Dec. 30, 2006
Post Game Notes
South Carolina started Iva Sliskovic, Ilona Burgrova, Melanie Johnson, Stacy Booker and Lauren Simms for the fourth consecutive game. The Gamecocks have won four consecutive games with this lineup, the longest winning streak of the season.
The Gamecocks opened the game on a 10-2 run, hitting five of their first six shots from the field (83%). They then opened the second half on a 18-4 run on a 7-of-10 (70%) effort, opening the lead to 49-23 in the opening minutes of the second stanza.
Melanie Johnson led the Gamecocks with 14 points and also had 10 rebounds, her first double-double this season. The 10 rebounds tied her season high. In the span of the last four games, Johnson is averaging 12 points since wrapping up final exams.
Ilona Burgrova recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. She also recorded a season-high three blocks.
It was the first time two teammates had a double-double in the same game for South Carolina since Iva Sliskovic and Cristina Ciocan accomplished the feat against Southern Utah on Dec. 5, 2003.
Iva Sliskovic, who tied Sharon Gilmore for fourth on the all-time blocks list Thursday against Samford, claimed sole possession of fourth place with a rejection early in the first half against UNC-Wilmington. Her 102 career blocks put her one behind the third place holder – Schonna Banner (103) and within reach of Petra Ujhelyi (116) in second place.
Brionna Dickerson scored 13 points in the game, setting a new career-high. Her jumper to give Carolina a 67-34 lead gave her 13 points to surpass her previous high of 12 points set against S.C. State earlier this season. She shot 6-for-7 (86%) in the game against the Seahawks.
Dickerson also set a new career-high with five rebounds, surpassing the three rebounds she registered against Clemson this season.
Lakesha Tolliver blocked at least two shots for the third consecutive game. She has blocked a shot in each of Carolina’s last six games.
Shannel Harris rejected a career-high three blocks against the Seahawks.
Ebony Jones came away with the first block of her career with a rejection in the final 10 seconds of the game against the Seahawk’s.
South Carolina responded well despite playing with foul trouble. At the half, Lakesha Tolliver (3 fouls), Demetress Adams (3 fouls), Lauren Simms (2 fouls), and Lea Fabbri (2 fouls) all had early foul trouble. Leading scorer Iva Sliskovic picked up her fourth foul with little over 10 minutes remaining in the second half, and Tolliver picked up her fourth foul a minute later, leaving few options in the post for the final nine minutes.
South Carolina committed a season-high 29 turnovers against the Seahawks. The previous high was 25 giveaways in the loss to North Carolina State.
Saturday’s win improved Susan Walvius’s record to 99-46 in non-conference regular season games.
Saturday’s win gave South Carolina it’s first road victory of the season. South Carolina lost its first two road meetings at Penn State and North Carolina State.
Saturday’s victory moved the Gamecocks to 2-0 all-time against UNC-Wilmington. South Carolina claimed an 82-62 win in the other meeting in 1998.
Saturday’s win improved Carolina’s record to 19-12 in games against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association.
South Carolina concludes its non-conference schedule Monday night for a New Year`s Day game against Winthrop. It will be the second game in a stretch of three games in five days for the Gamecocks as Susan Walvius aims for her 100th non-conference regular season victory.
