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Home > SECWB News & More! > Our Staff & Contributors > Marilyn McManus > Gamecocks Travel to Lexington for Regular Season Finale
Gamecocks Travel to Lexington for Regular Season Finale
by Marilyn McManus, SECWB.com
Posted: March 2nd, 2008 @ 12:21am
The South Carolina Gamecocks, at 14-14 overall, travel to Kentucky on Sunday to take on the Wildcats in the regular season finale. Kentucky is Carolina’s forever foe, considered our “natural rival”by the Southeastern Conference honchos, for some reason, and therefore a team that we play home-and-away every single season. The Kentucky Wildcats are 13-12, but 8-6 in the SEC, and currently tied (with Georgia) for 4th place in the conference standings. The fourth place finisher will gain the advantage of a first-round bye in the SEC tournament, next week, so the last games of the season are fraught with significance for those who may have to resort to tie-breakers for determination of their final standing. If Kentucky wins, they will probably lock up fourth place–no guarantees, mind you–because Georgia will be hosting the Tennessee Lady Vols, who are already looking at how their record will affect the seedings for the NCAA tournament. And Kentucky already owns a win over Georgia, this season, having beaten the Bulldogs in Athens on the last day of January, 47-44.
So, the Gamecocks have the potential to cause some problems for Kentucky, should they win this game–but not too likely. Kentucky will most likely be the #4 seed and Carolina the #10 seed, regardless of the outcome of this game. Let’s hope they consider it a meaningless game and overlook the Gamecocks, who can use every possible advantage in an arena in which they have often struggled, even against average Kentucky squads.
The first game against the Kentucky Wildcats, played in Columbia, ended with a 66-62 win for the Wildcats. The game was close throughout, with Kentucky grabbing an 11-point lead off of a run early in the second half. However, the Gamecocks came back and were still in the game with less than 10 seconds to play and a 3-point deficit. They were unable to convert, fouled the Wildcats, and that was the game.
Expect more of the same, this game, with one exception: Lakesha Tolliver will play for the Gamecocks, this time around. Tolliver has exceptional potential, is a tough physical presence and intimidating shot-blocker. However, she has played very limited minutes since her return to the team, after missing about a month with “exertional headaches.” When she is on, the Gamecocks can compete with just about any team, in the paint. She does show a tendency to let her attention wander, though, and that can add to the Gamecocks’ biggest problem this season: turnovers. They can’t afford many turnovers in such a close game and they need to improve their own shooting or have more success in limiting the Wildcats’ shooting–preferably both. The Gamecocks leading scorer is Jordan Jones with 12.1 points per game, Demetress Adams with 11 ppg (and 9 rebounds per outing) and Brionna Dickerson with 10 ppg. Ilona Burgrova contributes a solid 9.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Samone Kennedy leads the team in assists with 92 and ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in that category, as well. She is also third on the team in steals, with 38, behind starters Adams (62) and Jones (40), despite averaging less than 20 minutes of playing time per game.
Kentucky is led by Samantha Mahoney, Sarah Elliott and Victoria Dunlap with 13.1, 11.5 and 11 points per game, respectively. Elliott and Dunlap also lead the team in rebounding with 6.4 and 6.2 rebounds per game. Kentucky is making an effort to pack their auditorium on Sunday, giving away free general admission tickets to fans who buy Papa John’s pizzas in the Lexington area or just stop in to ask for a ticket. That can be considered something of a compliment; this should be a very closely contested game and the Kentucky team is looking for any advantage it can get.
Tipoff at Rupp Arena is 3 pm EST.
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