Dec. 24, 2013

HONOLULU, Hawaii – South Carolina concludes play at the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Wednesday when it faces Akron in the third-place contest at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2. In a unique turn of events, this contest will be the first in back-to-back games for the Gamecocks and Zips to face eachother, as Akron travels to Columbia this coming Saturday for a non-conference regular-season matchup.

OPENING TIP
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2013
Tipoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Arena: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300)
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Broadcast: ESPN2
Talent: Roxy Bernstein (pxp), Miles Simon (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network/107.5 The Game in Columbia
Sirius: N/A; XM: N/A
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Game Notes | Live Stats | @GamecockMBB on Twitter | Tickets | Diamond Head Classic Website

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 106th season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are led by Frank Martin in his second year. Matt Figger is the associate head coach, and Perry Clark and Lamont Evans are assistant coaches. Andy Assaley is in his second year as the director of operations for the Gamecocks.
– After a stellar win over Saint Mary’s on Sunday, the Gamecocks suffered an 80-54 loss to Boise State in the semifinal round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Monday. The Gamecocks struggled in the contest, hitting just 37.3 percent (19-51) from the floor, compared to the 53.7 percent (29-54) from the Broncos. Senior guard Brenton Williams led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while freshman guard Duane Notice tallied a season high 13. The Gamecocks dished just six assists and committed 18 turnovers, which led to 20 Boise State points, in the game.
– Wednesday’s meeting versus Akron marks the first all-time between the two schools.
– In two neutral site contests this season the Gamecocks are averaging 66.0 points per game, hitting 47.5 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from 3-point range and 63.8 percent from the free throw line. Notice averages a team best 12.0 points per outing, while Williams adds 11.0 points per game and junior guard Ty Johnson 10.5.
– South Carolina snapped a three-game losing streak when it earned an impressive 78-71 win over Saint Mary’s on Sunday in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Four Gamecocks scored in double-figures, led by junior guard Ty Johnson’s 16 points. Freshman guard Sindarius Thornwell added 13, freshman guard Duane Notice netted a then-season high 11 and sophomore forward Laimonas Chatkevicius posted a career high 12, including 11 in the second half.
– The Gamecocks shot 58.3 percent (28-48) from the field vs. Saint Mary’s, the best percentage for Carolina this season, and the best percentage from the floor since hitting 57.7 percent last season in a win vs. Arkansas on Jan. 26, 2013.
– Foul trouble for Carolina’s bigs once again played a factor vs. Saint Mary’s, much like in last Thursday’s contest vs. USC Upstate. With considerable time on the clock, Demetrius Henry, Mindaugas Kacinas, Desmond Ringer and Chatkevicius had three or more fouls.

Up Next For The Gamecocks
South Carolina makes the near 5,000 mile journey home to host Akron in the second of back-to-back contests between the two schools. The game will tip at 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 28 and will be televised on ESPNU.