Dec. 4, 2009

South Carolina Game Notes

The South Carolina men’s basketball team (6-1) travels to face archrival Clemson (6-2) in its first true road contest of the season on Sunday in a 1 p.m. matinee at Littlejohn Coliseum. The contest will be televised on FOX Sports Carolinas with Mike Hogewood and Larry Conley on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Gamecock Radio Network across the state.

GAME INFORMATION

Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Tipoff: 1 p.m.
Location: Clemson, S.C.
Arena: Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000)
Series: South Carolina leads 86-73
Television: FOX Sports Carolinas
Talent: Mike Hogewood (pbp), Larry Conley (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Talent: Andy Demetra (pbp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 102nd season of basketball.
– Senior guard Devan Downey (19.0 ppg, 2nd) leads the team and ranks among the top five scorers in the SEC. Keep an eye on Downey vs. Clemson, in two career games vs. the Tigers he averages 28.0 points and four steals per game.
– Freshman forward Lakeem Jackson pulled down a season-best 10 rebounds vs. Western Kentucky on Wednesday, the first rookie to collect double-figure boards since Mike Holmes collected 11 vs. Tennessee on March 14, 2008.
– Carolina’s 8.0 blocked shots per game rank tied for second in the Southeastern Conference. Junior center Sam Muldrow paces the Gamecocks with 3.6 blocks per game, second in the SEC.
– Two active Gamecocks average double-figures entering Sunday’s contest, Devan Downey (19.0) and Brandis Raley-Ross (11.7). Injured forwards Dominique Archie (14.4) and Mike Holmes (11.7) also average double-figures in games they’ve played this season.
– South Carolina is 272-260 (.511) all-time in the month of December, including a 6-1 record under head coach Darrin Horn.
– South Carolina is 280-399 (.412) all-time against current schools in the ACC. The last Gamecock victory over an ACC opponent came in a 69-68 overtime win over Florida State in the Postseason NIT during the 2005-06 campaign. South Carolina suffered an 85-70 loss to ACC foe Miami in the final of the Charleston Classic earlier this season.
– South Carolina shot 57.4 percent (35-61) from the floor vs. Jacksonville, a season high, and Carolina’s best effort since shooting 58.2 percent (32-55) in a win against Presbyterian on Dec. 23, 2008.

By The Numbers
– 5 – the number of players that scored double figures to help lead South Carolina over Western Kentucky on Wednesday. Devan Downey led the pack with 15, while Sam Muldrow and Brandis Raley-Ross added 12. Ramon Galloway and Evka Baniulis each contributed 11. It marked the second time this season five have reached double figures (vs. Georgia Southern).
– 3 – the number of games until Gamecock head coach Darrin Horn coaches his 200th career game.
– +4.9 – South Carolina’s turnover margin, which ranks tied for second in the SEC. The Gamecocks have forced their opponents to commit 124 turnovers on the year – 20.7 turnovers per game.
– 31 – four Gamecock starters played at least 31 minutes in the win over WKU on Wednesday, led by Lakeem Jackson, Sam Muldrow and Devan Downey who each saw 32 minutes on the court. It marked the first time this season that more than two starters played more than 30 minutes in a game.

Western Kentucky Notables
– With the victory, South Carolina improved its overall record against Western Kentucky to 5-1, including a 3-0 mark in games played in Columbia.
– Senior forward Evka Baniulis was solid off the bench, scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. The point total marked his first double-digit effort of the season and his best performance since also scoring 11 points in a Carolina win at Georgia on March 7.
– South Carolina did not attempt a free throw in the first half vs. WKU. It was the first period (not including overtime periods) that the Gamecocks didn’t attempt a single free throw since the opening 20 minutes of play at Kentucky on Jan. 26, 2008. South Carolina’s six attempts in the contest vs. WKU were the fewest since attempting just four in an 85-82 loss at Florida on Feb. 20, 2008.
– Freshman forward Lakeem Jackson put together a solid performance against the Hilltoppers. The Charlotte, N.C., native matched his season high with nine points, while also collecting 10 rebounds, dishing a season-high four assists and swiping two steals.

Horn Vs. Ranked Opponents
Following the thrilling buzzer-beater victory over then-No. 24 Kentucky on Jan. 31, 2009, South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn holds a 4-6 overall record against ranked opponents in his career. Horn has coached five of those games at the helm of the Gamecock program, as his squad suffered a loss to then-No. 20/16 Clemson on Dec. 30, 2008 (87-98), his team defeated then-No. 19 Baylor in a thrilling 85-84 win on the road on Jan. 2, 2009, and the Gamecocks suffered a 79-82 loss at then-No. 24 Tennessee on Jan. 17. His squad rebounded from the loss at UT to defeat then-No. 24 Florida in style on a last-second shot on Jan. 21, and then followed that win with a road SEC victory over then-No. 24 Kentucky on Jan. 31. Horn’s victory over Drake and loss to UCLA both came during Western Kentucky’s Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament during the 2007-08 season.

Series Information
– South Carolina owns an 86-73 upperhand in the all-time series between the intrastate rivals, but Clemson owns a 43-31 advantage in games played in the Upstate.
– The schools played on a regular basis prior to and during South Carolina’s time in the ACC, before a five-year break in the series (1972-1977). The teams have met at least once in every season since the 1977-78 campaign.
– Clemson has won the last five contests between the two schools, including its most recent win, a 98-87 victory on Dec. 30, 2008, at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina’s last win in the series came during the 2003-04 campaign defeating the Tigers on the road, 76-61.

Scouting Clemson
– Clemson enters Sunday’s rivalry matchup with a 6-2 overall record after most recently dropping a 76-74 decision to Illinois in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday.
– Senior forward Trevor Booker – a preseason All-ACC honoree and Naismith and Wooden Award watch list selection – paces the squad with 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Booker knocked down 12 points and collected 12 rebounds vs. Illinois.
– Tanner Smith (11.3), David Potter (10.4) – the team’s 3-point ace (19-32, 59.4 percent) – and Demontez Stitt (10.1) average double figures entering the matchup vs. South Carolina.
– The Tigers out-score their opponents by 17.4 points per game. Clemson defeated Presbyterian by 43 points, Liberty by 40 and Winthrop by 36.

Up Next For Carolina
– Following its break for exams, South Carolina will host Richmond from the Atlantic 10 at Colonial Life Arena on Dec. 16. It will mark the second A-10 opponent the Gamecocks will have faced this season, as Carolina defeated La Salle 78-68 in the opening round of the Charleston Classic on November 19.
– The Spiders won 20 games last season and return four starters from their College Basketball Invitational squad.
– Richmond – off to its best start in the last 55 years with a 7-1 record – will play VCU on Dec. 12 prior to its visit to Columbia.
– Kevin Anderson paces the squad on the offensive end with 17.3 points per game, while Dan Geriot pulls down a team-best 6.5 rebounds per outing.