Dec. 22, 2008

South Carolina vs. Presbyterian |7 p.m.

|Live Audio |Game Notes

GAME INFORMATION
South Carolina vs. Presbyterian College

Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tipoff: 7:03:30 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Series: South Carolina leads, 29-8
Television: SportSouth (Time Warner Columbia, ch. 21)
Mike Morgan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Derek Scott (play-by-play), Casey Manning (analyst)
Tickets: Tickets remain at the Gamecock ticket office. Call 803-777-4274 or online at www.GamecocksOnline.com.

Game Preview
South Carolina (8-1) hosts intrastate rival Presbyterian College (5-6) on Tuesday in its final contest before the holiday break. The Gamecocks, winners of four straight, will return from the holiday break to host archrival Clemson on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. in a game to be broadcast on FSN. The contest against PC will mark the first for Carolina head coach Darrin Horn against Presbyterian. It also marks the first matchup between the Gamecocks and Blue Hose since the 1946-47 season.

Television Information
Tuesday’s contest will be televised by SportSouth with Mike Morgan calling play-by-play and Dan Bonner handling color analyst duties. SportSouth, the nation’s sixth-largest regional sports network, reaches more than nine million cable and satellite homes across a six-state region. Through its affiliates and other Fox Networks Group-owned networks, FSN reaches more than 70 million homes through 16 owned-and-operated networks. The contest against Presbyterian marks the eighth of 22 televised South Carolina contests this season, including 14 home matchups.

Radio Broadcast Information
The game will be broadcast on the ISP Gamecock Radio Network with Derek Scott on the call with play-by-play and Casey Manning handling color analyst duties. The Gamecock Radio Network reaches throughout the state of South Carolina.

Series Information – Presbyterian
Tuesday’s meeting with Presbyterian marks the first between the two schools since the 1946-47 season. South Carolina holds a 29-8 upperhand in the all-time series, including the most recent win between the two, a 55-37 victory on Feb. 4, 1947. Frank Johnson was the head coach at Carolina during that time, gas was an average of $0.15 per gallon, a postage stamp cost the consumer $0.03 and Jackie Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers that year. PC’s last victory in the series was a 33-23 win on Jan. 17, 1940 in Columbia.

Scouting Presbyterian
The Blue Hose enter Tuesday’s game with a 5-6 overall record after dropping a 57-60 decision to the Ball State Cardinals on Sunday. PC has played two Big South Conference games this season, going 2-0 in those contests with victories over Coastal Carolina (56-53 OT) and High Point (70-53).

Sophomore forward Al’Lonzo Coleman paces the Blue Hose at 16.1 points per contest. He leads three players in double figures for the Blue Hose. Coleman tallied 29 points in PC’s victory over UC Davis on Dec. 17 and followed with eight points against Ball State. Coleman also leads the squad in blocks (11) and steals (27).

Senior guard Brandon Bostic also averages double digits (12.1/game) for PC, however, he will sit out Tuesday’s game to due injury. Sophomore guard Josh Johnson has picked up the pace in Bostic’s absence. Johnson averages 10.5 points and 1.4 assists per contest.

Like many of its non-conference opponents, South Carolina holds a significant edge over the Blue Hose in nearly every major statistical category. South Carolina averages 25 points more per game than the Blue Hose, and holds a 40.1 3-point field goal percentage against the 30.5 mark of PC.

Presbyterian’s keys to the game against the Gamecocks will be its rebounding and defensive effort. Carolina forces nearly 22 turnovers per game, averages 4.9 blocks and an SEC-best 11.8 steals per contest.

Scouting South Carolina
South Carolina, winner of four straight contests, looks to extend its winning streak with a victory over PC on Tuesday.

Junior guard Devan Downey paces Carolina with 19.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals per contest through the first nine games of the season. He leads five Gamecocks averaging double digits heading into Tuesday’s game versus PC. Downey is on pace for another record-setting season in the steal category. He’s led the Gamecocks in scoring the last six games, averaging 21.3 points per game during that stretch. Downey will have to step up his defensive pressure with the absence of fellow guard Branden Conrad due to injury.

Senior guard Zam Fredrick continues to find consistency in his play. After a meager eight-point performance at College of Charleston (Nov. 28), Fredrick has rebounded to reach double digits in the four games since, including 14 in Carolina’s most recent victory over The Citadel on Saturday. Fredrick averages 36.2 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Sophomore forward Mike Holmes put together one of the top performances of his Gamecock career with 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks against The Citadel. It marked his third double-double of the season and the seventh of his career. Holmes was out of the starting lineup for the first time this season against The Citadel.

Dominique Archie started his 71st career game against The Citadel and proved he is a powerful force to reckon with on the Gamecock squad. Archie matched his season high with 13 points against the Bulldogs, while also collecting three rebounds and three steals in the victory. Archie has contributed 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest through nine games this season.

Evka Baniulis tallied his first start of the season in Carolina’s victory over The Citadel. He was one of six Gamecocks to reach double digits in the contest, contributing 10 points, one assist and one steal. Baniulis ranks as Carolina’s top 3-point threat, hitting 21-of-37 attempts (.568) thus far.

Carolina’s keys to the game will be keeping turnovers to a minimum and showing top effort on both ends of the court from start to finish. The Citadel stepped out to an 11-0 run on Carolina on Saturday, the worst start of a game this season for the Gamecocks. Keep an eye on South Carolina’s defensive pressure to start Tuesday’s game against Presbyterian.