Nov. 19, 2014

South Carolina Game Notes | Promotions

Game Information

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014 | 7 p.m.
Site: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000) | Traffic Advisory
Tickets: $7 adult, $4 youth (17 and under) | Gamecock Club and My Carolina Alumni Association members free with membership card
Broadcast: SEC Network (Cara Capuano, play-by-play; Gail Goestenkors, analyst): via WatchESPN
Radio: 1320 AM WISW (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats:

South Carolina Notables

• The 2013-14 Gamecocks will receive their SEC Championship rings and the banners for that title and the team’s trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 will be unveiled prior to tonight’s game.
• South Carolina is looking for its 20th-straight win at Colonial Life Arena tonight.
• With this week’s ranking of No. 2, South Carolina has been in the AP top 10 for 13 straight weeks/polls. The Gamecocks ended the 2013-14 season ranked eighth and opened this season at No. 2. It matches the longest top-10 stretch for the program, originally set from Jan. 22, 1980 through Dec. 16, 1980.
• South Carolina has not allowed a team to shoot 50.0 percent from the field since Feb. 28, 2013, (Missouri). The highest field goal percentage defense last season was .459 by North Carolina in Myrtle Beach as one of just six games that saw an opponent reach the .400 mark.
• The addition of the SEC Network has allowed for 24 of the Gamecocks’ 29 regular-season games to be broadcast nationally this season.

Notes

A South Carolina Win Would…

• Be the Gamecocks’ 20th straight at Colonial Life Arena, the longest stretch in facility history.
• Be the Gamecocks’ fifth straight over Clemson, which would be their longest streak in series history.
• Be bring head coach Dawn Staley within five wins of 300 in her career.

By the Numbers
8 Gamecocks who are at least 6′ tall, including four who are 6’4″ or taller
10 Blocked shots by the Gamecocks in the season opener against Southern Cal, picking up where they left off last season when they ranked second in the nation with a school-record 7.1 per game
19 Career double-doubles by senior forward Aleighsa Welch, leaving her one shy of tying for 10th in school history – her eight in SEC action are tied for third
63 Rebounds needed for senior forward Aleighsa Welch to move into a tie for 10th in career rebounds in school history

Clemson Series Notes
The Tigers continue to lead the overall series 33-26, but the Gamecocks have won the last four meetings by an average of 19.3 points. South Carolina holds a 17-10 advantage in Columbia, including the last two meetings at Colonial Life Arena. Playing in her final game of the rivalry, senior Aleighsa Welch enters tonight’s matchup averaging 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game while shooting 61.6 percent from the field against the Tigers. Junior Tiffany Mitchell’s numbers are nearly as good against the Gamecocks’ archrival, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 61.9 percent shooting.

Frenemies
Adding to the rivalry of night’s game, the matchup pits a pair of former teammates against each other in South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and Clemson head coach Audra Smith. The two played for Debbie Ryan’s Virginia Cavaliers for four seasons (1989-92), collaborating on three trips to the NCAA Final Four and two ACC Championships.

Home Sweet Home
The Gamecocks are in the midst of unprecedented success at Colonial Life Arena, having won their last 19 games on their home court, including the first perfect season in 2013-14. That 16-0 mark alone matched the previous record for win streak at the facility, originally set Jan. 20, 2002-Jan. 9, 2003. South Carolina’s last loss at Colonial Life Arena was a 50-48 decision to then-No. 14 Texas A&M on Feb. 10, 2013. Overall, South Carolina is 134-58 (.698) at Colonial Life Arena, including a 68-25 (.731) mark under head coach Dawn Staley. In the now 41-year history of the program, the Gamecocks are 379-155 (.710) in home games.

Poll Presence
South Carolina’s second week at No. 2 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, makes it the Gamecocks 13th-straight week in the AP top 10. The current streak matches the program’s longest top-10 stretch originally set from Jan. 22, 1980 through Dec. 16, 1980. The No. 2 ranking, originally earned in the preseason poll matches the program’s all-time highest ranking and marked the best preseason rank in school history. The 1981-82 team earned the previous best marks with a preseason rank of No. 4 and spending three weeks at No. 2 (Dec. 20, 1981-Jan. 3, 1982).

Crowd Control
The Gamecocks drew 10,057 fans to their season opener against Southern Cal, the largest crowd for a home opener since the opening game at Colonial Life Arena drew 17,712. South Carolina women’s basketball has logged five crowds of over 10,000 fans in Colonial Life Arena history, four of which have come in the last three seasons.