March 4, 2008

Game Notes

Last Time Out
South Carolina senior Lakesha Tolliver recorded a double-double and freshman Jordan Jones put together a 7-0 run late in the second half to deliver a 65-57 win over Kentucky Sunday afternoon at Rupp Arena. Toliver matched her career high with 21 points and snagged a career-best 12 rebounds. Kentucky fell behind early with 13.6 percent shooting in the first half, but rallied to pull within three with three minutes left in the contest before Jones put the game away.

Series Notes
Florida leads the series 15-8 as the teams split this season’s series with each team winning on the other’s home court. South Carolina has won five of the last eight meetings since snapping a long 12-game losing streak to the Gators with a 69-59 win on Feb. 3, 2002 in Gainesville. The teams are 1-2 all-time on a neutral floor and have met once before in the SEC Tournament. Florida won that March 1, 1996 matchup, 65-78.

Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament
South Carolina is 3-16 in the SEC Tournament since joining the league in 1991-92. The Gamecocks have reached the second-round game four times, including last season, but have not yet advanced to the semifinals of the event. South Carolina has played each team in the league at least once in the tournament with four games against Mississippi leading the way. The Gamecocks have recorded SEC Tournament wins over Auburn, LSU and Mississippi.

The Envelope, Please
South Carolina junior Demetress Adams collected multiple accolades from the league’s coaches this week, earning spots on the All-Conference second team and the All-Defensive team. In a breakout year, Adams leads the Gamecocks and ranks fourth in the league with 9.0 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team with 10.9 points per game. She is sixth in the SEC on blocks (2.04/gm) and ninth in steals (2.14/gm) as well.

Suddenly Susan
Head coach Susan Walvius is in her 11th season as the Gamecocks’ mentor with a 164-158 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 262-259.

A South Carolina Win Would …

• Be the Gamecocks’ second straight in the first round of the SEC Tournament.
• Improve Susan Walvius’ SEC Tournament record to 1-7.
• Assure the Gamecocks of a winning record and the possibility of a postseason bid for the third-straight season.

Is Eight Enough?
South Carolina hopes eight games is enough to show that it could have fared much better this season if the injury bug had not bitten so often. The Gamecocks are 4-4 in their last eight games, including wins over Mississippi, Florida and Kentucky – all teams ranked ahead of them in the SEC standings. After losing the projected starting point guard (Ashlie Billingslea) before the season and the resulting starting point guard (Courtney Newton) five games into the season, South Carolina suffered through a five-game stretch without Brionna Dickerson, who was averaging 15.5 points at the time, due to a foot injury. The final, and perhaps most damaging, blow came when the Gamecocks started the SEC slate without senior forward Lakesha Tolliver, who then missed seven games with exertional headaches. Tolliver’s first game back after getting in some practice time was a South Carolina win over Arkansas, the team’s first since beginning league play.

Senior Sendoff
The Gamecocks have been the visiting team for a pair of Senior Day celebrations this season and have managed to spoil both. South Carolina dealt Florida’s Depree Bowden a 69-65 loss on Feb. 24 and went on to send Kentucky’s vaunted five-player senior class out with a 65-57 defeat on Mar. 2. No. 20 Georgia returned the favor for the Gamecocks, though, collecting a 55-41 victory on Feb. 28 in the final home game for South Carolina seniors Ilona Burgrova, Ebony Jones and Lakesha Tolliver.

20/10 Vision
With 10 assists at Florida, Samone Kennedy became the first freshman Gamecock in more than 20 years to post double-digit helpers. The top four freshman performances in school history are held by Martha Parker, who dished the record 14 against Charlotte on Jan. 18, 1986. She posted three other double-digit assist games, the last coming against Central Florida on Feb. 17, 1986, when she collected 11. Kennedy completed her first double-double of the season with that effort at Florida, adding 10 points to her final stat line.

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 12.1 ppg, while junior forward Demetress Adams is second at 10.9 ppg. Junior guard Brionna Dickerson rounds out the group at 10.1 ppg.

