Feb. 13, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina concludes a two-game homestand when LSU visits Colonial Life Arena on Thursday for a primetime matchup set to be televised on ESPN2 with Rece Davis (play-by-play) and Kara Lawson (analyst) on the call. The Gamecocks won the previous meeting between the two schools in 2013, posting an 82-73 victory in an overtime thriller in Baton Rouge at the Maravich Center. The Tigers now hold just a slight edge in the all-time series at 14-13. Fans can also listen on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network via GamecocksOnline.com and on 107.5 The Game in Columbia with Andy Demetra (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (analyst).

OPENING TIP
Date: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013
Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Series: LSU leads 14-13; Series tied at 6-6 in Columbia
Last Meeting: South Carolina win, 72-73 (OT), Jan. 16, 2013 in Baton Rouge, La.
Television: ESPN2
Talent: Rece Davis (pxp), Kara Lawson (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock IMG Radio Network
Sirius: 93; XM: 199
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Tickets | @GamecockMBB | | ESPN3 | GameNotes

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 105th season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are led by first-year head coach Frank Martin. His associate head coach is Brad Underwood and his assistant coaches are Matt Figger and Lamont Evans. Andy Assaley is the director of basketball operations.
– The Gamecocks are in their 22nd season of competition in the Southeastern Conference in 2013. Carolina owns a 131-215 (.378) all-time record in SEC play.
– The Gamecocks look to break a four-game losing streak on Thursday when LSU visits Colonial Life Arena.
– South Carolina looks to rebound after a 66-61 loss to visiting Tennessee last Sunday. The Gamecocks hit just 39.2 percent (20-51) from the field in the loss. Freshman forward Michael Carrera posted team highs with 18 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, while junior guard Brian Richardson added 17 points, his 10th double-figure scoring game this season, and five rebounds in the game.
– South Carolina earned the first SEC win for head coach Frank Martin at LSU on Jan. 16 in an 82-73 overtime decision. Carolina was once again stellar in overtime, hitting 9-of-10 attempts in the extra session from the free throw line. Carrera posted 23 points in 24 minutes off the bench to pace the Gamecocks in the contest.
– Carrera (23 points, 10 rebounds) and senior forward Lakeem Jackson (11 points, 11 rebounds) both collected double-doubles in the contest at LSU, marking the first time that two Gamecocks have had a double-double in the same game since the 2008 campaign.
– Carrera’s 23 points scored vs. LSU were the most by a Gamecock this season, and the most by a Gamecock freshman since then-freshman Bruce Ellington also posted 23 at Florida on Jan. 15, 2011.
– South Carolina shot a season high 57.7 percent (30-52) from the field, including a near season best of hitting 7-of-12 (58.3%) from beyond the arc, in a convicing 75-54 victory over Arkansas at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 26. The win marked Carolina’s first in league play at home this season. The 21-point margin of victory marked the largest in conference play since an 18-point win over Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2009. It was the first margin of at least 20 points in SEC play since an 83-61 win over Mississippi State on Feb. 11, 2006. Both of those wins occurred at Colonial Life Arena.
– In three overtime wins this season, Carolina has hit an impressive 31-of-34 (91.1%) attempts from the free throw line during OT.
– Senior guard LaShay Page, a post-graduate student from Dillon, S.C., will not compete with the South Carolina men’s basketball team for the remainder of the 2012-13 season due to an academic eligibility issue.

Scouting LSU
LSU enters Thursday’s contest having won three of their last four games, and four of their last six, all in league play. The Tigers own a 13-8 overall record, and a 4-6 mark in SEC contests. Sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III paces the team in points with 12.3 and is also the team leader in rebounding with 8.5 per contest, which ranks fifth in the league in overall games. His 9.3 rebounds per SEC contest ranks him third. Sophomore guard Anthony Hickey adds 12.3 points per game as well, while Shavon Coleman (11.4) and Andrew Stringer (10.7) also post double-digit points in overall games this season. Hickey paces the league in steals with 3.4 per contest, including a mark of 3.2 in SEC contests. The Tigers most recently suffered a 60-57 loss on the road at Alabama last Saturday. The team is led by Johnny Jones in his first season.

Up Next For The Gamecocks
South Carolina travels to Alabama on Saturday, continuing SEC play at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. The contest will be televised on the SEC Network at 4 p.m. ET.

LSU Series
LSU holds a slight 14-13 edge in the all-time series with South Carolina, but the series is tied at six in games played in Columbia. The Gamecocks have won three out of the last four in the series, and four of the last six.

By The Numbers –
62 – The number of combined free throws in the South Carolina vs. Tennessee contest last Sunday. The Gamecocks went 18-of-25 from the line, and the Vols posted a mark of 27-of-37 in the win.
12 – The number of starting lineups that Frank Martin has used during the 2012-13 season. In league games, the lineup most utilized is at guard, Ellington and Smith, and at forward, Jackson, Carrera and Chatkevicius.
5 – Junior guard Bruce Ellington matched a season high with five assists vs. Tennessee on Sunday, marking the 10th time in his career he has posted five or more assists in a game. In league games, Ellington dishes 2.7 assists per contest.
+1.7 – In strictly league games, South Carolina ranks fifth in the league with a +1.7 turnover margin. The Gamecocks commit 13.9 per game, compared to 15.6 by their opponents.

By The Numbers – The First 2013 Meeting With LSU
28 – Carolina’s 28 made free throws marked the most points from the foul line since also posting 28 vs. Georgia Southern on Nov. 16, 2009.
37 – Carolina’s 37 attempts from the foul line at LSU marked the most since that same Georgia Southern game when the Gamecocks had 44 attempts.
16 – Junior guard Brenton Williams scored 16 points, including a 9-of-10 mark from the foul line, off the bench vs. LSU, playing 36 minutes in the contest. Williams had posted just two combined points in 12 combined minutes in the previous two SEC games.
21 – Freshman forward Michael Carrera scored 23 points at LSU, but scored 21 during the second half and overtime. Carrera was 9-of-10 from the free throw line, and he played the final 6:38 of regulation and all of overtime with four personal fouls.