Dec. 20, 2011
Game Information
Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Time: Noon
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Tickets: $7 adult, $4 youth (17 & under)
Radio: WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller and Marcy Girton)
Live Video: GamecocksOnline.com (Free)
Live Stats:
SSU Series: SC leads 3-0; In Columbia: SC leads 3-0; In Savannah: Never Met; At Neutral Site: Never Met
South Carolina Notables
- South Carolina’s defense, rated second in the nation in points allowed, has yielded just 26.0 points per game over its last three home contests.
- The Gamecocks are seventh in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (13.0).
- After joining the 1,000-point club on Wednesday, senior La’Keisha Sutton needs two assists to become just the 11th player in school history to amass at least 1,000 points and 300 assists in her career. The last to reach both marks was Cristina Ciocan in the 2003-04 season.
- Freshman Aleighsa Welch has averaged 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds over the last five games, shooting 70.4 percent during that span.
- Senior guard Markeshia Grant averaged 15.7 points per game over the last three outings.
Notes
A South Carolina Win Would…
- Make the Gamecocks 10-2 to start the season, the best mark since opening the 2002-03 campaign with a 13-1 mark.
- Make this season head coach Dawn Staley’s first leading the Gamecocks to double-digit victories prior to the start of SEC play.
- Make the Gamecocks one of three SEC teams with double-digit wins this season, joining Kentucky and Vanderbilt
By the Numbers
0 Games this season in which the Gamecocks have committed more turnovers than their opponent
1 SEC Player of the Week selection for the Gamecocks this season after La’Keisha Sutton earned the league honor on Monday
2 Assists away from 300 for senior guard La’Keisha Sutton, who would become the 15th Gamecock to hit that mark and the first since Cristina Ciocan in 2002-03, and just the 11th Gamecock to hand out that many assists while also scoring at least 1,000 points
3 Times this season that the Gamecock defense has reset the record for lowest opponent field goal percentage in the Dawn Staley era – most recently by limiting SC State to a school-record 12.5 percent shooting on Dec. 14
6 Offensive categories in which South Carolina posted season highs in the win over North Carolina
7.2 Rebounds per game by freshman Aleighsa Welch over the last five games, during which she loed the team on the glass four times
8 Games this season that have been decided by more than 10 points, all won by the Gamecocks
10 Votes received by South Carolina in the Dec. 19, 2011, Associated Press Poll
15.7 Points per game by senior guard Markeshia Grant over the last three games, including a pair of 20-point outings, which were the first of her career
31 Margin of victory over then-No. 18/16 North Carolina, the largest by an unranked South Carolina team over a ranked opponent in school history
45 Margin of victory over SC State, the most decisive win of the Dawn Staley era, resetting the mark set one game earlier against Furman
204 Single games all-time in which the Gamecocks allowed at least as many points as this season’s team has yielded in the last three home games combined (78)
Last Time Out
South Carolina’s offense shined just as brightly as its defense in a 79-48 victory over No. 18/16 North Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The Gamecock offense exploded out of the gate and never looked back, scoring 50 points in the first half en route to a season-high 79 on 47.1 percent shooting, which included nine 3-pointers. Defensively, South Carolina was just as efficient, holding the nation’s highest scoring team to its lowest point total in two seasons by allowing just 51 field goal attempts and handling the taller Tar Heels on the boards 47-30. Senior guards La’Keisha Sutton and Markeshia Grant led the offense with 21 and 20 points, respectively, the first Gamecock duo to score at least 20 points each in a game since February 2010.
Savannah State Series Notes
South Carolina is undefeated in three games against Savannah State. The Gamecocks and Lady Tigers last faced off on Dec. 5, 2010, when South Carolina posted a 52-33 win on its home court. Forward Ashley Bruner paced the offense in that outing, scoring 18 points while also posting six rebounds, four blocks and three steals in just 21 minutes of action. Home Sweet Home South Carolina has won 69.5 percent of its home games since the 1976-77 season (records did not include the site of games for the first two seasons of women’s basketball). That 342-150 mark includes a 98-53 mark in Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks turned in their most productive home season in 2001-02, winning 17 of their 18 contests in their final season playing at Carolina Coliseum. The team’s best home record at Colonial Life Arena came in 2006-07 when South Carolina went 15-5. Last season, South Carolina was 14-5 at home, the fourth-most home wins in school history. So far this season, the Gamecocks are 5-1 at Colonial Life Arena.
Defense Is the Difference
How solid is the South Carolina defense this season? Just look at its performances against two of the nation’s top 25 offenses (through games of Dec. 18). Entering its Dec. 18 game against the Gamecocks, North Carolina led the nation in scoring, pouring in 87.5 points per game. South Carolina allowed the Tar Heels just 54.9 percent of that average – 48 points – the lowest scoring output for the Tar Heels since Connecticut held them to 47 points on Jan. 9, 2010. The stinginess is not a new affectation, however, as South Carolina allowed Penn State, which is currently ranked 22nd in the nation in scoring offense, just 55 points on Nov. 20. The Lady Lions have not scored lower than 65 points in any other game this season and have topped out at 103 in two games. Taking the low-scoring outing against the Gamecocks out of the equation, Penn State has averaged 79.1 points per game this season.
