Dec. 21, 2010

The South Carolina men’s basketball team (7-2) travels to face intrastate rival Furman (7-2) in non-conference action on Wednesday at Timmons Arena. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. for the contest, which is not televised.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Greenville, S.C.
Arena: Timmons Arena (4,000)
Series: South Carolina leads 72-51
Television: The game is NOT televised
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
(107.5 FM – Columbia/GamecocksOnline.com)
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com

Game Notes vs. Furman

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 103rd season of basketball.
– Third-year head coach Darrin Horn has led South Carolina to a 33-8 (.804) home record during his two-plus seasons in Columbia and an 8-17 (.320) mark in road contests.
– South Carolina is 1-2 in road contests this season, first dropping an 82-73 decision at then-No. 2/2 Michigan State on Nov. 16, followed by a double-overtime victory over Western Kentucky – Horn’s alma mater – on Nov. 27. The Gamecocks most recently suffered a 79-57 loss at No. 2/2 Ohio State on Saturday.
– Junior forward Malike Cooke was 5-of-5 from the floor vs. Ohio State. Over the course of the last four games, Cooke has hit 17-of-22 attempts in 22.5 minutes per game. His three 3s vs. OSU were the first for the Charlotte, N.C., native since the Western Kentucky contest on Nov. 27.
– Senior forward Sam Muldrow led Carolina with 14 points vs. the Buckeyes. He collected eight rebounds and posted two monster blocks in the game. He has recorded double-figure points in four of the last five games.
– South Carolina’s 43.2 rebounds per game lead the SEC (games through Dec. 20).
– Carolina’s 5.3 blocked shots per game rank tied for fifth in the SEC.
– South Carolina’s 8.1 steals per game – led by Lakeem Jackson with 1.8 per outing – rank third in the SEC.
– Carolina’s +5.0 rebounding margin ranks sixth in the SEC. The Gamecocks finished last in the SEC in the category during the 2009-10 season.
– Junior forward Malik Cooke ranks ninth in the SEC in rebounding (7.2), and is tied for fifth in offensive rebounds per game (3.1) with teammate Lakeem Jackson.
– Freshman guard Bruce Ellington ranks fourth in the SEC in assists (4.2), and is first among freshmen in the category.
– Senior forward Sam Muldrow collected his second career double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Wofford. It was the highest single-game rebounding effort by a Gamecock this season.
– South Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak to archrival Clemson on Dec. 5, defeating the Tigers, 64-60, behind four Gamecocks in double figures, led by Ellington with 14.
– South Carolina has out-rebounded seven of its nine opponents this season, with the exceptions being Clemson and Ohio State.
– Horn led Carolina to an 87-85 double overtime win over his alma mater, Western Kentucky, on Nov. 27. The win was Carolina’s first on the road this season and its first double overtime contest – win or loss – since the 1993 season.
– South Carolina is 277-264 (.512) all-time in the month of December. The Gamecocks went 3-3 during the month last season.
– The 2009-10 Gamecocks concluded their 19th season of competition in the SEC with a 6-10 record. South Carolina owns an overall record of 122-182 (.401) all-time in SEC play.
– South Carolina owns a 281-127 (.688) all-time record against current schools in the Southern Conference. Carolina’s last loss to a SoCon opponent came in a 68-61 decision at Wofford on Dec. 19, 2009. The Gamecocks’ 64-53 win over Wofford on Dec. 11 marks their last win over an opponent from the league.

Scouting Furman
– Furman rides a four-game win streak into Wednesday’s matchup with South Carolina. Three of those four contests were on the road (at UNC-Greensboro, Middle Tennessee State, North Florida) The Paladins’ 7-2 start is the best since the 1987-88 campaign.
– During its current winning streak, Furman has held each of its four opponents under 70 points per game. Paladin opponents only manage 63.0 per game overall this season, a Southern Conference best.
– Senior forward Amu Saaka paces the team with 15.1 points per game (sixth in SoCon standings), while his 6.6 rebounds per outing are also a team best. Saaka has tallied double-figure points in seven of nine contests this season and has led the team in scoring four times.
– Senior forward Noah States paces the SoCon in 3-point shooting, hitting 18-of-30 (.600) attempts this season. States missed the North Florida contest with a strained groin muscle, but is slated to rejoin the starting lineup vs. the Gamecocks.

Furman Series Information
– South Carolina owns a 72-51 upperhand in the all-time series with Furman. The Paladins own a 30-23 lead in games played in Greenville.
– Carolina’s trip to Timmons Arena marks the first time the Gamecocks have played in Greenville since the 1997-98 season. South Carolina won that contest 79-52 behind 16 points from BJ McKie. The Gamecocks out-scored Furman 33-0 from 3-point range in the contest.

By The Numbers
– 3 – South Carolina’s three steals vs. Ohio State marked a season low. Senior forward Sam Muldrow had two of those steals, matching a career high.
– 3 – Senior forward Johndre Jefferson set a season high with 3 blocks vs. Ohio State. Jefferson posted all three of those blocks in the first half.
– 13 – Despite foul trouble throughout the game, junior forward Malik Cooke tallied 13 points in just 15 minutes vs. the Buckeyes. He hit all five of his shot attempts in the contest, including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range.
– 21 – Ohio State’s 21 made free throws were the most by a Gamecock opponent this season and the most since Alabama also hit 21 from the charity stripe in the SEC Tournament on March 11, 2010.