Dec. 27, 2011

The South Carolina men’s basketball team (5-6) continues non-conference play during its longest homestand of the season when it hosts Wofford (7-5) on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena. Game time is set for 7 p.m. with the contest set to be televised on CSS (check local listings).

OPENING TIP
Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena
Series: South Carolina leads, 42-19
Television: CSS (check local listings)
Talent: Matt Stewart (pxp), Nate Ross (analyst)
Radio: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)

Game Notes

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 104th season of basketball.
– South Carolina continues its longest homestand of the season when it hosts Wofford on Wednesday. The game against the Terriers marks the third this season for the Gamecocks vs. a Southern Conference opponent, and the second in Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina earned a 75-50 win over Western Carolina in the season opener, before a 58-53 loss at Elon on Nov. 15.
– Senior forward Malik Cooke and freshman forward Anthony Gill led the Gamecocks with 14 points each in a 62-43 win over SE Louisiana last Wednesday in the final game before the break for the holiday. Cooke also posted team highs with three assists, two blocks and four steals.
– SE Louisiana’s 26 turnovers on Dec. 21 marked the second-most by a Gamecock opponent under the direction of Darrin Horn. The most opponent giveaways under Horn was 34 by NC Central on Dec. 16, 2008. It also marked a South Carolina opponent record for turnovers in a contest.
– Entering Wednesday’s game vs. Wofford, South Carolina is averaging 41.1 percent from the floor over the course of the last five games.
– Junior forward Lakeem Jackson, the only Gamecock on this year’s squad to have played against Wofford more than once in his career, averages 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in two career games against the Terriers.
– South Carolina ranks fifth in the SEC and among the nation’s top 30 with 5.4 blocks per game.
– The Gamecocks are just three contests away from opening up SEC play at No. 3 Kentucky on Jan. 7. It will mark the fourth time in its history that South Carolina will face Kentucky to open the SEC season.
– South Carolina ranks first in the SEC in rebounding defense, as Carolina opponents collect just 31.5 rebounds per game. The Gamecocks have out-rebounded seven of 11 opponents this season.
– Sophomore point guard Bruce Ellington made his return to the practice court with the Gamecock hoops team on Nov. 28. Ellington is also a member of the Gamecock football team. To date, Ellington has scored two touchdowns this season, including a 49-yard reception for a score vs. Clemson on Dec. 4.
– In games it has won this season, South Carolina holds a +11.8 scoring margin over its opponents. To compare, in games in has lost, Gamecock opponents score 8.5 more points per game.
– South Carolina is 281-267 (.513) all-time in the month of December. South Carolina earned a 4-2 mark last season during the month.
– South Carolina owns a 284-129 (.689) all-time record against current schools in the Southern Conference. Carolina’s last loss to a SoCon opponent came in a 58-53 decision at Elon on Nov. 15, 2011. The Gamecocks’ 75-50 win over Western Carolina (Nov. 11, 2011) marks their last win over an opponent from the league.

By The Numbers
15.2 – South Carolina senior foward Malik Cooke is averagin a team high 15.2 points per game over the course of the last five games. In the stretch, he also paces the team with 2.4 assists and 3.2 steals per contest.
11.3 – Freshman forward Anthony Gill continues to put together a solid rookie campaign in the Garnet and Black. Over the course of the last four games, Gill has tallied double-digit points in each contest, averaging 11.3 points per outing. His 5.8 rebounds per game during the stretch are also a team lead.
30 – South Carolina tallied a season high 30 points off of turnovers vs. SE Louisiana. It marked the most points off of opponent giveaways for the Gamecocks since posting 29 points off off turnovers in an 81-57 win over Furman on Dec. 19, 2009.

Scouting Wofford
The Terriers enter Wednesday’s contest with a 7-5 overall record, having most recently suffered an 87-79 loss at High Point on Dec. 21 … Prior to that loss, Wofford had won four straight and five out of six … Wofford is led by head coach Mike Young in his 10th season … Senior guard Kevin Giltner, who is coming off a 28-point effort vs. High Point, leads the team with 16.9 points per game … He is averaging 20.4 points per game over the course of the last five games … Senior point guard Brad Loesing is second on the team with 13.5 points per game and ranks tied for third in the Southern Conference with a team best 5.0 assists per game … The Terriers lead the SoCon in scoring defense, as opponents are averaging just 63.3 points per game.

Wofford Series Information
– South Carolina owns a 42-19 upperhand in the all-time series with Wofford, including a 30-7 advantage in games played in Columbia.
– Wofford defeated South Carolina during the 2009-10 season, 68-61, in Spartanburg. The win was the first for the Terriers over the Gamecocks since the 1939 season.
– South Carolina has won 24 of the last 25 meetings between the two schools.