March 24, 2008

Game Notes

Last Time Out
En route to a career-high 31 points, South Carolina freshman Jordan Jones broke the WNIT record and tied the school record with nine 3-pointers as the Gamecocks overpowered North Carolina A&T 102-74 at the Colonial Center. After a slow start, the Gamecocks rolled off a 10-2 run to go up by three with 12:34 left on the clock. The Aggies put together a rally of their own with a 16-6 surge that narrowed the margin to three with just two minutes left in the half. After pushing the halftime lead up to 10, South Carolina took command of the game with a 23-2 start in the first six minutes of the second period to put the game out of reach.

Series Notes
North Carolina State leads the series 17-8 and has won the last five meetings. The teams last played on Nov. 29, 2006 when the Wolfpack delivered a 53-41 victory in Raleigh. South Carolina last win over NC State was an 84-71 decision on Dec. 3, 1993, in the Arizona State Invitational. The Gamecocks are just 3-7 against NC State in Raleigh with their last road win over the Wolfpack coming on Feb. 15, 1989, by a score of 67-62.

Gamecocks in the Women’s NIT
South Carolina is 5-2 all-time in the Women’s NIT and won the tournament championship in 1979 when it was called the National Women’s Invitational. The Gamecocks have been in the WNIT the last three seasons, including a run into the third round of play last season. After drawing a first-round bye, South Carolina hosted Hartford in the second round, collecting a decisive 81-40 victory. Hofstra knocked off the Gamecocks in the third round, however, with a 64-59 win.

Suddenly Susan
Head coach Susan Walvius is in her 11th season as the Gamecocks’ mentor with a 165-159 record. She has led South Carolina to two NCAA Tournament, including an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001-02, and now three WNITs. 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 263-260.

A South Carolina Win Would …

• Be the Gamecocks’ first over NC State in five tries.
• Improve Susan Walvius’ WNIT record to 3-2.
• Be the Gamecocks’ third victory over an ACC team this season.
• Assure the Gamecocks of finishing over .500 for the third-straight season.

The Envelope, Please
Prior to the SEC Tournament, South Carolina junior Demetress Adams collected multiple accolades from the league’s coaches, earning spots on the All-Conference second team and the All-Defensive team. Leading into the WNIT, Adams also was named second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press.

Eight Is Enough
The WNIT selection committee believed South Carolina’s last eight regular-season games were enough to show that it could have fared much better this season if the injury bug had not bitten so often. The Gamecocks were 4-4 in their last eight regular-season games, including wins over Mississippi, Florida and Kentucky – all teams ranked ahead of them in the SEC standings. After losing the projected starting point guard (Ashlie Billinglea) before the season and the resulting starting point guard (Courtney Newton) five games into the season, South Carolina suffered through a five-game stretch without Brionna Dickerson, who was averaging 15.5 points at the time, due to a foot injury. The final, and perhaps most damaging, blow came when the Gamecocks started the SEC slate without senior forward Lakesha Tolliver, who then missed seven games with exertional headaches. Tolliver’s first game back after getting in some practice time was a South Carolina win over Arkansas, the team’s first since beginning league play.

Centennial Celebration
With 102 points against North Carolina A&T on Mar. 21, the Gamecocks crossed the century mark for the first time since hitting 117 against North Carolina A&T on Nov. 17, 2006. South Carolina has reached the 100-point plateau 21 times in school history, including six times in the Susan Walvius era. The Gamecocks netted 100+ points five times in the 1978-79 season alone, including a record 137 points against Wheeling College on Jan. 13.

In Colonial Times
South Carolina put on one of the best performances in Colonial Center history against North Carolina A&T on Mar. 21. The team’s 102 points were the second-most scored since the building opened for the 2002-03 season. Also ranking second in arena history are the Gamecocks’ 43 field goals and 58.9 percent field-goal shooting. The Colonial Center record for field-goal percentage is 61.8 percent, which came against Hartford in the second round of the 2007 WNIT. The team’s 12 3-pointers tied the Colonial Center record, matching the Gamecocks’ output against Mississippi on Feb. 5, 2004.

