Jan. 15, 2011
Game Information
Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011
Time: 3 p.m. (ET)
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Arena: Tad Smith Coliseum
Ole Miss Series: OM leads 17-12; In Oxford: OM leads 8-3; In Columbia: SC leads 8-5; At Neutral Site: OM leads 4-1
Radio: WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats:
South Carolina Notables
- This is the Gamecocks’ 36th season as a varsity sport.
- The Gamecocks are 8-3 when their bench outscores the opponent’s bench.
- Three Gamecocks rank among the SEC’s top-30 scorers in league play – Ashley Bruner (18th, 12.3 ppg), Ieasia Walker (18th, 12.3 ppg) and La’Keisha Sutton (27th, 10.0 ppg)
- Sophomore forward Ashley Bruner is the team’s leading scorer (tied with Ieasia Walker) and rebounder in SEC play with 13.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg. She has scored in double figures in three games, and 15 of her 26 rebounds have come on the offensive end.
- Junior guard La’Keisha Sutton handed out a career-best eight assists against Florida for the second time this season. Sunday’s effort gave her four or more assists in nine of the last 11 games.
- South Carolina is scoring 19.1 more points per game at home than on the road (66.1-47.0)
- Averaging 3,297 fans per home game, South Carolina ranks 27th in the nation in attendance (through games of Jan. 9). The Gamecocks are drawing the fourth-best crowds in the SEC, trailing just Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
Notes
A South Carolina Win Would…
- Be its first road win of the season.
- Snap a two-game losing skid.
- Be the Gamecocks’ second straight over Ole Miss at Tad Smith Coliseum. South Carolina won head coach Dawn Staley’s first appearance at The Tad 76-67 on Jan. 22, 2009, which was also her first regular-season SEC victory.
By the Numbers
3 – Gamecocks averaging double-figure points in SEC play – Ashley Bruner (12.3), Ieasia Walker (12.3) and La’Keisha Sutton (10.0)
4.5 – Assists per game more that the Gamecocks hand out in games they have won (11.9) than games they have lost (7.4) – South Carolina has handed out 10 or more assists 11 times this season, during which it is 8-3.
5 – Games in which an opponent has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field, the most by a Gamecock team since Dawn Staley’s first Gameock team (2008-09) allowed six
10 – Games in which South Carolina has led at the half, during which it has an 8-2 record
15 – Games in which the Gamecocks have held their opponent below its scoring average, during which South Carolina has a 9-6 record
29.9 – Points per game difference in scoring margin for the Gamecocks from home games to away/neutral games (+11.2 / -18.7) – in SEC action, that number drops to 14.0 (0.0 / -14.0)
.647 – Ashley Bruners shooting percentage in SEC games, which is tops in the conference
The Ole Miss Series
The Rebels lead the series 17-12, although the Gamecocks have won three of the last five meetings. The teams split a pair of meetings last season, but Ole Miss took the key win with a 64-63 victory in the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament. That game avenged a 64-50 South Carolina win on Jan. 28 at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks are 3-8 against Ole Miss in Oxford, including a 76-67 win on Jan. 22, 2009, in their last matchup at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Boost from the Bench
The South Carolina bench has outscored that of its opponent 11 times in 17 games this season, and the Gamecocks are 8-3 in those outings. South Carolina is 1-5 in games in which the opponent’s bench scores more points. On the season, the South Carolina bench is outscoring its counterparts by 4.5 points per game. The Gamecock reserves have outscored their peers by 20 or more points three times (Savannah State, NC State, South Carolina State) with the season’s largest differential of 34 points coming against South Carolina State (Dec. 30).
Help Thy Neighbor
With arguably the best point guard in international women’s basketball history at the helm, South Carolina has been at its best when its assist numbers are highest. In the Dawn Staley era (2008-09 through present), the Gamecocks are 24-13 when handing out 10 or more assists, including an 8-3 mark this season. When missing the 10-assist plateau, South Carolina is just 9-28 overall, including a 2-16 mark in SEC action. Those records include this season’s 1-5 overall slate and 0-2 ledger in league play.
Heavenly at 70, Successful at 60
The Gamecocks are 8-2 this season when scoring at least 60 points, including a perfect 3-0 mark when reaching the 70-point plateau. South Carolina is 1-6 when scoring fewer than 60. In the Dawn Staley era (2008-09 to present), the Gamecocks are 14-3 when scoring 70 or more points. The team is just 8-27 when falling short of the 60-point mark and is an even 11-11 when scoring between 60 and 69 points.
De-Fense, De-Fense
The South Carolina defense has held 15 of its last 16 opponents below their season scoring averages, against whom the Gamecocks are 9-6. Only Stanford managed to reach its average, scoring 70 points on the Gamecock defense after entering the game with a 69.7 points per game mark. On average, South Carolina has held its opponents 11.5 points below their season average entering the game (excludes season opener against Xavier).
Be Aggressive, B-E Aggressive
Since head coach Dawn Staley took the reins prior to the 2008-09 season, the Gamecocks have been most successful when they are aggressive on the offensive end. Under Staley, South Carolina is 25-19 when it attempts more free throws that 3-poiners, including a 6-4 mark this season. In the last three seasons, the Gamecocks are 21-14 when attempting more free throws than their opponent, including a 7-4 mark this season.
