Gamecocks Host Temple in Pre-Holiday Finale
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 25/- South Carolina women’s basketball will play its final pre-Christmas game on Fri., Dec. 21, hosting Temple at 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks (6-4) are coming off a thrilling double-overtime win at Purdue on Sunday, looking to carry that momentum into the holiday break.
SOUTH CAROLINA NOTABLES
• Tonight’s game is the 600th in the head coaching career of South Carolina’s Dawn Staley – coincidentally with all 600 games coming as the leader of the two programs on the court tonight. After eight seasons at Temple, Staley left as the program’s winningest head coach behind a 172-80 record. This game is her 348th as the Gamecocks’ head coach with a 256-91 record in her 11th season.
• The two head coaches tonight have more history than last season’s meeting between the Gamecocks and Owls and Tonya Cardoza replacing Staley as Temple’s winningest head coach. The two were teammates at University of Virginia for three seasons (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91), helping the Cavaliers to two ACC regular-season championships and the 1991 NCAA championship game, after which both were named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team with Staley named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
• South Carolina’s offense has been as decentralized as Staley has seen in several seasons as seven Gamecocks have led or tied for the team lead in scoring at least once this season and 11 of the 13 eligible Gamecocks have scored in double figures at least once.
• That diverse production has allowed Staley to put five different starting lineups on the court already this season, including the game at Purdue (Dec. 16), which saw two Gamecocks make their first career starts for the Garnet and Black (Henderson, Perry).South Carolina’s head coach anticipates keeping that trend going based on how practice goes leading up to each game.
• Junior guard Tyasha Harris has dominated the last five games, averaging 14.8 points and 4.4 assists over the stretch, during which she has shot 44.6 percent from the field.
BY THE NUMBERS
14.8 Points per game by Tyasha Harris over the last five outings
15 Consecutive free throws made by the Gamecocks at Purdue (Dec. 16) in the two overtimes
15 Rebounds by Mikiah Herbert Harrigan at Purdue (Dec. 16) – a season high for the team and her career high as well
TEMPLE SERIES NOTES
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has been involved in all three meetings between the Gamecocks and Owls, but she was on the other sideline for the first two.
The most recent meeting between the two teams came exactly a year ago when the then-#4 Gamecocks traveled to Philadelphia for an 87-60 victory over Temple.
To start the series, the South Carolina played a home-and-home series with Temple in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, claiming both contests. The Owls gave then-#23 South Carolina a tough battle in the opener in Columbia (12/4/01), but the home team escaped with a 68-65 victory. On their return trip to Philadelphia, the then-#18 Gamecocks delivered a 57-39 decision (12/27/02).
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Gamecocks are 439-159 all-time on their home court, including a 196-65 mark in Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina is 132-31 at home during the Dawn Staley era and has lost just six times in its last 88 home games, including undefeated home seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The Gamecocks have won 40 of their last 42 SEC regular-season home games dating back to the 2012-13 season.
RANKING REVIEW
The Gamecocks are No. 25 in this week’s AP Poll, marking their 118th consecutive week in that poll, the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. In those 118 weeks, the Gamecocks spent 91 in the top 10, including 63 in the top five and 12 at No. 1.
FREE FOR ALL
South Carolina continues to go to the free throw line at one of the highest rates in the nation. With 169 free throws made, the Gamecocks are 15th in the nation, and they rank 16th in free throw attempts (242).
Juniors Te’a Cooper and Tyasha Harris led the way with 30 made free throws each, while Cooper paces the team with 38 attempts.
As a team, South Carolina is shooting 69.8 percent from the free throw line to rank fifth in the SEC. Harris’ 85.7 percent accuracy from the charity stripe ranks third in the SEC. Cooper is close behind at ninth in the league at 78.9 percent.
Three others do not meet the minimum attempts for the season to be ranked but are shooting at least 80.0 percent from the line – Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21-of-25, .840), Doniyah Cliney (13-of-16, .813), Elysa Wesolek (6-of-7, .857).