20/20 Vision
Against North Carolina A&T on Mar. 21, Jordan Jones and Brionna Dickerson became the first Gamecock duo to score 20 or more points each since Lauren Simms and Stacy Booker netted 25 and 28 points, respectively, against Clemson on Dec. 3, 2004. Both Jones and Dickerson hit 11 field goals with Jones leading the team with 31 points and Dickerson following behind at 25.

This is a Recording
Freshman Jordan Jones set the WNIT record and tied the South Carolina record with nine 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T on Mar. 21. Her long-range total was the second-highest in SEC history as well. Jones shot 17 3-pointers to set the Colonial Center record, which is the second-most in school history. Her 31 points in the game were the fifth-highest output in Colonial Center history.

Youth Served
With 31 points on Mar. 21 against North Carolina A&T, Jordan Jones scored the third-most points by a Gamecock freshman in school history. She broke the freshman records for field goal attempts (23) and 3-point field goal attempts (17). Her 11 made field goals were the second-most by a Gamecock freshman as well.

Dropping Dimes
With 10 assists at Florida on Feb. 24, Samone Kennedy became the first Gamecock freshman in more than 20 years to post double-digit helpers. The top four freshman performances in school history are held by Martha Parker, who dished the record 14 against Charlotte on Jan. 18, 1986. She posted three other double-digit assist games, the last coming against Central Florida on Feb. 17, 1986, when she collected 11. Kennedy completed her first double-double of the season with that effort at Florida, adding 10 points to her final stat line.

Glass Ceiling?
Junior Demetress Adams grabbed a school record 26 rebounds against Arkansas on Feb. 3, breaking Denise Nanney’s 33-year-old record of 24. The first Gamecock since 1993 to bring down 20 or more rebounds in a game, Adams tied Mississippi State’s Sophie Ratliff’s 26 against Shorter in 1988 as the most by an SEC player since the league began officially sponsoring women’s basketball in 1982-83. Of her 26 boards, a school-record 17 came on the defensive end. Among her record-breaking 26 rebounds was the 500th of her career. Through games of Mar. 2, Adams’ 26 boards are the most by any player in the country this season.

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 12.1 ppg, while junior forward Demetress Adams is second at 10.9 ppg. Junior guard Brionna Dickerson rounds out the group at 10.4 ppg.

A Leader in the Board Room
Junior Demetress Adams’ record-setting performance against Arkansas helped move her into fourth place in the SEC with 9.0 rebounds per game. She has spent the entire season among the league’s top 10 and, through games of Mar. 16, ranked 45th in the nation in the category. Adams has posted double-digit rebounds in 11 games this season, including four of the last eight outings.

Stop! Thief!
Through games of Mar. 16, junior Demetress Adams was ninth in the SEC with 2.10 steals per game. Hovering around the league’s elite in the category, she has picked an opponent’s pocket four or more times in six games this season, including a career-high six steals at Clemson on Dec. 22. Vanderbilt’s Jennifer Risper leads the SEC at 2.81 steals per game. With 64 steals this season, Adams has already surpassed her previous career-best of 52, which she collected last season. She needs 12 more to crack the program’s single-season top 10 as both Annie Lester (1997-98) and Martha Parker (1986-87) round out that list with 76 swipes.

It’s a Block Party!
Through games of Mar. 16, South Carolina was 21st in the nation with 4.97 blocked shots per game, a number that was second in the SEC to Tennessee’s 6.06 per game. Both teams trail North Carolina’s NCAA-best 7.1 blocks per game. Individually, junior Demetress Adams leads the team with 54 blocks this season, ranking her sixth in the SEC (1.70 per game) and tied for third in school history.
Single-Season Blocked Shots
1. 60 by Lakesha Tolliver (2006-07)
2. 58 by Teresa Geter (2000-01)
3. 54 by Demetress Adams (2007-08); 54 by Melanie Johnson (2004-05)

Long Distance Plan
Through games of Mar. 16, freshman Jordan Jones was 14th in the nation with an SEC-best 2.70 3-pointers per game. Sade Logan of Robert Morris has hit an NCAA-best 3.9 per game from beyond the arc. With nine 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T, Jones now averages 2.9 3-pointers per game. She has broken the South Carolina freshman record for single-season 3-pointers with 90 this season, a number that also ranks second in school history. Karen Middleton holds the school record of 115 3-pointers, which she hit in the 1990-91 season.

