Jan. 18, 2008

Game Notes

Last Time Out
South Carolina played No. 2 Tennessee even in the second half, but it was not enough to avoid a 71-48 defeat at the Colonial Center Sunday afternoon. In front of the fourth-largest crowd in Carolina women’s basketball history, the Gamecocks out-rebounded the Lady Vols 44-33 and out-shot their opponent 41.7 percent to 40 percent. A spate of turnovers in the first half, however, put South Carolina in a hole from which it could not recover against the nation’s second-ranked team. Senior Ilona Burgrova battled the Tennessee interior and emerged with her first double-double of the season, including a career-high 13 rebounds to go with her 16 points.

Series Notes
Mississippi leads the series 14-9 after winning five of the last six meetings. The Rebels topped the Gamecocks 76-57 in last season’s meeting at Smith Coliseum. South Carolina held its homecourt in the Feb. 19, 2006 meeting with a 77-66 victory. Overall, the Gamecocks are 2-6 against the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.

Injury Report

• Senior forward Lakesha Tolliver has missed the last three games due to exertional headaches. She is being evaluated by the team’s medical staff and will not play this week but will be reassessed next week.
• Freshman guard Ashlie Billingslea, who underwent knee surgery prior to the season, has begun to practice this week. The medical staff continues to monitor her progress to determine her return to game action.
• Freshman Courtney Newton underwent season-ending knee surgery on Fri., Jan. 11. She originally suffered the injury on Nov. 23 against Illinois and had been rehabbing in an effort to return to the court this season.

Suddenly Susan
Head coach Susan Walvius is in her 11th season as the Gamecocks’ mentor with a 160-150 record. She has led South Carolina to two NCAA Tournaments and two WNITs, including an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001-02. Her players have also excelled in the classroom. In 2006-07, 10 Gamecocks appeared on the SEC Winter Sports Academic Honor Roll. In the last four years, South Carolina has placed more student-athletes on that list than any other school. Walvius has an 18-year career mark of 258-251.

A South Carolina Win Would …
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• Be the Gamecocks’ first over the Rebels in Oxford since a 91-68 victory on Mar. 2, 2003.
• Even Susan Walvius’ record against Mississippi at 7-7.
• Improve Susan Walvius’ SEC regular-season record to 48-95.

RPI High
South Carolina head coach Susan Walvius made a commitment to helping her team reach the NCAA Tournament this season by putting together one of the most difficult schedules in her 11 years at the helm of the Gamecock program. Her effort has paid off as South Carolina is 55th in the most recent RPI, which includes games of Jan. 17. The Gamecocks have the sixth-highest RPI in the SEC. Tennessee leads the nation, while LSU is 13th. Georgia comes in at 29, and Vanderbilt stands at 27th. Auburn rounds out the top 50 in 48th place, while three other teams also come in under 100.

Triple Threat
After a 2006-07 season that ended with no Gamecocks averaging double-figure points, three players are currently at the mark this season. Freshman Jordan Jones leads the way with 12.6 ppg, while junior Demetress Adams is just behind with 11.7 ppg. Junior Brionna Dickerson completes the group with 10.9 ppg. Seniors Ilona Burgrova and Lakesha Tolliver are on the verge of adding to the list, scoring 9.8 and 9.7 ppg, respectively.

Stop! Thief!
Junior Demetress Adams leapt into first place in the SEC with 2.94 steals per game after swiping five against No. 2 Tennessee on Jan. 13. Hovering around the league’s elite in the category, she has picked an opponent’s pocket four times or more in six games this season, including a career-high six steals at Clemson on Dec. 22. Nationally, Adams is ranked 32nd in steals per game, trailing Louisville’s Angel McCounghtry’s NCAA-best 5.1 swipes per game. With 50 steals already this season, Adams in on pace to break her career-best of 52 steals, which she collected last season. She has a long way to go to get to Katrina Anderson’s school-record 126 in 1978-79.

