Women's Hoops Home Opener Thursday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 10/11 South Carolina women’s basketball hosts its first home game of the season Thursday night as in-state rival Clemson comes to Colonial Life Arena for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff on SEC Network. The Gamecocks have won the last eight against the Tigers and are 8-2 in home openers in the Dawn Staley era. Prior to the game (weather permitting), South Carolina’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council is hosting a Food Truck Frenzy to accept canned food donations for Harvest Hope Food Bank. The event includes various local food trucks, a DJ, raffle and silent auction with proceeds also going to fight hunger in our community.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Fans should note that Vista Lights is scheduled for Thursday night as well, which may impact traffic flow to Colonial Life Arena. Please see this map for road closures.

NOTABLES

• The Gamecocks will honor their amazing fan base prior to tonight’s game with the unveiling of the NCAA Attendance leader banner in the atrium of Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina fans have led the nation in average attendance each of the last four seasons.

• Tonight’s game represents the fifth point contested in the Palmetto Series, which is tied 2-2 so far this season with the Gamecocks picked up points in women’s soccer and volleyball, and Clemson taking points in men’s soccer and women’s cross country. 

• Tonight’s rivalry game features just two student-athletes from the state of South Carolina, both freshmen – Elysa Wesolek (South Carolina) and Skylar Blackstock (Clemson).

• Tonight’s head coaches have faced each other on the sidelines 13 times  with Staley leading the matchup 9-4. Playing annually in the SEC when Clemson’s Amanda Butler was at Florida, Staley posted an 8-4 record. She added another win to the record by leading her Temple Owls past Butler’s Charlotte 49ers in the 2006-07 season. Overall, South Carolina is 9-5 against Butler-led teams.

• South Carolina’s Tyasha Harris was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List this week.

• Four Gamecocks rank among the SEC’s active stats leaders. Junior guard Tyasha Harris leads the league with 342 career assists and ranks fifth in steals at 119. Alexis Jennings is fourth in rebounding (602), and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan holds the same spot in blocks (84). Bianca Cuevas-Moore is 12th in scoring with 742 career points.

• Under head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have played in seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Elite Eight in three of the last four seasons. South Carolina has won four of the last five SEC regular-season titles and the last four SEC Tournament championships. The Gamecocks have spent 90 weeks in the AP Top 10, including the last 88 AP polls.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 Gamecocks who have been named to national award preseason watch lists – Tyasha Harris (Nancy Lieberman Award) and Alexis Jennings (Katrina McClain Award)

8 Returning letterwinners for South Carolina, including four starters

12 Possible games against nationally ranked opponents on the Gamecocks’ schedule this season, including seven against teams in the AP Top 10

22 Steals by the Gamecocks at Alabama State, the most in the Staley era

64.7 Percent of last season’s scoring that the Gamecocks return for 2018-19

THE PALMETTO SERIES

The Certified SC Grown Palmetto Series is in its fourth year tracking the in-state rivalry between South Carolina and Clemson. In the year-long competition, points are awarded for the winners of head-to-head meetings in each sport as well as for the athletics department with the highest team GPA and with the most donations to the fall food drive aimed at tackling hunger in each school’s community.

The Gamecocks have won the last three Palmetto Series. South Carolina and Clemson are currently tied, 2-2, in this season’s standings.

CLEMSON SERIES NOTES

Contested at least once every season since 1975-76, the series is currently in the Tigers’ favor 33-30, but the Gamecocks have won the last eight meetings, the longest win streak by either team in series history. 

South Carolina’s eight straight wins have come by an average of 26.9 points with a high of 58 (99-41) on Nov. 20, 2014. Clemson’s last win in the series was a double-overtime affair at Littlejohn, which the Tigers claimed 94-92 on Nov. 19, 2009.

HOME OPENERS

South Carolina is 23-9 all-time in home openers, including an 8-2 mark under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have faced Clemson in their home opener four times prior to tonight’s matchup with a 2-2 record in those games. Two of those four games were played in Colonial Life Arena, including the first basketball game the arena hosted, which South Carolina won 72-58 in front 17,712 fans on Nov. 22, 2002.

The Gamecocks are 14-2 in their home openers in Colonial Life Arena.

LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN

In the week before the 2018-19 season officially began, the Gamecocks selected their captains for the season. Whoever wanted to take on the role made their pitch to their teammates, who then voted.

For the second season, junior Tyasha Harris was voted as a captain. Seniors Doniyah Cliney and Alexis Jennings will also serve the team in that capacity this season.