From Way Downtown – Bang!
Through games of Mar. 16, freshman Jordan Jones was fourth in the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage. Vanderbilt’s Christina Wirth led the SEC shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range. After a 9-of-17 outing against N.C. A&T, Jones is currently shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc. 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.

Prime Time Players
South Carolina has played four teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation. While the Gamecocks lost all four contests, senior Ilona Burgrova and junior Demetress Adams showed they can match up with the best. The duo accounted for 87 of the team’s 187 points (46.5 percent) against the top-10 foes with each including a double-double among her accomplishments. Burgrova, who scored 15 or more points in two contests, has scored 11.5 points per game on 58.6 percent shooting against the top-10 foes. Adams has averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds.

Definitive Demetress
Junior Demetress Adams has recorded 12 career double-doubles, including eight this season, and the Gamecocks are 11-1 in those games, taking their first loss at No. 8 LSU on Jan. 31. South Carolina is undefeated in Adams’ three career games with five or more blocked shots, including two this season.

Lies, Lies and Statistics
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 while 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.

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 (343 pts), Ilona Burgrova (284 pts), Jewel May (93 pts) and Lakesha Tolliver (234 pts) has provided 30.8 of the team’s 65.5 points per game (46.9%). Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 39.5 of the team’s 68.6 ppg (57.8%).

Like a Broken Record
One game after etching her name in as the school record holder for blocked shots in a game with seven against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 1, senior Lakesha Tolliver completed her trifecta of blocked shot records by becoming the South Carolina career record holder with five swats against Charleston Southern on Dec. 4. Just nine games into her senior season, Tolliver’s 177 career blocks has eclipsed the Michelle Murray’s previous record of 148. Tolliver set the school record for single-season blocked shots in 2006-07 with 60. She has 47 so far this season.
Career Blocked Shots
1. 177 by Lakesha Tolliver (2004-present)
2. 148 by Michelle Murray (1989-93)
3. 116 by Petra Ujhelyi (2000-03)
4. 117 by Demetress Adams (2005-present)

The Game On the Line
As a team, the Gamecocks have struggled from the free-throw line this season, hitting just 67.2 percent of their attempts to rank sixth in the SEC. But, when the game is on the line (quite literally), South Carolina has been able to sink them, hitting 72.8 percent in the last five minutes, including 77.2 percent in the final two minutes of games. The five regular starters (J. Jones, Adams, Dickerson, Burgrova and Tolliver) have missed just 11 free throws in 53 attempts in the game’s final two minutes and have hit 70-of-95 (73.7 percent) at the under five-minute mark. (See box on Page 4 for player-by-player breakdown.) Overall, that starting group is hitting just 66.9 (265-of-396) on the season.

50 First Dates – Well, Really Six
There are six first-time opponents on the Gamecocks’ non-conference schedule this season and have posted a 4-2 record against the group with wins over Saint Francis (Pa.), Buffalo, Jackson State and Alabama A&M. Illinois and No. 2 Connecticut handed South Carolina its only losses from the group.

Heads Held High
South Carolina posted an 11-4 regular-season non-conference record, the program’s best since the 2003-04 team went 12-1 en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. The four non-SEC teams that defeated the Gamecocks – Penn State, Illinois, Connecticut and Oklahoma – are a combined 85-41 (.675) this season.

Losing Pace
Junior transfer C.J. Pace has been declared academically ineligible for the spring semester. Prior to the start of classes this term, Pace played in 16 games, including two starts, and added 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She enjoyed a breakout game on Jan. 3 against UNC Asheville in which she scored a season-best 15 points.