It’s a Block Party!
Through games of Jan. 13, South Carolina was ninth in the nation with 6.12 blocked shots per game, a number that is second in the SEC to Tennessee’s 6.50 per game. Both teams trail North Carolina’s NCAA-best 7.6 per game. South Carolina senior Lakesha Tolliver leads the SEC in blocks per game with 2.50, a number that ranks her 19th in the nation behind Louella Tomlinson of St. Mary’s (Calif.), who has swatted away 5.1 per game. Gamecock forward Demetress Adams is 48th in the country and fifth in the SEC with 1.94 blocks per game.

From Way Downtown – Bang!
As a team, South Carolina is 29th in the nation and third in the SEC with a 3-point field goal percentage of .372. Nationally, the Gamecocks trail UW-Green Bay’s NCAA-leading 44.6 percent shooting from long range, while Tennessee is the SEC’s top team at 39.5 percent. Freshman Jordan Jones is among the nation’s top 30 in both 3-point field goals made per game and 3-point percentage. The first-year guard, who has spent much of the last eight weeks at the point guard spot, is 21st in the nation with an SEC-leading 2.82 3-pointers per game. She is 29th in the country and second in the SEC with 42.5 percent accuracy from behind the arc. Robert Morris’ Sade Logan leads the nation with 3.8 3-point field goals per game, while Andrea Lightfoot of Idaho State and Tiona Wilson of UT-Pan American are the country’s most efficient 3-point shooters at 50.7 percent. Karen Middleton holds the South Carolina record for 3-point field goal percentage by a freshman after hitting 43.4 percent (75-of-163) in 1987-88. Middleton holds the four best 3-point percentages in school history, including the record 46.9 percent (76-of-162), which she set as a junior in 1989-90.

Missing Link
South Carolina has gone 1-2 in the last three games that Lakesha Tolliver has not played due to exertional headaches. The Gamecocks miss Tolliver on both sides of the floor, and the proof is in the stats.

Played on Paper
South Carolina both out-shot and out-rebounded No. 2 Tennessee on Jan. 13, but could not overcome 30 turnovers to take the loss. It was the first time this season that the Gamecocks lost a game when either out-shooting or out-rebounding a team. In 2006-07, South Carolina was 17-2 when out-shooting its opponent. Prior to the Tennessee game, the Gamecocks last dropped a game despite out-shooting its opponent on Feb. 4, 2007 when No. 7 LSU mustered a 49-46 victory despite shooting 27.6 percent to South Carolina’s 39.6 percent accuracy. The other game the Gamecocks lost when out-shooting their opponent last season was a 67-66 comeback by No. 14 Vanderbilt on Jan. 11, 2007. In that game, South Carolina both out-shot the Commodores 46.6 percent to 44.1 percent and out-rebounded them 44-30.

Just Czeching
Since finding her offensive rhythm with a career-high-tying 17 points against Charleston Southern, senior Ilona Burgrova reached double-figure points in the next five outings. After a two-game hiatus from double figures, during which she scored nine points against UNC Asheville and seven against Savannah State, the center from the Czech Republic bounced back in conference play with a team-high 13 points at Alabama. Burgrova recorded her first double-double of the season with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against No. 2 Tennessee. In all, she has scored in double figures in nine of the last 11 games, including three games against teams ranked in the top 10.

Round, Round, Get Around
Junior Demetress Adams has been a multi-dimensional player for the Gamecocks and has been the team leader in either points, rebounds or assists in at least two games this season. The many facets of her game have been on full display in four of the team’s last six outings. In South Carolina’s 64-43 victory at archrival Clemson on Dec. 22, she recorded her fifth double-double of the season while also matching her career high with five blocked shots and swiping a career-high six steals. Two games later, against UNC Asheville on Jan. 3, the forward narrowly missed a double-double with a team-high 12 rebounds and eight points to go along with five assists and five blocks. Adams matched that rebound total on Jan. 6 against Savannah State while also completing a her sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and adding five steals and three blocks. She enjoyed her best SEC game of the season against No. 2 Tennessee, recording 10 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Keeping Up With the Joneses
Senior Ebony Jones and freshman Jordan Jones have combined to give South Carolina outside scoring punch this season. The pair has combined to hit 68-of-164 (.415) from outside the arc this season. The duo was exceptionally on fire against Jackson State. The Joneses shot 7-of-10 from 3-point range in the Dec. 7 outing, marking the third-highest team 3-point percentage in school history and the third-best in the SEC this season. In that game, each player took five shots from long range with Ebony hitting a career-high four.

