The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 01, 1985, Page Page 10, Image 10
Page 10 ? February 1, 1985 Sports THE GAMECOCK
Lady Gam
Wnmpn Insp first i
* VIIIVII IVWW III VI
conference game I
By Joanne Korth ||
USC's Lady Gamccocks lost to Metro op- I
ponent Memphis State Wednesday night, I
57-54, to end their undefeated conference |
streak at five.
Both teams entered the game with ?
undefeated conference marks, but a cold j|
22-percent shooting performance by B
Carolina in the first half left them too far nt
behind to make up a 15-point halftime j|
deficit.
v-ttiuiuia mi / pciwcm ui men siiud in uic r
second half for 40 points to Memphis State's I
28 points, but fell three short after Mindy 3'
Ballou's lay-up ended the scoring for the {.'
night.
Memphis State's 6-4 Regina Street handled
USC's inside game while putting 25 points
and grabbing 16 of the Lady Tigers' 54 rebounds.
Carolina had only 39 total ^
rebounds.
Sophomore guard Monica Williams led the |
Lady Gamecocks in scoring with 18 points I
off the bench, while Ballou had 13. 1
Head Coach Nancy Wilson said she was *
not disappointed with the way the team ?
played at Memphis State.
The Lady Gamecocks played with intensity
for the entire game but in the first half the
shots just weren't falling, she said.
i * i_ a. *# .
uav- iravcis 10 Virginia lccn tomorrow
night at 7:30 for another Metro matchup.
With the loss to Memphis State, the Lady
Gamecocks fell to 12-6. While (JSC still leads
the North Region of the Metro, Virginia
Tech stands in last place in the region with a
2-4 conference record, and 9-10 overall.
"Virginia Tech is a "scrappy team and
very tough if they have their running game
going," Wilson said. The first year coach
said shutting down the Hokies' fast break 1
will be a key for the Lady Gamecocks.
USC swim tean
By Charle* Bloom
The nationally-ranked Gamecock swim teams
waves at Clemson Saturday when they take t
ranked Tigers.
Going into this weekend's meet, the Gameco<
ranked 14th in the women's poll, and the me
ranked 18th in the nation. Clemson is ranke
women's poll and 15th in the men's poll.
"We know what we are going up against th
Collins. "Cler
higher than w
polls and with i
placed on the r
be a dandy. V
have to swim <
to win."
nrr/\nr a
DTTT7KT T
takes place in
II^MH USC dual mee
Jll ^e Gamecocl
:';""' -W *?!?P with Furman <
BViV S9 USC head c<
Steve Collins ,ins has ncver 1
nor c L men or womei
USC Swim coach lo demon's,
never losing a women's meet to the Lady Tige
B ?V S wMgR f r.
ecocks fall to IV
^ BSBBBi
wm^^F
\', jjllfl? ^
S^mI^ ^P >? _ .
GINGER PlNSON I The Columbia Recoi
Renee Najarien practical her fraa throws. The 6-1 sophomore forward was nai
ad tha Metro Conference Plaver of the Week for Jan. 21-27. avereuina 81 oeree
from tht line during the stretch. ,
is to take on Clemson
Last season, South Carolina defeated Furman 83-22 in I
hope to make women's meet and 69-43 in the men's meet. The La
>n the higher- Gamecocks defeated Clemson last season 91-49 and ihe n
won 68-45.
:ks are 7-0 and The Gamecocks sport one of the most talented freshmen
n are 5-2 and the country in Jean-Marie Arnould. The Belgium-native I
d 11th in the never lost a dual meet since coming to Carolina, and he lost
the Gamecock Invitational on Nov. 29, 1984. Last week,
is week," said broke a school record in the 1,000-meter freestyle against N
nson is rated State.
e are in both
the rival status TWO OTHER school records went down last weekei
neet, it should Freshman Joanne Seymour, of England, set the new standi
Ve'll probably in the 100-meter breaststroke against the Wolfpack as wi
out best times And the 200-meter-medley relay team of Kathy O'Donn
Linda Criddle, Joanne Seymour and Susan Hagberg broke
school record against Tennessee.
UMY action
the Clemson- Last weekend's routs of two traditional powers has gi<
t on Saturday. the sauad a new sense of confidence.
is will tangle
>n Friday. "Sometimes, I just can't believe how we beat N.C. S
>ach Steve Col- and Tennessee men and it was a good feeling. I'm just so
ost to Furman, cited that we now have two teams that are ranked in the'
i, and has lost 20."
len twice while After the duals this weekend, the Gamecocks will trav<
rs. Chapel Hill to face North Carolina on Feb. 27-march 2.
