The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 06, 1980, Page Page 15, Image 23

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'Stride* i USC sub By Bruce Rltohto Qtnwcock Staff Wrttor When you can't stop them inside, and you can't stop them outside, where can you stop them? Rhode Island coach Jack Kroft must have asked himself that question after watching his team lose to USC 84-75 Tuesday night at the Carolina Coliseum. The Rams found no answer to the question of stoppiing forward Cedrick Hordges and center Jim Strickland under the boards. The two Gamecock big men controlled the tempo of the game for Carolina and with Mike Doyle's hot shooting, combined to give the Gamecocks one of their most balanced games of the season. CAROLINA AND Rhode Island played at an even pace through the first half. Both teams executed a patient working game plan. While USC was getting its scoring from Hordges and Strickland, Rhode Island's points were being divided almost evenly among eight different players. The score was tied 12 times in the first half as the two teams continued to play evenly. With the score knotted at 26 and less than four minutes left in the half, Rhode Island scored six straight points to give the Rams fKail* uiifloet lonH nf (ho rtnmA uivtt wiuwi ivau vi uiv gauiVt Guard Nick Johnson scored all eight of his first half points in the closing minutes to give the Rams the lead. Forward Jimmy Wright provided defensive muscle under the boards for Rhode Island by pulling down four rebounds and blocking one shot in the f irst half. n t oiuggisn Lady Gamecock forward! She to Mock tha progress of a Tan dominate >dues tou Behind Center Jim Strickland, the Gamecocks were able to cut the six point Rhode Island lead hflfnro Mir. hnlf'o onH Qtrinlrlon^ WAV* V V?iv IBIAAI u V1IU. UM AVmailVt was hacked while swishing a threefoot jump shot in the lane, and then made the free throw to close the lead to three, 34-31. Guard Kenny Reynolds hit a fast break jumper shortly after to put Carolina within one. IN AN EFFORT to preserve their lead, Rhode Island stalled for 'Our outside game wasn't going well so we decided to go down low to Strick and Bush...' Kenny Reynolds the last shot of the half. With five seconds on the clock, Roland Houston hit a five foot jumper from the lane to put the Rams up by three, 36-33, going into the locker room. The Gamecocks came out strong in the second half. After two Strickland field goals on a rebound layup and a dunk, Carolina pulled intn a tio of 17 with (Ko Roma Tho SIIW U MV Ub Ul fflUI MIV AMIlllO* Jk IIV score was tied three more times _C Lady Ga ff* Foster ums tm superior si** inossoo Techptmyf :s inside. 7 gh Rams before USC took the lead for good with 15:39 left in the game. It was then that Doyle and Strickland went to work on the Rams' 3-2 zone. When the Rhode Island defense tightened up inside, Doyle, a 6-5 senior, went to work canning long jump shots from the top of the key. Strickland, another i ? i ? * ? senior, naa nis unesi game ever as he neutralized the Rams' defense with short turnaround jumpshots and rebound layups. Carolina continued to widen its lead in the final 10 minutes with the help of good foul shooting. After a poor performance at the line Saturday against Clemson, the Gamecocks shot an impressive 74 percent (20 of 27) against the Rams to open up a 14 point lead with three minutes remaining. BEHIND A FULL court press, Rhode Island pulled back into the contest bv scorinff nine straitfhf points and cut Carolina's lead to five at 78-73. In the last minute of the game, however, Doyle sank four straight foul shots and made a last second layup on a pass from Strickland to give USC its 13th win, 84-75. The Gamecocks' win over Rhode Island showed that they could come back after a tough loss, head coach Frank McGuire explained. "I was worried about a letdown after the Clemson game, and the crowd was small," l*e said. "Our intensity wasn't good. You can't get away from emotion. We finally got excited and played better/' Sm Gamecocks, page 19 Carolina now 18-2 imecocks By Tammy KHpatrick Gamacocfc 8t?M Writer Rpiriff rankpri sixth in th?? nation se prime target for a lesser known tear their mark in the basketball world The USC Lady Gamecocks, now si? Associated