Definitive Demetress
Junior Demetress Adams has recorded 10 career double-doubles, and the Gamecocks are 10-0 in those games. The forward has reached the mark six times this season, leading to more than half of the Gamecocks’ victories. South Carolina is also undefeated in Adams’ three career games with five or more blocked shots, including two this season, and her four career games with five or more assists, including three this season.

Locking Down
South Carolina entered the season with a lofty defensive reputation, and having held opponents to just 34.7 percent shooting this season to rank 16th in the nation and third in the SEC, the Gamecocks are living up to those expectations. In the season opener, Saint Francis (Pa.) netted just 33 points, and the Gamecocks held Charleston Southern to a school-record tying 26 points on Dec. 4. Additionally, South Carolina held No. 2 Tennessee to its lowest field goal percentage this season (.400) and its fourth-lowest point total (71). South Carolina allowed 70 or more points just five times this season, including three games against top-10 opponents, while holding nine foes to 60 or fewer points. Last season, South Carolina yielded 70 or more points just eight times in 33 games, including six games against nationally-ranked teams, and held opponents to 60 or fewer points 16 times, including #7 LSU. The 2005-06 team set a school record by allowing opponents just 56.8 points per game. That season, 16 games saw opponents net 60 or fewer points while seven reached the 70-point plateau.

Balancing Act
After a 2006-07 campaign that saw the Gamecock frontcourt carrying the load, South Carolina’s offense this season has been more of a balance between inside and outside play. The inside quartet of Demetress Adams (199 pts), Ilona Burgrova (167 pts), Jewel May (48 pts) and Lakesha Tolliver (136 pts) has provided 32.4 of the teams 69.2 points per game (46.8%). Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 39.5 of the team’s 68.6 ppg (57.8%).

Bounce Back
Annually playing a difficult non-conference schedule in addition to its SEC slate, South Carolina has suffered a handful of decisive setbacks. The Gamecocks tend to recover quickly, however, and have done so this season. In the last four seasons, the Gamecocks are 7-3 in games after a loss of 20 or more points, and one of those losses was last season’s three-point defeat against No. 7 LSU following a 36-point loss at No. 3 Tennessee. That number includes three games this season – a 63-95 setback at No. 9 Oklahoma preceded an 80-52 win over UNC Asheville, a 97-39 loss at No. 2 UConn was followed by an 88-41 victory over Alabama A&M two days later, and a 91-58 loss to Illinois yielded an 82-66 win over Florida International.

Hold `Em
The Gamecocks tied a school record when they held Charleston Southern to just 26 points on Dec. 4. The Lady Bucs’ limited offense matched that of Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 21, 2005. South Carolina allowed Charleston Southern to shoot just 16.7 percent from the field, the second-lowest efficiency by an opponent in Gamecock history, trailing Bethune-Cookman’s 14 percent accuracy.

What’s Next
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but it’s worth noting that South Carolina’s fall signing class is ranked among the nation’s elite. Blue Star Basketball tabbed the Gamecocks’ fivesome of Becky Burke, Taylor Dalrymple, Charenee Stephens, Sada Wheeler and Tonia Williams the seventh-best class in the nation. Carolina is just behind perennial powers Tennessee, LSU, Rutgers, Connecticut, North Carolina and Georgetown. It is the highest-ranked recruiting class of head coach Susan Walvius’ tenure at South Carolina and is her third nationally-ranked group in the last four years.

