Vanderbilt while also handing out a team-high three assists … broke a 33-year-old school record with 26 rebounds, including a school-record 17 on the defensive end against Arkansas, which also tied her for the most by an SEC player since the league began sponsoring women’s basketball in 1982-83 … went on to record a double-double against the Lady Razorbacks, adding a team-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting … 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 six of the last seven games after missing the season’s first 17 games due to surgery on her left knee in mid-September … snagged a career-high four rebounds to go with a pair of assists in just 11 minutes against Arkansas … 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 in double digits in 12 of the last 18 games … has led the team in rebounding eight times this season and has recorded seven games of double-digit boards … grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds against Mississippi, just missing a double-double with eight points … netted a team-high 11 points at Vanderbilt on 4-of-8 shooting … added nine points and seven rebounds to the win over Arkansas … 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 Mississippi … 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 10.6 ppg … scored a team-high 14 points against Mississippi, matching her career highs in free throws made and attempted … netted 15 points and grabbed six rebounds against Arkansas … 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 12 games, including four SEC contests … snagged an offensive rebound and handed out an assist in six minutes at Vanderbilt … 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 21 games, including five starts … is scoring 4.6 ppg and is tied for the team lead in 3-point shooting at 36.8 percent … sparked the second-half comeback against Mississippi with back-to-back 3-pointers en route to tying her career high of 12 points … 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 12.2 ppg and is shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range … has scored double-figure points in 16 games and has led the team in scoring seven times … netted 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, against Mississippi … scored nine points, all on 3-pointers, and swiped four steals at Vanderbilt … netted 10 points and picked up three steals against Arkansas … 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 3 games, including five starts … leads the team with 81 assists and has scored 4.0 ppg … ranks among the SEC’s top 10 in assists per game (3.52) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.31) … was second on the team with 10 points, including 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, at Vanderbilt … 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 20 games, averaging 3.9 points and 2.4 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 18 games, including three starts, and averages 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds … grabbed a career-high six rebounds and scored all six of her points in the final 3:33 of the first half against Mississippi to send the Gamecocks into the lockerroom tied … 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 5.4 rpg and is scoring 9.0 ppg … has played in 18 games, including 12 starts … became the school record holder for career blocked shots against Charleston Southern … has reached double-figure points in eight games … hit 8-of-9 free throws en route to 10 points and handed out three assists against Mississippi … grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots against Arkansas … 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.