USC / Clemson Womens Basketball ....

[roosterrizk1]

Anybody have any idea what to expect here..?? My Daughters 12 and Under Team is going to the game... Who is our better players that we need to look out for..??

[scfastpitch]

Anybody have any idea what to expect here..?? My Daughters 12 and Under Team is going to the game... Who is our better players that we need to look out for..??

Freshman guard Jordan Jones is the best pure shooter i have seen on the team since I started going to the games in the mid-nineties. Kelly Morrone was a good shooter but Jordan has a quicker release. She doesn't need much time to get her feet set. Tremendous range too. She will throw it up from 5 feet behind the arc, and make most of them. Five foot four freshman point guard Samone Kennedy is also one of my favorites. One of the quickest players Walvius has ever recruited. Brionna Dickerson should be back from an injury by then too. Another good shooter with a very good pull-up jumper from 15 feet and in.

[FoghornLeghornCock]

USC looks to throw Lady Bucs overboard
By Austin Collins, The Daily Gamecock
December 4, 2007 http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/news;_ylt=AgsK9kpX0jO4xGL.azWNgrDP2LYF?slug=uwire-usclookstothrowladybucsove&prov=uwire&type=lgns
(CSTV U-WIRE) COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The South Carolina women's basketball team will look to extend its two-game winning streak Tuesday night as the Gamecocks host Charleston Southern at 7 p.m.
The Gamecocks will take on the Lady Bucs for the first time since 2000, when South Carolina dominated in a 73-38 victory. Charleston Southern is 0-4 all time against the Gamecocks.
This year's matchup looks to be more of the same for South Carolina. Charleston Southern returns three starters from a team that went 2-12 and finished seventh in the Big South conference last year.
After starting the season 2-0, the Lady Bucs lost four consecutive games against USC Upstate, Campbell, Bethune-Cookman and Savannah State. Charleston Southern got back on the winning track last week, defeating College of Charleston 55-53 Thursday night.
Shooting guard Pam Tolbert (20.5 points per game) is the only Lady Buc player averaging double digits in scoring. The junior from Powder Springs, Ga., has scored in double figures in every game thus far this season, including 33 against USC Upstate and 26 at Savannah State.
South Carolina junior guard Brionna Dickerson has missed the last two games with a foot injury. Head coach Susan Walvius describes her condition as "day-to-day." If Dickerson is able to go on Tuesday night, she will likely draw the task of defending Tolbert.
Neutralizing Tolbert on the perimeter will be a key for the Gamecocks, as South Carolina looks to have a marked advantage on the interior. Charleston Southern will be vastly undersized in this game.
The Lady Bucs' two starting post players, 6-foot center Shaunte Small (4.6 points per game) and 5-foot-11-inch forward Tina DeCarvalho (8 points per game) will match up against South Carolina's daunting inside trio.
The Gamecock frontcourt is led by 6-foot-4 forward Demetress Adams, 6-foot-3 forward Lakesha Tolliver and 6-foot-6 center Ilona Burgrova. Through seven games this season, that threesome is combining to average 32.4 points, 21.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game.
Tuesday's game is the second of South Carolina's three-game home stand, which will be concluded Friday night against Jackson State.
Updated on Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007 8:00 pm, EST