The Adams Family
Junior Demetress Adams (Bishopville, S.C./Lee Central) leads the Gamecocks with 8.4 rebounds per game … is second on the team at 11.7 ppg … has been the team’s leading scorer three times and the leading rebounder in nine games … has reached double figures in points in 14 games and recorded six double-doubles … netted 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with seven rebounds and five steals … was limited by foul trouble to just 22 minutes at Alabama but reached double figures with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five rebounds … collected her sixth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds, including a career-high eight on the offensive end, and 11 points against Savannah State, adding five steals and three blocks as well … narrowly missed a double-double against UNC Asheville with a team-high 12 rebounds and eight points to go with a team-high five assists and five blocked shots … added a career-high six steals and a career-high tying five blocks to her 10-point/12-rebound effort at Clemson … netted 12 points and grabbed six rebounds while handing out four assists, blocking four shots and swiping four steals against Alabama A&M … shot a perfect 3-of-3 for nine points at No. 2 UConn … narrowly missed a triple-double with a career-high eight assists, 13 rebounds and 12 points against Jackson State … posted her second double-double in as many games with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Charleston Southern … pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and added 11 points for her second double-double of the season against UNC Wilmington … also handed out a team-high five assists against the Seahawks to match her career high … was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field at Florida International … swiped four steals against Illinois while leading the team with 14 points and tying for team-high honors with five rebounds … sank a career-high eight shots against Penn State en route to a team-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds as well … just missed out on team-high honors with seven rebounds against Buffalo … scored a career-high 21 points against Saint Francis (Pa.), including going 7-of-8 from the free throw line, and completed the double-double with a career-high tying 12 rebounds.

Know Your ABCs
Freshman Ashlie Billingslea (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) has returned to practice after surgery on her left knee in mid-September … will have her progress evaluated to determine when she can play her first game.

That’s Czech Mate
Senior Ilona Burgrova (Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) is second on the team in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game and is adding 9.8 points per contest … has scored double-digit points in nine of the last 11 games … has led the team in rebounding five times this season and has recorded six games of double-digit boards … snagged a career-high 13 rebounds and netted a team-high 16 points against No. 2 Tennessee for her first double-double of the season … scored a team-high 13 points and blocked four shots at Alabama … grabbed 10 rebounds and added seven points and a season-high three blocked shots against Savannah State … narrowly missed her first double-double of the season with 10 boards and nine points against UNC Asheville … scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half at No. 9 Oklahoma and handed out three assists … added 10 points on 5-of-7 seven shooting at Clemson … had a solid all-around game against Alabama A&M with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a career-high four steals … scored nine of her 11 points in the second half at No. 2 UConn … hit 6-of-8 from the field for 12 points against Jackson State … tied her career high with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against Charleston Southern … scored a season-high 10 points against UNC Wilmington … grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds at Florida International, one shy of her career high, and tied her season high of eight points … also matched her career high with a team-high four assists at FIU … pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds against Penn State, including five on the offensive end, and tied her season high with eight points … reached double figures with 10 rebounds against Virginia … was solid in the season opener with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and seven rebounds against Saint Francis (Pa.).

What Do You Serve With Brie?
Junior Brionna Dickerson (Columbia, S.C./Heathwood Hall) is third on the team with 10.9 ppg … picked up her second-straight 18-point game with 5-of-10 shooting against Savannah State, adding a career-high six free throws … had her most productive game since returning from her foot injury, scoring a team-high 18 points on 9-of-15 shooting against UNC Asheville … handed out four assists to go with 10 points at Clemson … hit 5-of-8 from the field for 12 points and swiped a career-high four steals against Alabama A&M … returned to the lineup at No. 2 UConn after missing all or most of the previous five games with a foot injury, scoring seven points and leading the team with a career-high seven rebounds … has reached double-figure points in three of five games this season … scored 11 points and tied her season high with four rebounds against Penn State … set a career-high with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, against Virginia … opened the season with a 17-point outing against Saint Francis (Pa.), shooting 8-of-16 from the field and handing out four assists.