Press, found being rai vantages as well as advantages a: against Tennessee Tech before winn night at Carolina Coliseum. USC, up by 10 points at one time succumbed to sluggish defensive pk half and fell behind Tennessee Tec . termission. Guard Cheryl Autry, coming off th needed offensive punch, said the t together to win. "We were surpris iiiaro rttifr rfa( tic 1' nvivvui.lv 5VVIM, TENNESSEE TECH. led by the a point guard Pam Chambers, stage with 13:57 when a three-point play pulled the Eaglettes within five. When USC tried a three-guard plo; stop Tech's quick, small line-up capitalized to gain the lead 23-22 wh? hit a ten foot jumpshot. The lead the f ilu U rn.?L , luur limes uciurv iciuiussctj iccii | . hand and jumped out to a four point! USC coach Pam Parsons said ' ranked in the top twenty pre-; developing into a stronger team. "I half was incredible because Tennec percent from the field/' Autry, who had 10 points in the f ranked does affect the team. "We ca being confident of the win and K (realised at halftime we have to pis game, no matter if it's the number or An unranked team." USC switched from a man-to-mar zone in the second half, using a 1 * riefons*? to shut dnwn the nerimet I Eaglettes and Chambers, their hi? i points. "We had a better strategy in the needed to control Chambers with t* whole difference was the zone," Par . v^- ?9.1 6| -'-SKB lj| ^jpp A | |||j USC center Jim Strickland drives the career-high 25 points In Monday's Island. ' A M? come hack CYNTHIA JACOBS, V rejxHinds, said the zone ts a team up as a "Our zone was much n n trying to make cutting their outside shot anything inside." cth ranked by the T he Lady Gamecocks t nked has disad- Johnson connected on tw 3 they struggled lead back to the Eaglet ing 87-73 Monday who scored 20 points, mac Using the zone defense in the first half, Kiia jonnson ana uv ly midway in the Gamecocks retook the le; h 41-38 at the in- again. USC's biggest lead was e bench to supply a layup with 42 seconds o earn had to pull final bucket with the t ed because they heaved a 25-foot jump she 73. Parsons said Autry is i ggressive play of "Cheryl Autry is coming S the comeback as a shooter before." by Holly Hoover Tennessee Tech coach CqoIaHao iiianttwl tn nnnl VTC4IIIVU iV VVIH / in an attempt to and control Sheila Foster the Eaglettes v * th^secontf half and let Sc m Robyn Markey that was the key. We als< ? changed hands. down Poster, which we c gained the upper ' the second." ead. Tennessee Tech, FOSTER WAS boxed ir season polls, is the first half, but adjustec thought the first second and finished the ?ee Tech shot 62 rebounds and four steals. Although Tennessee T? {ame, said being Meadors said they conce itie into the game "We had to match up w guess everybody game in order to win U iy our best every that, she said, one ranked team Parsons said Tenness< their quick point guard.' > to a one-two-two taken away. Especially t more aggressive when Chambers was Cont er attack of the Meadors said USC w; [h scorer with 21 balkiub, especially unde used to playing.'"Iliey pu ! second half. We elbows, which we're not ro people, and the play like that in Tennesse sons said. j'... 1; bas&iina fnr fw/i nf IJe game against Rhode ^ J : to win /ho had 14 points and 12 helped USC defensively, lore effective. We started t off and they couldn't get ook the lead 44-43 when Rita '0 free throws, but lost the tes when Jerilynn, Harper, lea 15-foot jumpstrtft. x t and some quick layups by elyn Johnson, the Lady id and never relinquished it 16 Doints. when Autrv marfp n the clock. Autry made the >uzzer sounding when she >t to make the final score 87improving with each game, on. She's never been known Marynell Meadors said the Lrol the tempo of the game on the inside. "We came out luth Carolina take over, and > felt like we needed to shut lid the firg^ half, but didn't ? , \ by Tennessee Tecfe most of I to the Tech coverage in the game with 16 points, four sch relies on quick guards, ntrated on the inside game, ith South Carolina's inside le game,-and we didn't do ee Tech's game keyed on In a zone, quickness can be be kind of*one we were in, M1a<( m V??VMi is a much'more physical r the boards, than they are shed a lot and threw a lot of used to. They won't Ir: us B " Sm Worn*?, f>**ga 97 f