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Home > SECWB News & More! > Our Staff & Contributors > Marilyn McManus > Gamecocks Host the Bulldogs on Senior Night Thursday
Gamecocks Host the Bulldogs on Senior Night Thursday
by Marilyn McManus, SECWB.com
Posted: February 26th, 2008 @ 9:24pm
Thursday night is the last home game of the season for the South Carolina Gamecocks, who will be celebrating Senior Night and hosting the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs. The Georgia Bulldogs are having something of a strange season. They have a good record, at 20-7, and are 13-2 on their home court. However, they are used to being an elite team, both in the Southeastern Conference and often on a national level–and that is not the case, this season. A strong start found them ranked as high as #7 in the Top 25 polls, but once they lost a couple of games they were expected to win (Xavier, Auburn and Vanderbilt) they slipped a couple of places each week and are now found in the #21/22 spot. They have particularly struggled in road games, even against teams that they usually beat easily at home. A case in point is Auburn, who stomped the Bulldogs by 30 points in Auburn, but lost in Athens, last week: 68-56, while Vanderbilt swept their series with the Bulldogs. So, it’s been a rough season for the Bulldogs, who are in a tight race with Kentucky for the coveted #4 seeding in the SEC tournament. Both of them have a chance to catch Vanderbilt, currently the #3 seed, but only if they win out. Both teams play South Carolina on the way to that seeding. Interesting? South Carolina will help to determine who gets the first round byes for the tournament, at least where Georgia and Kentucky are concerned.
The Gamecocks have absolutely nothing to lose. They will be playing in the first round, regardless of the results of their last 2 games. But if they continue to play with the efficiency and emotion they have shown in 2 of the last 3 games, they could have some fun playing the role of the spoiler.
Georgia is led by Tasha Humphrey, who averages 17.6 points and 9 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs. Ashley Houts scores 12.2 points per game and leads the team in assists (123) and steals (75). Angel Robinson scores 9.4 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and leads the team in blocked shots with 41.
South Carolina will continue to rely on the outside shooting of Jordan Jones, averaging12.3 points per game, followed by Demetress Adams with 11.3 ppg and Brionna Dickerson with 10 points per game. Adams also leads the team in rebounding with 9.1 per game.Freshman (backup) point guard Samone Kennedy had a career game, last time out, with her first collegiate double-double: 10 points and 10 assists, against only 1 turnover. Prior to the Florida game, head coach Susan Walvius stated that she had told the team that the players who work the hardest and play the hardest would get playing time, regardless of their position on the depth chart. Hopefully, Kennedy has earned a few more minutes for the Georgia game. She is currently ranked #6 in the SEC in assists and 7th in assists-to-turnovers ratio, despite playing fewer minutes per game than any other player in the rankings.
Thursday is Senior Night and the last home game for forward Lakesha Tolliver, center Ilona Burgrova and shooting guard Ebony Jones. We wish them all well, as they move on in their education and careers.
Tipoff at the Colonial Center is at 7 pm.
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