My Friends Call Me Coco
Redshirt freshman Lauren Falohun (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) has come off the bench in 10 games … saw a career-high 13 minutes against Savannah State, scoring her first career point on a free throw … played a season-high nine minutes against Illinois … grabbed a pair of rebounds in her college debut against Saint Francis (Pa.).

Pastor Jones
Senior Ebony Jones (Aiken, S.C./Aiken) has played in 14 games, including five starts … is scoring 4.9 ppg and is the team’s second-best 3-point shooter at 39.2 percent (20-of-51) … hit a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points at Alabama … posted eight points, including the first six of the game on back-to-back 3-pointers, and tied her career high with three rebounds against UNC Asheville … was 3-of-5 from 3-point range in just 13 minutes against Alabama A&M … hit a pair of 3-pointers in just 11 minutes at No. 2 UConn … hit a career-high four 3-pointers against Jackson State, including three to stave off a Lady Tigers’ rally, for a career-high 12 points … added eight points, including two 3-pointers, against Charleston Southern … made her first career start at Florida International and responded with career-high numbers in points (9), field goals (3), 3-point field goals (3), assists (3), steals (2) and minutes (30) … tied her then-career high with six points on two 3-pointers against Illinois … made her season debut against Saint Francis (Pa.).

J.J. is Dy-no-mite
Freshman Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill) leads the team in scoring at 12.6 ppg and is shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range … has scored double-figure points in 11 games and has led the team in scoring five times, during which the Gamecocks are 4-1 … played 38 minutes against No. 2 Tennessee, adding eight points and three rebounds … did not start at Alabama after an injury in the previous game limited her practice time, but poured in three 3-pointers during a second-half comeback attempt to finish with nine points … hit 4-of-8 from 3-point range en route to 16 points and a career-high six rebounds against Savannah State before leaving with a knee injury … netted a game-high 18 points playing the full 40 minutes at No. 9 Oklahoma … scored a game-high 16 points, including 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range, at Clemson … matched her season high with 20 points against Alabama A&M, hitting a career-high six 3-pointers, one shy of the Colonial Center record … ended her streak of nine games with at least one 3-pointer at No. 2 UConn … reached the 20-point plateau for the first time in her career, hitting 3-of-5 3-pointers and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line against Jackson State … scored 19 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range while grabbing four rebounds and swiping three steals against Charleston Southern … played a tick under 40 minutes against UNC Wilmington, adding 13 points to the victory … was named to the FIU Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament team … netted 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 6-of-7 free-throw accuracy at Florida International … scored 13 points and grabbed two offensive rebounds against Illinois … added 11 points to go with five rebounds against Buffalo … exploded onto the scene with 15 points, including four 3-pointers, four assists and four steals in the season-opener against Saint Francis (Pa.), an effort that garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

The Kennedy Legacy
Freshman Samone Kennedy (Birmingham, Ala./Ramsay) has played significant minutes in all 17 games, including four starts … leads the team with 69 assists and has scored 4.6 ppg … handed out five assists and swiped a pair of steals to go with six points against No. 2 Tennessee … dished out five assists and scored eight points at Alabama … handed out five assists and swiped three steals to go with six points against Savannah State … added six points and a season-high four rebounds to the win over UNC Asheville … handed out a team-high four assists and swiped four steals at No. 9 Oklahoma … tied for team-high honors with four assists and added two steals to the victory at Clemson … handed out a season-best eight assists, the fifth-most by a freshman in Gamecock history, against Alabama A&M … grabbed three rebounds and handed out two assists at No. 2 UConn … swiped a season-high five steals to go with five assists and six points against Jackson State … dished out a season-high six assists against Charleston Southern … handed out four assists against UNC Wilmington and added six points, all from the free throw line in the final two minutes of the game … hit 5-of-7 free throws, including 3-of-4 in the final two minutes, at Florida International … made her first career start against Illinois and handed out a season-high five assists … netted eight points and grabbed three rebounds in a season-high 29 minutes against Penn State … scored 13 points, handed out three assists and swiped three steals in just 20 minutes in her collegiate debut against Saint Francis (Pa.).

