Gamecock Gameday: Finally Back in Colonial Life Arena Sunday

Dec. 9, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 6/6 South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena for the first time in nearly three weeks for a showdown with Big Ten foe Minnesota. The Gamecocks (6-1) had a week between games for exams and are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season.

South Carolina Notables

• The Gamecocks are back in the friendly confines of Colonial Life Arena for the first time in nearly three weeks, having not played a home game since Tue., Nov. 22.
• South Carolina has not lost a home game to an unranked non-conference opponent in the Dawn Staley era. Overall, the Gamecocks have lost just once in their last 53 home games.
• The nation’s leader in made free throws per game, the Gamecocks average 194. per game. They are second in free throw attempts per game (27.7).
• The Gamecocks boast four of the SEC’s top-20 scorers this season — A’ja Wilson (6th), Kaela Davis (14th), Allisha Gray (17th) and Alaina Coates (19th) but have NO entries in the league’s top 20 for minutes played per game.
• Three of the top nine field goal percentage shooters in the SEC (and top 91 nationally) wear garnet and black this season. Coates leads the SEC and ranks sixth nationally, while Wilson is fourth in the league (38th in the country) and Gray comes in ninth in the conference and 90th in the nation.
• Junior forward A’ja Wilson has been on a tear the last three games, averaging 22.0 points and 7.7 rebounds, including 3.3 offensive boards per game, during the stretch, which included wins over #4/4 Louisville and at #14/15 Texas.

By the Numbers

1 Team this season that has outscored South Carolina in the paint — Duke (Dec. 4)
2 30-point games by a Gamecock this season, the most since 2002-03
3 Games in which at least one reserve Gamecock has scored in double figures, including two of South Carolina’s three games against ranked opponents
4 Games in which a Gamecock opponent has had at least one player foul out
6 Games this season in which South Carolina has assisted on at least half of its made field goals
23.0 Points per second quarter by the Gamecocks this season, their highest-scoring quarter
46 Career double-doubles by Alaina Coates, the most by any active player in NCAA Div. I

Minnesota Series Notes

South Carolina leads the series against Minnesota 3-1, although the programs have not met since Dec. 13, 2005. The Gamecocks and Golden Gophers have twice scheduled home-and-home series with the first coming in the 1994-95 season. The Gamecocks claimed the inaugural meeting 78-75 in Minneapolis then dominated the Golden Gophers in the return game 73-35 on Nov. 29, 1995. Minnesota defended its home court with a 63-53 win on Jan. 3, 2004, as did South Carolina in a 79-61 victory on Dec. 13, 2005.

Holding Home Court

The Gamecocks are 410-154 all-time on their home court, including a 168-59 mark in Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina is 103-26 at home during the Dawn Staley era and has lost just once in its last 53 home games, including undefeated home seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

League Legends

The Gamecocks are the only team in the nation to boast two former WNBA All-Stars on their coaching staff in head coach Dawn Staley and assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson. Five other programs tout multiple WNBA alums — Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Vanderbilt — but only Beth Cunningham at Notre Dame and Tina Thompson at Texas earned All-Star status at least once in their time in the league. South Carolina has the added bonus of its other two coaches — associate head coach Lisa Boyer and assistant coach Fred Chmiel — having experience coaching in the WNBA as well.

Location, Location, Location

South Carolina averages 42.6 points in the paint this season, making up 51.6 percent of the Gamecocks’ offense. Just one opponent has out-scored South Carolina in the paint this season — Duke (42-32; 12/3/16), and the Gamecocks have out-paced their opponents in that space by 18.6 points per game. Their interior advantage has been at least 20 points three times, including a season-high 44 points against Maine (Nov. 21). In three games against ranked opponents, South Carolina has out-scored its opponent 118-84 in the paint.