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. Through games of Mar. 2, Adams’ 26 boards are the most by any player in the country this season.

A Leader in the Board Room
Junior Demetress Adams’ record-setting performance against Arkansas helped move her into fourth 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 Mar. 2, ranked 46th in the nation in the category. Adams has posted double-digit rebounds in 11 games this season, including four of the last seven outings.

Stop! Thief!
Junior Demetress Adams is eighth in the SEC with 2.21 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. Georgia’s Ashley Houts leads the SEC at 2.86 steals per game. With 62 steals this season, Adams has already surpassed her previous career-best of 52, which she collected last season. She needs 14 more to crack the program’s single-season top 10 as both Annie Lester (1997-98) and Martha Parker (1986-87) round out that list with 76 swipes.

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.

Lies, Lies and Statistics
South Carolina both out-shot and out-rebounded No. 2 Tennessee on Jan. 13, but could not overcome 30 turnovers to take the loss. It was the first time this season that the Gamecocks lost a game when either out-shooting or out-rebounding a team. In 2006-07, South Carolina was 17-2 when out-shooting its opponent. Prior to the Tennessee game, the Gamecocks last dropped a game while out-shooting its opponent on Feb. 4, 2007 when No. 7 LSU mustered a 49-46 victory despite shooting 27.6 percent to South Carolina’s 39.6 percent accuracy. The other game the Gamecocks lost when out-shooting their opponent last season was a 67-66 comeback by No. 14 Vanderbilt on Jan. 11, 2007. In that game, South Carolina both out-shot the Commodores 46.6 percent to 44.1 percent and out-rebounded them 44-30.

It’s a Block Party!
Through games of Mar. 2, South Carolina was 21st in the nation with 4.96 blocked shots per game, a number that is third in the SEC to Tennessee’s 6.07 per game and Auburn’s 5.00. All three teams trail North Carolina’s NCAA-best 7.2 blocks per game. Individually, junior Demetress Adams leads the team with 49 blocks this season, ranking her sixth in the SEC (1.69 per game) and tied for fifth in school history. Senior Lakesha Tolliver has swatted away 2.04 blocks per game to rank third 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 Demetress Adams (2007-08); by Michelle Murray (1991-92)

Long Distance Plan
Freshman Jordan Jones is 15th in the nation with an SEC-best 2.69 3-pointers per game. Sade Logan of Robert Morris has hit an NCAA-best 3.8 per game from beyond the arc. Jones has hit 78 baskets from long range for South Carolina this season to already rank among the program’s all-time top 10 in the category.
Single-Season 3-Point Field Goals
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)
78 by Jordan Jones (2007-08)

From Way Downtown – Bang!
Freshman Jordan Jones is fourth in the SEC with 37.0 percent accuracy from behind the arc. Vanderbilt’s Christina Wirth leads the SEC shooting 43.8 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.

Prime Time Players
South Carolina has played four 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.

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 (316 pts), Ilona Burgrova (270 pts), Jewel May (87 pts) and Lakesha Tolliver (211 pts) has provided 30.5 of the teams 64.6 points per game (47.2%). Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 39.5 of the team’s 68.6 ppg (57.8%).

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 177 career blocks has eclipsed Michelle Murray’s previous record of 148. Tolliver set the school record for single-season blocked shots in 2006-07 with 60. She has 47 so far this season.
Career Blocked Shots
1. 177 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. 112 by Demetress Adams (2005-present)

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 to rank eighth in the SEC. But, when the game is on the line (quite literally), South Carolina has been able to sink them, hitting 73.5 percent in the last five minutes, including 76.9 percent in the final two minutes of games. The five regular starters (J. Jones, Adams, Dickerson, Burgrova and Tolliver) have missed just 11 free throws in 52 attempts in the game’s final two minutes and have hit 68-of-91 (74.7 percent) at the under five-minute mark. (See box on Page 4 for player-by-player breakdown.) Overall, that starting group is hitting just 66.9 (257-of-384) on the season.

