Jan. 18, 2012

Notes Packet

Game Information

Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012
Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Arena: Auburn Arena (9,121)
TV: None
Radio: WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats:
Auburn Series: AU leads 20-15; In Auburn: AU leads 11-5; In Columbia: SC leads 9-7; At Neutral Site: AU leads 2-1

South Carolina Notables

• This is the 38th season of women’s basketball at South Carolina and the Gamecocks’ 21st season in the SEC.
• South Carolina is second in the SEC in rebounding margin in conference games (+7.4) and has three players ranked among the league’s top 20 rebounders in league games, despite being one of just two teams in the league with fewer than three players who stand 6-foot-1 or taller.
• Freshman forward Aleighsa Welch is second in the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting 63.3 percent on the season. She is the Gamecocks’ top scorer in conference play, pouring in 12.4 points per game and has pulled in a team-best 7.4 rebounds per contest.
• South Carolina’s defense, rated second in the nation in points allowed (45.2), has held nine opponents to 48 or fewer points this season.
• Senior forward Charenee Stephens is tied for team-high honors with 6.3 rebounds per game over the last three contests. She has led the team on the glass in four of the last seven games, including against then-#9/8 Kentucky.
• Senior guard La’Keisha Sutton has averaged 11.0 points over the last three games and has netted double figures in four of the team’s five SEC games.

Notes

A South Carolina Win Would…

• Be the Gamecocks’ 15th of the season, matching the 2002-03 team’s 15-4 start to the season.
• Make the Gamecocks 3-2 in the SEC for the second time in the last three seasons, matching the 2009-10 team’s start for the best of the Staley era.
• Be the Gamecocks’ sixth on the road this season, making it the first season in which South Carolina has won more than five true road games since 1990-91.
• Be the Gamecocks’ fourth over Auburn in the last five meetings, including two wins on the Tigers’ home court.

By the Numbers
2 National rank for the Gamecocks in scoring defense
3 Gamecocks that rank among the SEC’s top 20 rebounders in league games, despite being one of just two teams with fewer than three players who stand at least 6-foot-1
4 Categories in which freshman Aleighsa Welch ranks among the SEC’s top 15 in league games – field goal percentage (6th), offensive rebounds (3rd), rebounds (6th) and scoring (14th).
5 Categories in which South Carolina ranks among the SEC’s top three in league games, all of which are at least partially defense-related – scoring defense (2nd), 3-point field goal defense (1st), rebounding defense (2nd), rebounding margin (2nd), steals (2nd)
8 Gamecocks on the active roster of 13 who have recorded at least one double-digit scoring game
11 Games this season that have been decided by more than 10 points, all won by the Gamecocks
16 Games in which South Carolina has had a lead at halftime, during which the Gamecocks are 14-2

Last Time Out
South Carolina held the high-scoring Kentucky offense well below its average, but suffered a 66-58 loss to the No. 9/8 Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena. Turnovers were the Gamecocks’ undoing for the second-straight game as Kentucky scored nearly half of its points (30) off 29 Gamecock turnovers. Three South Carolina players scored in double figures, and senior Charenee Stephens led the team on the glass for the fourth time in the last seven games.

Auburn Series Notes
The Tigers lead the series 20-15 but the Gamecocks have won three of the last four meetings, including a sweep of the 2009-10 home-and-home series. South Carolina has split its last two games in Auburn, dropping a 54-47 decision on Jan. 30, 2011, at Auburn Arena after posting a 61-58 victory in their last meeting at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 4, 2010. Senior guard La’Keisha Sutton has been the most productive Gamecocks against Auburn, averaging 11.6 points and 3.2 assists over her five career games. She tied her career high with 24 against the Tigers in the last meeting. Forward Ashley Bruner thrived in two meetings last season, posting 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 56.5 percent field goal shooting.

Road Warriors
South Carolina has a 184-232 (.442) all-time record on the road. The Gamecocks’ best season on the road was 1979-80 when they went 11-4. Under head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina is 15-23 in road games. In her 11th season as a head coach, Staley has a 77-69 road record. The Gamecocks are 5-2 on the road so far this season, matching the most true road games South Carolina has won under Staley, which the 2009-10 team also amassed. The Gamecocks have not won more than five true road games in a season since the 1990-91 squad went 6-4.

Life in the League
South Carolina is 84-188 all-time in its 21st season SEC regular-season play. The Gamecocks are 55-82 in SEC games played in Columbia with a 29-106 record on the road. The Gamecocks are 18-19 in conference play since head coach Dawn Staley’s first season in the league yielded a 2-12 mark. 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 119-56 record in league play, including eight seasons leading her Temple teams to a 99-25 Atlantic 10 mark.