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ILady Gamecoi USC humbl< By Michelle Burchette Gamecock Staff Writer Somenno fnrunt tn ronnin^ ^ ?.v > vuiiiiu me juciuy uamecocKS Tuesday night that short guards don't usually dominate a basketball game in which the average height of the women on the court is nearly 6-0. Thriving on the performances of four quick guards, Carolina overcame a 14 point first half deficit to defeat a tall N.C. State squad 78-67 in Raleigh. Freshman guard Evelyn Johnson scored the first basket of the game immediately following the opening tipoff, but the seventh ranked Wolfpack ran off 14 unanswered noints to talrn n mo 1 1 , .?u vuuuiiaiiuiiig iCdU. WITH NEARLY eight minutes left in the first half, USC guards Cheryl Autry and Rita Johnson sparked a Gamecock rally which turned the tables on State and led to a 34-30 Carolina lead at halftime. Autry connected on several key outside shots in the second half. The 5-6 sophomore contributed 16 points before fouling out with seven minutes remaining. Gamecock coach Pam Parsons attributed Autry's improved game to an increased understanding of jrarsons coacning philosophy. "Cheryl seems to be getting the idea of what Coach Parsons wants accomplished. When she understands that she's a great player," Parsons said. "She has a lot of physical tools, but the mental game is something that has to be worked at, and you can't rest on your laurels," she added. EVELYN JOHNSON was another key guard in the winning effort. The 5-10 freshman also contributed 16 points to tie Autry as USC high scorer in the game. sne also grabbed a game high 12 rebounds. Despite missing several of her outside shots early in the first half, Johnson came back to lead the team when four of her teammates fouled out. "We had three guards in, and someone had to take control, so I just did," Johnson said. "I wasn't scared when our starters began fouling out because I have a lot of confidence in our bench," she added. Rita Johnson, another guard, used her speed and quicKness to steal the ball seven times before returning to the bench with five fouls. Wolfpack head coach Kay Yow praised the ability of Johnson and her teammates to consistently stop the reverse dribble of N.C. State point guard Angie Armstrong. "I was really impressed with their defense. They < made the play from behind, and then if you faked the i reverse dribble they had you in a charge," Yow said. "They did that every time we reverse dribbled." * ? I 11 ?1 71 '/'', i? wr ?|P * JfWsiWp ? 1 o Mp Wk , S 1 ')SW ja AftJnl V i| ? WW? , *#** r^mwr Rita Johnson goes up strong for a rebound du\ Carolina win. Johnson has been a key contributor ranked Gdmdcocks. cks win 78-67 esN.C. State PARSONS WAS very pleased with the overall play of the guards especially when her key players began to foul out. "We have four guards who can handle it, and we don't lose anything by substituting. Every one of them has a different quality. I don't feel like we have two starting guards. I feel we have four because I do interchange them," Parsons said. "With the fouling oil I 1?4 uui an i lusi, wtrre some options.' Forward Suzanne Woolston, who has gained a starting position with Carolina this year, was challenged by the Wolfpack's leading scorer Trudi Lacey. Although I^acey was the leading scorer in the game with 18 points, she failed to score while Woolston guarded her. "The guards gave us some good perimeter shooting and opened up the inside," Woolston said. "The key, though, was that all five players on the court for us contributed. We've usually either had the inside game going well and the outside game not going so well or vice versa, but this time it was both working together for the win." PARSONS AGREED with Woolston that team coordination brought the win for Carolina. "One thing I've maintained about this group is if they will remain in a total team effort they can win a lot of ball games," she said. When Autry, Woolston, Rita Johnson and Cynthia Jacobs fouled out in a span of less than three minutes, Parsons was forced to rely on the depth of her bench. State rapidly ate away a 12 point Carolina lead and cut the margin to four, but the Lady Gamecocks regained their composure to save the victory. "You can't expect any more out of a team than for 41 I - * ~~ me uencn 10 piay that well," Parsons said. "They played certain parts of the game better than the starting five. That'll happen when you have a strong bench or a bench that is really studying the game." Parsons added that while the game was not much faster paced than most, it was more strenuous for both teams. "There was more energy put out on that court than I've seen in a long time, and both teams were very tired," she said. "Both teams put out a lot Hpfonciimlti nff/M.r.: ' - - ' v^.v.ionvijr unu uucuaivciy