Heads Held High
South Carolina posted an 11-4 non-conference record, the program’s best since the 2003-04 team went 12-1 en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. The four non-SEC teams that defeated the Gamecocks – Penn State, Illinois, Connecticut and Oklahoma – are a combined 79-37 (.681) this season.

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 fourth in the SEC with 9.0 rebounds per game … is second on the team at 10.9 ppg … has been the team’s leading scorer seven times and the leading rebounder in 20 games … has reached double figures in points in 20 games and recorded eight double-doubles … added nine points and eight rebounds at Kentucky … snagged a team-high seven rebounds against No. 20 Georgia … grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including a critical offensive board in the final 10 seconds, to go with nine points at Florida … tied for team-high honors with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and snagged a game-high eight rebounds, seven in the second half, against Mississippi State … paced the team at Auburn with 17 points and nine rebounds in just 27 minutes … 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 11 of the last 12 games after missing the season’s first 17 games due to surgery on her left knee in mid-September … scored a season-high seven points at Kentucky, including three free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win … hit a pair of field goals at Florida … put up career numbers at Auburn with six assists and five points, including her first career bucket and 3-pointer … 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 6.3 boards per game and is adding 9.3 points per contest … has scored in double digits in 13 of the last 23 games … has led the team in rebounding eight times this season and has recorded seven games of double-digit boards … was second on the team with eight points and swatted away three shots against No. 20 Georgia … limited by foul trouble to just 23 minutes at Florida, but hit 3-of-4 from the field and grabbed four rebounds … shot 3-of-4 from the field and the free-throw line en route to nine points and grabbed six rebounds against Mississippi State … hit 4-of-6 from the field for 10 points and handed out a career-high five assists at Auburn … 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 10.1 ppg … nearly recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end, at Kentucky … led the team with 11 points against No. 20 Georgia … handed out three assists and snagged five rebounds to go with four points against Mississippi State … grabbed four rebounds and scored six points at Auburn … 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 13 games, including five SEC contests … saw a career-high 13 minutes against Savannah State, scoring her first career point on a free throw … grabbed a pair of rebounds in her debut against Saint Francis (Pa.).

Pastor Jones
Senior Ebony Jones (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) has played in 26 games, including six starts … is scoring 4.5 … picked up four rebounds as a starter on Senior Night against No. 20 Georgia … sank a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points at Florida … netted seven points and swiped three steals against Mississippi State … hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points and swiped a career-high four steals at Auburn … sparked the second-half comeback against Mississippi with back-to-back 3-pointers en route to a career-high 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 12.1 ppg and is shooting 37.0 percent from 3-point range … has scored double-figure points in 20 games and has led the team in scoring nine times … scored 13 points, including seven straight late in the second half to stave off a late run, at Kentucky … went 5-of-9 from 3-point range to score a team-high 16 points at Florida … tied for team-high honors with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range against Mississippi State … added 12 points, three assists and three steals at Auburn … 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 … 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 28 games, including five starts … leads the team with 92 assists, fourth-most by a freshman in school history, and has scored 3.7 ppg … swiped three steals against No. 20 Georgia … posted her first double-double with 10 points, including two late-game free throws, and 10 assists at Florida … 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 25 games, averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds … snagged five rebounds at Florida … netted six points in just 12 minutes at Auburn … 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 23 games, including three starts, and averages 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds … picked up three rebounds at Kentucky … 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 locker room 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 5.6 rpg and is scoring 9.2 ppg … has played in 23 games, including 17 starts … became the school record holder for career blocked shots against Charleston Southern … has reached double-figure points in 10 games … recorded just her second career double-double by tying her career high with 21 points and snagging a career-high 12 rebounds at Kentucky … tossed in 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Mississippi State … added eight points and four rebounds in just 18 minutes at Auburn … 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.