Feb. 28, 2008
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – In its final home game of the season, South Carolina came out strong early but could not sustain the pressure in a 55-41 loss to No. 20 Georgia tonight at the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks (14-14, 3-10 SEC) held a lead through the first six minutes of the game before a 13-0 run spanning four minutes gave the Lady Bulldogs (21-7, 8-5 SEC) an advantage they would not relinquish. Defensively, South Carolina held Georgia 15 points below its season average, but the Gamecocks hit just 30.4 percent from the field themselves to take the loss.
With the adrenaline of Senior Night course through the team, South Carolina’s defensive pressure was immediate. Freshman Jordan Jones put the Gamecocks on the board first with a transition layup off senior Lakesha Tolliver’s steal. Megan Darrah knotted things up with a pull-up jumper, which Brionna Dickerson answered with a jumper at the free throw line. After the Lady Bulldogs tied things up again, senior Ilona Burgrova was alone on the right block for a layup, and Tolliver made it an 8-4 lead with a pair of free throws at the 14:42 mark of the first half.
From there, Georgia matched the Gamecocks’ defensive intensity while also finding its range on the offensive end. Darrah started the 13-0 run with a 3-pointer from the left baseline, and Tasha Humprey added another from almost the same spot a minute later. Angel Robinson kicked in a layup from the left block, and Ashley Houts turned a steal into a quick layup less than 30 seconds afterward. Angela Puleo capped the surge with a 3-point from the right wing despite Tolliver rushing at her defensively, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 17-8 advantage with 10:47 left in the period.
The first-half lead grew to as much as 20 points as the Gamecocks could not find the basket despite working for some open shots. Jones’ 3-pointer in the final minute narrowed the deficit to 17 as the teams headed into the locker room. The Lady Bulldogs were 5-of-12 from 3-point range in the period and hit 42.9 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes.
With a renewed commitment to defense, South Carolina pulled within 13 with 7:52 left in the game on a four-point surge by Dickerson. Three minutes later, Burgrova hit a pair of free throws to get the margin back to 13 at 34-37, and the Gamecocks had a chance to pull within 10 on the next possession, but saw Jones’ 3-pointer rim out. In a final surge, Jones and Tolliver hit back-to-back buckets for a 38-49 game with 1:58 on the clock. Houts answered with a pair of free throws, and Christy Marshall netted successive baskets to end the rally.
Dickerson, who came off the bench in favor of senior Ebony Jones getting the start in her final home game of the season, led the Gamecocks with 11 points, while Demetress Adams was the leading rebounder with seven boards. Three Lady Bulldogs reached double-figure points with Robinson leading the way at 16. Darrah and Humphrey added 13 and 11, respectively.
The Gamecocks head to Kentucky for their final regular-season game. Tipoff at Rupp Arena on Sun., Mar. 2, is set for 3 p.m.