uecause we were two pretty well matched teams." The victory over N.C. State was a very important one for the Lady Gamecocks who are currently ranked 11th in the nation and boast an 11-2 record, rhe women will meet East Tennessee at 6 p.m. Saturday night in the coliseum. BB Rita Job. I''5:' ' I By Willie T. Smith III 7 j and Tammy Kilpatrick ' Gamecock Staff Writers i Every team needs a player who can come up with a spectacular play on defense to ignite the team to victory. Rita Johnson is that } player for the Lady Gamecocks. i "I'm a more defensivelynriontoH ruifcnn :-J Bv? iviiwu pvi ouii, (juiiiisuii ?aiu. playing is much better. I have a lot more faith in myself now." Johnson has been blessed with times in the past it has been more of a hindrance than an aid, according to coach Pam Parsons. "Rita hasn't been able to utilize IT ner quickness in the past. I think t|jp|||j she will this year. Sometimes she would go faster than she should have. She now knows when to steal, flgll I'm really excited about Rita's improvement," the coach said. LAST YEAR Johnson began the HHffi HBj season as a starter at the guard ? P()S'^on along with Cheryl. Autry. HI jSL Sjf*? As the season progressed, she was if BpjMEyj beset with injuries that limited her playing time. She was replaced in a larger lineup that was used when jlUjE^S transfer Cynthia Jacobs became Having regained her starting berth, Johnson feels she is more rea'i/e^ on the court and is able to M ' ' handle pressure from opposing wtf J fpamc Kottor 4,I'?v? ???? * ?? ?w>vi . i i i mine CA* perienced," she said. "Some of the mistakes I made last year I'm not ring a recent making this year." for the 11th Parsons' plans for the team this year include using a pressing I 11 ? B 8*&, li&9RH ?? Km< S^'.v JBV l^nij ?jf?M-ja|HBpBpp|>P^? ! * ? v.c > **. Russell Pace - GAMECOCK Freshman guard Sharon Rivers drives past a defender towards the hoop. The 11th ranked Lady Gamecocks downed /w r C*a#r? 7O c-r T ' * - r \j-\j f / utfsu&y nignt. nson ignites team defense and fast break offense. "It Montclair State on January 7. will be Rita's job to work with Johnson said her family was imCheryl to accomplish that goal. We pressed with the game. "I knew olrn O; 4 .. t -tr r . ai.iu nccvi ivud lu score on ine iasi mey were going to be there, and 1 break," Parsons explained. wanted to play well," she said. "1 Johnson agrees with Parsons on had a good game offensively, and her role with the team. "I think my defensively." role is to get the team moving on offense, set the tempo and control IT WAS A real break that Par the point guard on the other team," sons got the chance to coach she said. Johnson. "I wasn't very heavily recruited in high school. Pam ANOTHER PROBLEM for Baccus, who was the USC coach at Johnson in thf* nnst hac ho*?r? -~i ? * * ' - ,,, ? iivi null nine, jjnuiicu me ana ioin me shooting. "I never have been much Parsons was going to be the new of a shooter, but I worked on it this coach. She said she couldn't summer, and I think it's improved, promise me a scholarship, but I don't think people will be able to there would be a tryout. I came to lay off me this year, which should the tryout in March of '77," help the big girls and also help my Johnson said. driving, which is what I like to do," "I didn't really know where she Johnson said. would stack up when I got here. All Although Parsons agrees that 1 knew was everyone said she was Johnson's shootine has imnrnupH - - 0 ...? ?r.-T~?., v.iv. ijun t^n'i in aoum she thinks her biggest im- Carolina,' I Arsons said. "The provement has been in another thing that 1 liked was she really area. "Rita is more stable and showed an interest in USC." mature. She now has direction," Johnson proved her highly Parsons said. "She has learned touted defensive abilities in last that the guards are the givers and weekend's game with Auburn it is their job to get the ball to the University. A quick steal in the person in the best position to first minutes of the game and a SCOre." fast hroak lnvnr? cot ??... ".-J "VI VI1V ICIIipV' I WI ? Johnson said she spent the USC's romp over a young Auburn summer playing basketball with team. Auburn's coach Joe Ciampi guys," because they are quicker cited Johnson as a key to the Lady and jump better. They make it Gamecocks' victory over the I>ady harder on me when I am cutting Tigers. and moving without the ball, which When looking at the statistics of makes me better," Johnson said. the 1979-80 edition of the Lady Johnson, who livos u/ifh hor 4 " ? " ' ... ? Ilvl wHiiivvvvna, jrwu IIOJ IIUl StT grandmother in St. Matthews. Johnson with a 20 point average, played in front of her parents and hut you can believe she will have relatives for the first time when made a valuable contribution to the Lady Gamecocks defeated the team's success.