Dec. 20, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 6/6 South Carolina closes out its pre-holiday schedule with a trip to Savannah State for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Wed., Dec. 21. The Gamecocks (9-1) are visiting Tiger Arena for the first time in the series history, which includes win over the Tigers in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina Notables

• Tonight marks the Gamecocks’ final tune-up before SEC play begins on Jan. 1.
• South Carolina has won 14 of its last 16 regular-season road games against non-conference opponents and is 20-9 in such games in the Dawn Staley era.
• In her ninth season at South Carolina, head coach Dawn Staley needs just three more wins to become just the second coach in program history to amass 200 wins at the Gamecocks’ helm. She will join Nancy Wilson, who needed 12 seasons to reach the milestone.
• A Gamecock has scored 20 points in a game eight times through 10 games this season, the fastest a team has reached the mark 20 times since the 2009-10 team posted nine such games through the first 10 outings of that season.
• Senior center Alaina Coates posted 19.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game last week to earn USBWA National Player of the Week honors. One-third of her 39 points come from the free throw line, from which she shot 13-of-17 (.765) after enter the game shooting 63.9 percent.
• Junior forward A’ja Wilson’s rebounding numbers have been on a steady climb throughout December, during which she averages 9.4 boards after pulling in just 4.6 per game in November. All three of her double-doubles have come in this month’s five games.

By the Numbers

1 Blocked shot separating junior A’ja Wilson’s program career record from senior center Alaina Coates’ total (191-190)
2 Opposing players to grab double-digit rebounds against the Gamecocks this season
3 Wins against AP top-10 opponents by the Gamecocks this season, the third-straight season of at least that many
4 Gamecocks ranked among the SEC’s top 25 scorers
5 Games this season in which the Gamecock defense has held an opponent under 30.0 percent field goal shooting, including #9/9 UCLA (Dec. 18)
5 Games in which South Carolina has made at least 20 free throws, including all four wins over ranked opponents
8 20-point games this season by a Gamecock, led by three such outings for A’ja Wilson
10 Quarters this season in which a Gamecock has scored in double figures, led by five from Kaela Davis
23.0 Points per second quarter by the Gamecocks this season, their highest-scoring quarter
82 Consecutive AP Polls in which South Carolina has appeared

Savannah State Series Notes

The Gamecocks are 8-0 against Savannah State with all eight previous games played in Columbia. Six of the all-time contests have been played during the Dawn Staley era at South Carolina, which won both matchups two seasons ago as the Tigers earned an NCAA Tournament spot against the Gamecocks in the first round.

Road Ready

The Gamecocks are 230-246 all-time in true road games, including a 58-35 mark under head coach Dawn Staley. In non-conference action, Staley is 20-9 on the road during her nine seasons at South Carolina.

They’re Free, Take Two!

South Carolina ranks among the nation’s top 15 in free throws attempted (9th) and made (13th). With the teams in the top 10 playing between 10 and 13 games, the Gamecocks move higher when looking at averages. With 26.10 free throw attempts per game, South Carolina trails only SEC rival Alabama, which attempts 27.0 per game. The Gamecocks are third in free throws made per game at 18.00, trailing Iowa State (19.4) and Kent State (18.6).

Gray Area

Junior transfer Allisha Gray may be the Gamecocks’ most quiet and consistent offensive powerhouse, scoring in double figures in eight of 10 games this season, including opening her inaugural Gamecock season with five straight double-digit scoring outings.

The unassuming six-foot guard amassed 1,000 points in her first two seasons at North Carolina and kicked off her South Carolina career with a 24-point outing at No. 7/6 Ohio State that included 10-of-18 shooting and some of the most momentum-killing baskets of the game. With sniper-like accuracy, she scores 13.6 points per game (22nd in the SEC) on 50.0 percent shooting, which is good for ninth in the SEC and 87th in the nation.

Gray’s contributions go beyond the scoring column, though. She leads the team with 31 assists (3.1 apg), including six games of at least three, and leads the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4), which ranks 10th in the country. Gray also adds 4.2 rebounds per game with four games of five or more boards. In fact, she led the team in rebounding against Saint Peter’s (Nov. 22) with eight.

DC Insider

Sophomore guard Doniyah Cliney is enjoying her first full season with the Gamecocks after missing the start of her redshirt freshman campaign due to a preseason injury. The setback limited her minutes and impact during SEC play in 2015-16, but she has clearly benefitted from the full preseason preparation this season. Especially locked in defensively, the 6-foot guard has used her size and athleticism to shut down opponents and crash the boards.

In the last three games, Cliney averaged 6.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 26.0 minutes. The extended minutes have helped dial in her shot as well as she has hit 6-of-13 from the field (.462) over that time after entering the stretch 3-of-9.