Dec. 19, 2011

COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina senior guard La’Keisha Sutton was named SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced today. The Gamecocks’ second leading scorer this season averaged 16.5 points over two games last week, highlighted by her 1,000th career point against South Carolina State and her team-high 21 points in win over No. 18/16 North Carolina.

Sutton became the 27th 1,000-point scorer in Gamecock women’s basketball history on a trademark driving layup less than nine minutes into her 100th career game in the Garnet and Black. She went on to tie for team-high honors with 12 points in that game against the Lady Bulldogs with all of those points coming in the first half.

Sutton went on to lead all scorers with 21 points in a convincing win over No. 18/16 North Carolina on Sunday afternoon. Missing her career high by just three points, she netted seven during a crucial 14-3 Gamecock run late in the first half to stave off a Tar Heel comeback. Her five rebounds were also key to the Gamecocks’ win as South Carolina out-rebounded the taller Tar Heels 47-30, which had a huge impact on the program’s third-largest margin of victory over a nationally ranked team. She was also in important part of a defensive effort that limited North Carolina to its lowest scoring output in two seasons.

Sutton is currently second on the team with 9.3 points per game while handing out a team-high 3.5 assists per game. She has shot 58.6 percent from the field over the last three games, during which she averaged 14.7 points. Sutton is two assists shy of 300 in her career, a number only 14 other Gamecocks have reached. She would be the 11th South Carolina women’s basketball player to record both 1,000 points and 300 assists during her career.

The Gamecocks are back in action on Wed., Dec. 21, against Savannah State. Tipoff at Colonial Life Arena is set for noon.