Dec. 31, 2011

Complete Notes Package

Game Information

Date: Sunday, January 1, 2012
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena
Tickets: $7 adult, $4 youth (17 & under)
TV: None
Radio: WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller and Marcy Girton)
Live Stats:
Live Video: GamecocksOnline.com
Alabama Series: ALA leads 15-13; In Columbia: SC leads 8-5; In Tuscaloosa: ALA leads 8-5; At Neutral Site: ALA leads 2-0

South Carolina Notables

• The Gamecocks are opening their 21st season in the SEC today.
• South Carolina’s defense, rated second in the nation in points allowed, has held seven opponents to 48 or fewer points this season, the most since 2006-07.
• In the last five games, during which it is 4-1, South Carolina has averaged 68.8 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting while limiting opponents to just 39.8 points per game and 32.2 percent shooting.
• Junior guard Ieasia Walker has had the most balanced effort over the last five outings, adding 10.2 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game in that span. Her team-high 18 assists came with just seven turnovers for a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Notes

A South Carolina Win Would…

• Be the Gamecocks’ 100th in Colonial Life Arena.
• Be the Gamecocks’ 12th of the season, making this the fastest 12-win season since the 2002-03 team opened its season 13-1.
• Be the program’s first win in an SEC opener since 2002-03.
• Be the Gamecocks’ sixth-straight victory, the longest win streak since the 2005-06 team put together seven straight from Dec. 13 through Jan. 2 in non-conference action.
• Be the Gamecocks’ fourth straight over Alabama and their sevenths in the last eight meetings.

By the Numbers
0 Games this season in which the Gamecocks have committed more turnovers than their opponent
.455 Field goal percentage for the Gamecocks over the last five games, compared to their 36.0 percent accuracy in the first eight games this season
3 Gamecocks who averaged double-figure points in the last five games – Markeshia Grant 14.0, La’Keisha Sutton 11.2 and Ieasia Walker 10.2
5 Games this season, including four of the last five, in which the Gamecocks’ opponent never led – Savannah State, North Carolina, South Carolina State, Furman and Clemson
5.6 Points per game more the Gamecocks have scored on the road than at home this season
8 Points by which South Carolina trailed Drexel midway through the first half, the largest deficit the Gamecocks have overcome to win a game this season
8 Of the 13 Gamecocks on the active roster that have recorded at least one double-digit scoring game – the group has combined for 32 double-digits in 32
9 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 last two Associated Press polls
11 Regular-season non-conference wins for South Carolina, the most since the 2007-08 squad went 11-4
16 Points scored by the Gamecocks in the first five minutes of the second half at Drexel after netting just 27 in the entire first half
18 Assists handed out by Ieasia Walker over the last five games, compared to just seven turnovers

Last Time Out
South Carolina escaped Drexel with a 62-58 victory Wednesday evening behind 18 points from junior guard Ieasia Walker, including a pair of free throws in the final seven seconds to seal the victory. The Gamecocks shook off a slow start to build a 17-point lead midway through the second half, but saw Drexel storm back behind its 3-point shooting late in the game. The Gamecocks struggled at the free throw line in the late-game situation, but Walker hit both ends of her 1-and-1 to make it a two-possession game after a solid defensive stand on the Dragons’ previous possession.

Alabama Series Notes
The Crimson Tide leads the series 15-13, but the Gamecocks have won 10 of the last 13 meetings, including the last three. South Carolina holds an 8-5 edge over Alabama in games played in Columbia, including last season’s 59-48 win on Jan. 23, 2011. The last time Alabama topped South Carolina on its home court was Feb. 27, 2000, when it collected a 69-67 victory. The Crimson Tide has never won in Colonial Life Arena.

Life in the League
South Carolina is 81-186 all-time as it enters its 21st season SEC regular-season play. The Gamecocks are 53-81 in SEC games played in Columbia with a 28-105 record on the road. South Carolina last won an SEC opener in 2002-03, kicking off league play with an 83-79 victory over Mississippi State. The Gamecocks are 15-17 in their last two seasons of league play, giving head coach Dawn Staley a 17-29 SEC record at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ 3-2 start to league action in 2009-10 was its best five-game open since the 2001-02 squad went 4-1. Overall, Staley boasts a 116-54 record in league play, including eight seasons leading her Temple teams to a 99-25 Atlantic 10 mark.

Hot Hands
South Carolina’s trio of starting guards – Markeshia Grant, La’Keisha Sutton and Ieasia Walker – have caught fire in the last five games. Grant led the way with 14.0 points per game while Sutton and Walker averaged 11.2 and 10.2, respectively. Sutton and Walker, especially, seem to have shaken off tough shooting starts to the season as all three averaged double-figure points over the last five contests. In the last five games, the trio combined to shoot 50.7 percent from the field (68-134), including 36.2 percent (17-47) from 3-point range. In the first eight outings this season, that combination shot just 29.0 percent (64-221) overall and 20.0 percent (15-75) from outside the arc. The increased offensive production has not come at the expense of the trio’s ability to set up teammates either. They handed out 8.1 assists per game over the first eight contests (65) and followed that with 8.4 assists per game over the last five (42). In the win over Drexel, Grant, Sutton and Walker combined to have a hand in 85.5 percent of the team’s 62 points, adjusting for points scored on another member of the trio’s assist. The three scored 45 points while assisting on another eight from other teammates. Walker led the way in both categories, scoring 18 points and handing out a team-high four assists.

Making a Name for Herself
In December, senior guard La’Keisha Sutton etched her names among the top guards in South Carolina women’s basketball history. Handing out her 300th career assist against Drexel (Dec. 28) and scoring her 1,000th career point against South Carolina State (Dec. 14), making her just the 11th Gamecock to achieve both milestones in her career. The last to hit both marks was Cristina Ciocan in 2003-04. Sutton’s 1,000th career point game just 8:40 into the 100th game of her career on a trademark drive through the lane. Her effort against South Carolina State, which ended with 12 points, made her just the 27th player in school history to score at least 1,000 points. She also became the 48th player to play in 100 career games in that outing. Her 300th assist came just in time for the Gamecocks to hold off a late rally by Drexel. After driving the lane, Sutton found Ashley Bruner on the right block for a bucket that ended a four-minute scoring drought for the Gamecocks.