The South Carolina women's basketball team welcomes the NC State Wolfpack (and new head coach Kellie harper) to Columbia on Sunday, December 13th.

These two teams have met 6 times in the last ten years, South Carolina losing 5 of the 6. The exception was last season's January 9th meeting, a heated, see-saw battle that ended with now-departed post player  Demetress Adams' buzzer-beating layup to win the game for South Carolina. It was new head coach Dawn Staley's first win over an ACC team.

The Wolfpack team hasn't changed much since that last meeting--and yet,  EVERYTHING has changed. Just 20 days after that game, long-time head coach Kay Yow passed away, peacefully, after a prolonged and recurring battle with breast cancer. While long-time Associate Head Coach Stephanie Glance held the team together and finished out the season (she officially took over earlier, when Yow voluntarily stepped down) she probably already knew for certain that she would not be promoted to the vacant position, despite Coach Yow's stated preference to that effect. Shortly after the season ended, Western Carolina University's Kellie Harper was hired as the new head coach. Harper brought along her own new staff, of course, and a new era of Wolfpack basketball had begun.

The Pack returns 11 players from last year, along with 1 freshman: guard Marissa Kastanek from Lincoln, Nebraska. Among the returnees are:  senior guard Sharnise Beal, who averaged 11.5 points per game; senior guard Nikitta Gartrell, who averaged 10.9 points per game, 5.2 rebounds and led the team with 101 assists; sophomore forward Bonae Holston, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game; junior forward Tia Bell, the leading shot blocker with 51 for the season; and senior forward Lucy Ellison, the leading rebounder with 6.8 per game.

One huge hole was left by the departure of leading scorer (17.4 ppg) Shayla Fields, the leading 3-point shooter, steals leader (64) and second in assists (100)  for the Wolfpack in 08-09. But with all the experienced players that are returning, the team shouldn't miss a beat as they move ahead.

The Wolfpack is (at this writing) 5-2 on the season, with wins over Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Davidson, Northwestern State and Old Dominion and losses to Vermont and Vanderbilt. The level of competition (with the exception of Vanderbilt--who beat the Pack by 6 points) that they have faced, so far, is not comparable to what South Carolina has faced, so it is hard to compare results. A week before the South Carolina game, they will face Texas Christian University, which should be a more interesting result.

South Carolina is relying heavily on newcomers Valerie Nainima, a junior guard from Fiji (by way of Long Island University) and Kelsey Bone, a freshman center from Texas, for scoring this season. Sohpomore guard Lakeisha Sutton also helps with the scoring load. Junior point guard Samone Kennedy directs the action and pitches in with baskets, rebounds and assists, as needed. Junior forward Jewel May and sophomore forward Charenee Stephens contribute in the paint, with backup from freshman forward Ashley Bruner. Freshman guard Ieasia Walker has contributed off the bench, along with junior guards Coco Falohun and Courtney Newton and sophomre guard Ebony Wilson.

The Gamecocks will need consistent contributions from everyone in the rotation, as well as the occasional breakout game from the supporting cast, to keep up the level of play that has been on display early in the 2009-2010 season.

The game against NC State is one of many seriously competitive teams on the Gamecocks' warmup schedule, which should have them well prepared for the Southeastern Conference season--which is the point, after all, isn't it?

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 pm Sunday at the Colonial Life Arena.