The Adams Family
Junior Demetress Adams (Bishopville, S.C./Lee Central) was named to the All-SEC second team, by both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, and to the All-Defensive team … leads the Gamecocks and ranks fourth in the SEC with 9.0 rebounds per game … is second on the team at 11.1 ppg … has been the team’s leading scorer seven times and the leading rebounder in 21 games … has reached double figures in points in 21 games and recorded eight double-doubles … tied her career high with eight field goals en route to 18 points and added nine rebounds in just 23 minutes against North Carolina A&T in the first round of the WNIT … just missed a double-double with nine point and a team-high nine rebounds against Florida in the SEC Tournament … added nine points and eight rebounds at Kentucky … snagged a team-high seven rebounds against No. 20 Georgia … grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including a critical offensive board in the final 10 seconds, to go with nine points at Florida … tied for team-high honors with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and snagged a game-high eight rebounds, seven in the second half, against Mississippi State … paced the team at Auburn with 17 points and nine rebounds in just 27 minutes … was limited by foul trouble to just 17 minutes against Mississippi … picked up double-digit rebounds for the third-straight game with 10 boards at Vanderbilt while also handing out a team-high three assists … broke a 33-year-old school record with 26 rebounds, including a school-record 17 on the defensive end against Arkansas, which also tied her for the most by an SEC player since the league began sponsoring women’s basketball in 1982-83 … went on to record a double-double against the Lady Razorbacks, adding a team-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting … was the lone Gamecock to shine at No. 8 LSU with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds … tied for team-high honors with six rebounds and led the club with five assists against Florida … narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds against Kentucky … was 4-of-5 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line for 13 points at Mississippi, while tying for team-high rebound honors with seven … 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, including the 500th of her career, 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 played in 13 of the last 14 games after missing the season’s first 17 games due to surgery on her left knee in mid-September … picked up two points, handed out two assists and swiped two steals in the WNIT game against North Carolina A&T … added two points and a pair of rebounds in her SEC Tournament debut against Florida … scored a season-high seven points at Kentucky, including three free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win … hit a pair of field goals at Florida … put up career numbers at Auburn with six assists and five points, including her first career bucket and 3-pointer … snagged a career-high four rebounds to go with a pair of assists in just 11 minutes against Arkansas … handed out four assists and swiped three steals against Kentucky … made her season debut at Mississippi.