ISU. 57-54
Metro names Najarian
Player of the Week
By Joannt Korth
If you need to talk to Rcnee Najarian, the Metro Conference's
Player of the Week, you better catch her when she's
not playing basketball. ' I
Najarian is one of the most intense athletes you'll ever meet,
because the only thing on her mind when she is on the court is
basketball"
I tpke basketball very seriously," she said, "especially out
on the court. In a game, I get so psyched up, all I want to do is
I play."
THE 6-1, sophomore forward for the Lady Gamecocks has
played out of position, hit pressure free throws in the closing
seconds of consecutive games and battled it out against players
often three to four inches taller than herself.
But Najarian won't complain. She came to play ? it ( '
doesn't matter where or against what ? as long as she can
play.
At the beginning of the season, Najarian was forced to play
the center position vacated by Sharon Gilmore, who was on
academic suspension for the fall semester. Najarian had
played center in high school, but never in college.
Now that Gilmore is back, Najarian said her stint at the
center spot helped her inside game, having to fight for position
with players taller than herself.
?*
g| GILMORE'S RETURN has "definitely taken a lot of the
pressure off of me as far as having to produce inside," Najarian
said. f~
Head coach Nancy Wilson said Najarian has "the opportunity
to be a little more sneaky and get inside, especially for
offensive rebounds," with Gilmore in the game.
"She was a little concerned with the number of rebounds
she was getting When she was playing center," Wilson said.
"She was really more concerned, I think, than 1 was."
Part of Najarian's concern may have come from her having
grown accustomed to pulling down an average of 20 rebounds
per game in her senior year at Wakefield High School in
Massachusetts.
nv "1 HEARD that she had set it as a goal for herself to get
nt more rebounds" this year, Wilson said.
And she has certainly done that. Najarian is leading the
Lady Gamecocks' front line, averaging 7.2 rebounds in overall >. x
games this season and 9.8 in Metro games.
Najaraian was chosen the Metro Conference Player of the
Week for her performances in league wins during the week of
Jan. 21-27.
the In the Cincinnati game, she completed a three-point-play
idy with 25 seconds left, which made the difference in a 78-77
ien final. Two nights later at Louisville, Najarian went to the line
with 11 seconds left and hit two free throws to give Carolina a
i in one-point victory, 73-72.
las
i in FOR THE week, Najarian shot 81 percent (13 of 16) from
he the foul line, pulled down 24 rebounds and scored 39 total
,C. points (19.5 per game).
Najarian hardly minded the pressure situation and was glad V J
to have the opportunity to shoot the free throws. "I got fouled
id. and I had to hit them," she said. "Then I just went up there
ard and hit them."
ell. Najarian said she tried not to think about the pressure, as
ell, her free ? throw shooting in college has been somewhat of a
the disappointment after averaging in the ninety-percent range at
Wakefield.
This season, the sophomore is averaging around 70 percent
ven from the line, hitting 47 of 68 attempts.
"I STARTED kind of low this year but I've been bringing
tate (my average) up steadily." Najarian said.
cx- Najarian speaks confidently of her abilities this season /
Fop because she is more confident. She said being awarded
Metro Player of the Week will help to build her confidence
:?io even further.
The reason Tor Najarian's added assurance is the effects of
I first-year coach Wilson on the whole team, not just Najarian.
"She's brought us a lot closer together as a unit,"
she said. "1 think we all have a lot more confidence in each
other this year."
AS FOR the rest of the season, Najarian said, "! just want to
keep improving and contribute as much as 1 can."
The team's improvement will need to come in an area that
Najarian seems to have mastered. "We're yet to play a forty- , .
^ minute game as far as good fundamental basketball," she v
Wilson, however, lauds Najarian's ability to concentrate
whils she's on the floor. "Renee is mentally in the game for
the whole 40 minutes," said Wilson.
Najarian does not know exactly how she maintains her concentration
on the court, but she does know how much she
hates to sit out. Because of this situation, she finds concentrating
on the court no problem.
INajarian also has no problem deciding where she would like
this season to lead the Lady Gamecocks. "! want to win the
Metro Tournament and get to the NCAA playoffs," she said
without hesitation.
"We're improving each game," she said, and the team is
approaching the time when it will reach its peak. "When that
moment comes," she warns, "we'll be a tough team to beat."