USC women's basketball team guided by senior's defense, determination on the court
By Kyle Kemp, The Daily Gamecock
December 4, 2007 http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/news;_ylt=AlCZzOLYMpo3wW8lUsyM_ZXP2LYF?slug=uwire-uscwomensbasketballteamgui&prov=uwire&type=lgns
(CSTV U-WIRE) COLUMBIA, S.C. -- For the women's basketball team, leadership has taken a fresh form this year as new players step into the spotlight after the loss of seven seniors from the 2006-2007 squad.
One of these emerging stars takes the shape of 6-foot-3 forward Lakesha Tolliver, a player who is ready to shine for the Gamecocks.
Tolliver, a fifth-year senior from Columbia, S.C., has already had a major impact on the program in her previous seasons, especially from a defensive standpoint. Last year, she broke the school record for most blocks in a season by rejecting 60 shots.
"To be honest, when I broke it, I didn't even know I broke the record until people started telling me afterward. It's not a big thing; I just love blocking shots because it shows you have defensive skills," Tolliver said of her achievement.
Heading into the 2007-2008 season, the lineup has seen a drastic change since the 18-15 effort a year ago. Tolliver, along with her teammates, will have to play at a high level if the team is to accomplish the goals they have set for the season.
"Our team goal is to be in the SEC Championship game, and one of our biggest goals is to get into the NCAA tournament and go somewhere with that," Tolliver said.
It will not be an easy set of goals to accomplish, but Tolliver feels that by being a role model for other players, she can help give the team that extra push it needs.
"My personal goal is to be a leader and role model for some of the freshman players and just do whatever it takes for us to win," she said.
As a leader, Tolliver's success has been her ability to figure out potential problems and lead the way in making sure the issues are avoided. One thing she noticed early was the lack of communication between some of the newer players.
"I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page," Tolliver said. "When I first got here, some of the freshmen didn't really talk as much. I have the biggest mouth, so I am always making sure we are talking and encouraging each other."
Tolliver has also been successful in her goal of doing what it takes to win. In Carolina's two-point win over Virginia, Tolliver had a key block that led to her game-winning basket as time expired.
She also had a career-high 21 points during their strong win against Florida International. This week while taking on an undefeated UNC-Wilmington, Tolliver led the team with 18 points and swatted away a school record 7 shots, bringing her within two blocks of the school record for most career blocks.
With her ability to be victorious through both performance and leadership, it is almost impossible to believe that Lakesha did not start playing basketball until eighth grade.
"My dad took me to my first basketball tryout my eighth grade year and really encouraged me to play even though I had never played before," she said.
From there, she let her coaches do the rest.
"My [Amateur Athletic Union] coaches taught me the game of basketball, as far as working my individual skills," Tolliver said.
Even with the help of her father and her coaches, Tolliver still lists her grandmother as the person she thinks about most.
"Every day I play, I leave the court and think about my grandmother who passed away my sophomore year. I lived with her my whole life, so she was very important to me," Tolliver said.
Tolliver has given nearly five years of hard work and determination for Carolina, and there is only one thing she asks in return from the university: student support.
She said there are many misconceptions of women's basketball.
"It's not as slow as people think it is. We have speed; we have three-point shooters; we have blocks," Tolliver said. "We may not have dunks yet, but it's coming," she added with a smile.
The Gamecocks are off to a 6-2 start this season, and with players like Lakesha Tolliver, fans can expect their games to be both intense and extremely entertaining.
"I enjoy the love/hate relationship of the game. You hate to run at practice, and you hate to lose, but you love to win and to have fun," she said.
Updated on Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007 8:00 pm, EST


These articles might help somewhat to get to know some of our key players. Rooster here is a link for player stats http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/teams/sbf/stats

[FoghornLeghornCock]

Posted on Sat, Dec. 22, 2007


Game info | USC Gamecocks vs Clemson Tigers



http://www.thestate.com/tigers/story/264677.html
WHEN: 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Littlejohn Coliseum
TV: None
RADIO: WISW 1320-AM
RECORDS: USC 8-3; Clemson 7-6
COACHES: USC, Susan Walvius (255-248 in 17 seasons overall, 157-147 in 10 seasons at USC); Clemson, Cristy McKinley (242-182 in 15 seasons overall, 26-45 in three seasons at Clemson)
TICKETS: Available at Box Office
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
The Tigers lead the all-time series 31-21 but the Gamecocks have won the past two by an average of 31.3 points a game. Both squads suffered embarrassing defeats earlier this week, with USC getting beaten by 58 points at UConn and Clemson suffering a 38-point setback to Dayton. South Carolina rebounded with an 88-41 victory against Alabama A&M.
Clemson has struggled with injuries but have a 4-2 record at home. USC has only won five times in 26 tries at Clemson and have a 1-2 record away from the Colonial Center this year. With such a young team, especially in the backcourt, the Gamecocks need to find a way to get off to a quick start to be successful.
The key for the USC offense is outside shooting. When they knock down the 3-point shot, they open up the middle to let its post players roam. In the eight wins, USC has shot 43 percent and 24.3 percent in the losses.
KEY PLAYER
Jordan Jones, G, USC
The freshman tied her career-high with 20 points in the victory against Alabama A&M after being held scoreless at Connecticut. Jones leads the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage and in 3-pointers made per game. And since Courtney Newton went down with a knee injury, Jones has taken over the point guard duties.
STARTING LINEUPS
GAMECOCKS


POS.HT.NAMEPPG. F6-4Demetress Adams13.4 F6-3Lakesha Tolliver10.5 C6-6Ilona Burgrova8.8 G5-9Jordan Jones12.8 G5-9Brionna Dickerson11.9 TIGERS

POS.HT.NAMEPPG. F6-0D’Lesha Lloyd10.3 F5-10Lele Hardy 7.6

F/C6-2April Parker7.4 G5-8Morganne Campbell8.8 G5-6Christy Brown9.0 BOTTOM LINEClemson will try to wash away the disappointment at Dayton, while the Gamecocks will look to build momentum going into the Christmas break. If the first-year USC players respond to the rivalry, the Gamecocks should notch their third consecutive win in the series.
— Chris Dearing