Jewel of the Nile
Freshman Jewel May (Conyers, Ga./Heritage) has come off the bench in 13 games and has grabbed 2.2 rebounds per game … is scoring 3.7 points per game … added three points and three rebounds against No. 2 Tennessee … made her SEC debut at Alabama … netted a season-high 14 points in just 18 minutes against Savannah State, hitting 8-of-10 from the free throw line, and grabbed four rebounds … scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in 21 minutes against UNC Asheville … scored four points on a perfect shooting afternoon (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT) at No. 9 Oklahoma … tied her season high of three rebounds and added four points in just eight minutes at Clemson … matched her season high with three rebounds in just nine minutes against Alabama A&M … netted her only field goal attempt and both her free throws for six points against Jackson State … scored a season-high five points and snagged three rebounds against Charleston Southern … pulled down three rebounds in just three minutes at Florida International … matched her season-high with two boards against Illinois … added two points and two rebounds in nine minutes of action in the season opener against Saint Francis (Pa.).

A Newton of Force
Freshman Courtney Newton (Flowery Branch, Ga./Flowery Branch) suffered a knee injury against Illinois and underwent season-ending surgery on Jan. 11 … has started four of five games prior to her injury … led the team with a season-high 17 points, on 6-of-11 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and handed out four assists against Buffalo … dished out four assists against Virginia … opened her college career with six assists against just one turnover and scored three points against Saint Francis (Pa.).

Set the Pace
Junior transfer C.J. Pace (Snellville, Ga./Chipola College) has played in 16 games, including two starts, and has scored 3.4 ppg … drew the start at Alabama … snagged eight rebounds against Savannah State … exploded for 15 points in 15 minutes against UNC Asheville, hitting 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range … hit both her field goal attempts at Clemson … crashed the boards with a game-high nine rebounds against Alabama A&M … grabbed three rebounds at No. 2 UConn … made her first career start against Florida International and delivered nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and swiped two steals … grabbed a pair of rebounds against Illinois … scored four points and pulled down two offensive rebounds against Buffalo … made her Gamecock debut against Saint Francis (Pa.), adding four points.

And All That Jas
Freshman Jasmine Payne (Bay Springs, Miss./Stringer) has come off the bench in 12 games and averages 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds … added six points in just eight minutes against Savannah State … scored six points and grabbed a season-high four rebounds in just 13 minutes against Jackson State … played a season-high 22 minutes, adding four points, three rebounds and two blocked shots against Charleston Southern … poured in a season-high 11 points, including 5-of-6 free throws, and grabbed four rebounds in 19 minutes against UNC Wilmington … scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds and swiped three steals in 16 minutes off the bench against Illinois … netted her first career points with a pair of field goals in just three minutes against Penn State … made her collegiate debut against Saint Francis (Pa.) and picked up a steal.

Tolliver Twist
Senior Lakesha Tolliver (Columbia, S.C./Dreher) has missed the last three games due to a medical condition and will be re-evaluated in two weeks … is third on the team in rebounding at 5.7 rpg and is fourth in scoring at 9.7 ppg … became the school record holder for career blocked shots against Charleston Southern … has reached double-figure points in seven games … was limited by illness to just seven minutes against UNC Asheville … scored 13 points and snagged a team-high seven rebounds at No. 9 Oklahoma … was second on the team with seven rebounds at Clemson … blocked four shots against Alabama A&M … was limited to just 14 minutes by foul trouble at No. 2 UConn … hit 4-of-5 from the field for 10 points to go with five rebounds and three blocks against Jackson State … grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Charleston Southern while blocking five shots in just 22 minutes … swatted away a school and Colonial Center record seven shots against UNC Wilmington … also led the team with 18 points and snagged six rebounds in a career-high 30 minutes … poured in a career-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and added seven rebounds against Florida International … hit her first 3-pointer of the season as part of a 10-point, four-assist effort against Penn State … scored 13 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line, against Buffalo … collected her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Francis (Pa.).