Nov. 25, 2008

Final Stats | Quotes

Post-Game Press Conference | Watch the Game

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -Devan Downey scored a season-high 25 points to lead South Carolina to an 85-70 victory over Gardner-Webb on Tuesday night.

The Gamecocks (4-0) had three players in double figures as Downey scored 20 of his points in the second half.

Gardner-Webb (0-4) had lost its three previous games by a combined eight points, including an 80-76 setback at Oklahoma on Saturday.

Grayson Flittner led the Bulldogs with 19 points. Jonathan Moore scored 17 and Aaron Lin added 11 points.

Zam Fredrick chipped in 18 for South Carolina, including nine straight points, and Mike Holmes scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half when the Gamecocks built a 43-34 lead.

Post Game Notes
–With the win, South Carolina improves to 4-0 while Gardner-Webb drops to 0-4. The Gamecocks open the season 4-0 at home for the first time since the 2005-06 season; the last time South Carolina was 4-0 overall to begin the year was the 2004-05 season.

–Carolina head coach Darrin Horn is now 4-0 in his first season with the Gamecocks, 115-48 in his sixth season overall. The Gamecocks improve to 2-0 in the series, having won the previous meeting with Gardner-Webb in the 2003-04 season.

–Gardner-Webb took a 6-5 lead at the 16:51 mark of the first half, marking the first time all season that the Gamecocks have trailed in a game. The lead changed hands numerous times in the first half, but the Gamecocks would take the advantage for good at the 4:48 mark on a layup by Zam Fredrick.

–South Carolina out-rebounded the Bulldogs 52-41, setting a season high for boards in a game. The Gamecocks had not topped 50 rebounds since Nov. 12, 2007, when they pulled down 51 against The Citadel.

–Once again, Devan Downey had a quiet first half with only five points. But he came alive after the break, running out six straight Carolina points over one stretch and finishing with a season-high 25 on the night. Downey also started slowly against Winthrop on Nov. 16 with only four points at the break, but he finished with 21 in the victory over the Eagles.

–Sophomore Austin Steed surpassed his entire rebounding output of the season through three games in the first half alone, pulling down eight boards in the first 20 minutes of play. He finished with a career-high 11 on the night to go along with five points.

–Senior Zam Fredrick set a career-high with eight rebounds in the contest. His previous high this season was four in Saturday’s game with USC Upstate; his career high until tonight was seven, last accomplished on Jan. 2 against Radford. Fredrick also scored 18 points and dished out five assists.

–Senior Branden Conrad set a career high with nine points on the night, with all nine tallies coming on three 3-point field goals – also a career-high. Conrad also had four assists and tied a career-high with three steals.

–Mike Holmes finished one rebound shy of his second double-double of the season, pulling down nine boards while scoring 13 points.