That’s Czech Mate
Senior Ilona Burgrova (Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic) is second on the team in rebounding with 6.3 boards per game and is adding 9.2 points per contest … has scored in double digits in 14 of the last 25 games … has led the team in rebounding eight times this season and has recorded seven games of double-digit boards … handed out a career-high six assists to tie for the team lead in the first round WNIT game against North Carolina A&T … was the only player in double figures against Florida in the SEC Tournament, netting 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with eight rebounds … was second on the team with eight points and swatted away three shots against No. 20 Georgia … limited by foul trouble to just 23 minutes at Florida, but hit 3-of-4 from the field and grabbed four rebounds … shot 3-of-4 from the field and the free-throw line en route to nine points and grabbed six rebounds against Mississippi State … hit 4-of-6 from the field for 10 points and handed out a career-high five assists at Auburn … grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds against Mississippi, just missing a double-double with eight points … netted a team-high 11 points at Vanderbilt on 4-of-8 shooting … added nine points and seven rebounds to the win over Arkansas … tied for team-high point and rebound honors with 12 points and six rebounds against Florida … netted 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds against Kentucky, despite being limited by foul trouble … tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds while shooting 4-of-5 from the field at Mississippi … 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, including the 600th of her career, 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 10.4 ppg … hit 11-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-3 from long range, to net 25 points in just 29 minutes against North Carolina A&T in the first round of the WNIT … nearly recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end, at Kentucky … led the team with 11 points against No. 20 Georgia … kicked in eight points at Florida … handed out three assists and snagged five rebounds to go with her four points against Mississippi State … grabbed four rebounds to go with six points at Auburn … scored a team-high 14 points against Mississippi, matching her career highs in free throws made and attempted … netted 15 points and grabbed six rebounds against Arkansas … added six points, including the 400th of her career, at No. 8 LSU … matched Ilona Burgrova’s 12 points and six rebounds against Florida to tie for team-high honors in both categories … scored nine points and handed out three assists against Kentucky … added eight points and four rebounds at Mississippi … 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 … 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 14 games, including five SEC contests … grabbed a pair of rebounds in six minutes off the bench in the WNIT game against North Carolina A&T … snagged an offensive rebound and handed out an assist in six minutes at Vanderbilt … 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 28 games, including six starts … is scoring 4.3 points per game …dished out a career-high six assists in just 12 minutes in the WNIT first-round game against North Carolina A&T … snagged three rebounds and hit a 3-pointer against Florida in the SEC Tournament … picked up four rebounds as a starter on Senior Night against No. 20 Georgia … sank a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points at Florida … netted seven points and swiped three steals against Mississippi State … hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points and swiped a career-high four steals at Auburn … sparked the second-half comeback against Mississippi with back-to-back 3-pointers en route to tying her career high of 12 points … keyed the second-half comeback against Florida with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and a career-high five rebounds … 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 38.5 percent from 3-point range … has scored double-figure points in 21 games and has led the team in scoring 10 times … broke the WNIT record and tied the school record with nine 3-pointers en route to 31 points in the first-round game against North Carolina A&T … was 3-of-6 from 3-point range and pulled down a season-high six rebounds against Florida in the SEC Tournament … scored 13 points, including seven straight late in the second half to stave off a late run, at Kentucky … was held under double-digit points for the first time in five games with seven points against No. 20 Georgia … went 5-of-9 from 3-point range to score a team-high 16 points at Florida … tied for team-high honors with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range against Mississippi State … added 12 points, three assists and three steals at Auburn … netted 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, against Mississippi … scored nine points, all on 3-pointers, and swiped four steals at Vanderbilt … netted 10 points and picked up three steals against Arkansas … matched her season high with four assists playing the full 40 minutes at No. 8 LSU … netted 11 points against Florida, hitting three 3-pointers … sparked a comeback against Kentucky with 16 points on 3-of-6 from 3-point range … led the team with 18 points and handed out three assists at Mississippi … 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 … 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 in 30 games, including five starts … leads the team with 103 assists, third-most by a freshman in school history, and has scored 3.8 ppg … delivered six assists and netted six points against North Carolina A&T in the first round of the WNIT … handed out five assists and grabbed a season-high six rebounds against Florida in the SEC Tournament … swiped three steals against No. 20 Georgia … posted her first double-double with 10 points, including two late-game free throws, and 10 assists at Florida … was second on the team with 10 points, including 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, at Vanderbilt … drew her second-consecutive start at Mississippi and dished out a team-high six assists to just two turnovers … 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 27 games, averaging 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds … grabbed three rebounds in the WNIT first-round game against North Carolina A&T … picked up three rebounds and four points in just seven minutes against Florida in the SEC Tournament … snagged five rebounds at Florida … netted six points in just 12 minutes at Auburn … sank both her field goal attempts in just five minutes at No. 8 LSU … grabbed a career-high six rebounds to tie for team-high honors against Florida … netted 10 points, including six straight during a second-half rally, against Kentucky … picked up a career-high five rebounds at Mississippi and scored seven points … 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.).

And All That Jas
Freshman Jasmine Payne (Bay Springs, Miss./Stringer) has played in 25 games, including three starts, and averages 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds … grabbed three rebounds in just six minutes in the first-round WNIT game against North Carolina A&T … picked up three rebounds at Kentucky … grabbed a career-high six rebounds and scored all six of her points in the final 3:33 of the first half against Mississippi to send the Gamecocks into the locker room tied … made her third-straight start at No. 8 LSU, grabbing three rebounds … added four points and a pair of offensive rebounds as a starter against Florida … drew her first career start against Kentucky and snagged a season-best six 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) is third on the team in rebounding at 5.2 rpg and is scoring 9.4 ppg … has played in 25 games, including 19 starts … became the school record holder for career blocked shots against Charleston Southern … has reached double-figure points in 11 games … hit 6-of-7 from the field to score 14 points North Carolina A&T in the first round of the WNIT … added nine points in just 12 minutes against Florida in the SEC Tournament … recorded just her second career double-double by tying her career high with 21 points and snagging a career-high 12 rebounds at Kentucky … tossed in 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Mississippi State … added eight points and four rebounds in just 18 minutes at Auburn … hit 8-of-9 free throws en route to 10 points and handed out three assists against Mississippi … grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots against Arkansas … returned to the lineup at No. 8 LSU after missing the previous six games due to exertional headaches, adding six points and a pair of rebounds in 16 minutes … 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, including the 500th of her career, and 10 rebounds against Saint Francis (Pa.).