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| THE GAMECOCK Sports _ March 27, 1985 ? Page 15 I Lousy hoop season leaves fans dribbling i ^^"PEP^LK While Metro Conference champion Memphis State is battling it out in the NCAA college basketball tournament, where are our Gamecocks? Reflecting upon an outstanding 15-13 i season? Countine their number of blue rhin ri?rriiii?,> Truino w - " r O " to figure out what that black glob is in the middle of the Coliseum's basketball court? Nope. This past season's highlight film could probably be shown during the evening news sports segment and still have time left UMI . A Keith James dunk here, a Mike Brittain blocked shot there. But with the exception of an upset win over No. 3 Mem phis State and some gutsy play by Michael Foster, the Gamecocks showed little championship-quality material. It's hard to believe that with the "talent" on this year's squad, the Gamecocks could compile a road game losing streak comparable to General Custer's Last Stand ? 11 times I over. But what's to be expected when the seven-foot Brittain can be pushed around and outnlaved under the hnnrris hv mr??f opponents? Maybe we'll have someone who can rebound next year. Alter all, Brittain will be gone. If USC doesn't get that rebounder, fans can look forward to a continued losing record on the road that may extend to home games. I wonder if Custer had any deserters among his ranks? Head coach Bill F oster has had two players express their dissatisfac tion with the amount of playing time they had ? one even went as far as to leave the team. The other, one of those highly touted freshman from the k , high school basketball factoiy, Dunbar High School, is said to P be seriously considering a move to another university. At first, Foster said he would like to use the younger players as the team's nucleus, but he still used a predominantly veteran line-up when things got bad. Sorry, coach. We all learned that a team can't capitalize on young talent if those players see limited playing time. As the successor to Frank McGuire in 1981, Foster came to USC with the reputation as the savior to faltering basketball programs. Successful programs arc not unusual for Foster, ? ho hns coiirlu'd inm>rv hi kiito*?rc 1 Itah nnlmin/l here at Carolina. I oster is the only coach in NCAA history to guide lour different teams to 20-win seasons. Carolina became the fourth school when, during the 1983 |, campaign, Foster directed the Gamecocks to a 22-9 record. It seemed the savior had arrived. But over the following two seasons, the Gamecocks seem to have fallen apart. The program has seen better times under the coach, despite attracting top-rated recruits. l oster has one season left on his contract. It it doesn't work out during the 1985-86 season,Coach, it mignt oc iimc to look lor that tilth school to guide to another 20-win season. Joe Sitarz is the assist am spur is editor of The Gamecock. , Southers honored again From Staff Report* Brantley Southers has been named to the Kodak All-District Three women's basketball ' as chosen by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The from Columbia's Dreher ftr ^BBHM High School averaged 17.2 |P$*> points per game and pulled & ^BEB t: \ down 6.9 rebounds per con9 I Jm test. I tic scoring average was _ tops on the team, and the rey '' bounding average was third ! ^ I best, behind Sharon Oilmorc SI and Renee Najarin. Souther* ? 1/ n ? a tinu siiui /o. / pcrccm irum the free throw line, good for rnttoy SoutKtrs "f,h in 'he ^e,r? c?n: llt,? / . ference. She also finished USC forward thr|rd jn ,hc confcrcnce in scoring. The rest of the all-district team includes Pam t puke nf North Carolina; Tracy Claxton and former US C player Medina Dixon of Old Dominion; and Linda Page of North pt Carolina State. There were nine regional teams selected nationwide, and the coaches will select the final All-American squad Thursday. WSk: mmmmm ^ , X A X A. -' ''^S''"^'-? SB .*Vfl^ 1 : . y-~" * > fm Another win USC's Brian Barker competes yesterdi College of Charleston, 8-1. The Gameco a 14 3 rocord, travel to Montogomery, in the Blue-Grey Championship. USC plays i From Staff Reports USC's 14-5-3 softbaH team takes on Eastern Illinois tomorrow in double header action beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Lady Gamecock Field by Weems Bask in Track. USC is ranked third in the National Collegiate Athletic Association South Region, behind Nicholls State and Louisianna Tech. The I.ady Gamecocks swept a doubleheader with Ohio University Monday, 5-1, 5-0. In the first game, USC pitcher Grctchen Koenig recorded eight strikeouts and gave up two singles ? both to Ohio's Patti I.oprowski ? to improve her record to 3-1-2. Carolina had six hits in the opener, including a triple by Shirley Burton and a double hv Cindv I ono The Lady Gamecocks have been in a mild hitting slump recently, and head coach Lou Piel said her squad changed its approach for the game. "We set a specific number of hits we wanted to get," she said. "The fact that people realize that hitting is going to be a kev was a nositive factor from the games." Piel said she saw the wins as a confidence builder for USC. "That's what we need," she said, "is for the players to see that if they go out and make things happen, that they can relax and take a few chances on defense instead of alwavs holdina their breath,!,which it seems like they've been doing alt the time lately." In the second game, Lady Gamecock pitcher Darlene Lowery, 10-4-1, threw her second no-hitter of the season, allowing only one batter to reach base on an error and throwing 11 strikeouts. After tomorrow, USC travels to East Carolina Saturday for another HaiiKIA tt?iH /* UUI1I/IV IIVHMVI I HUM IBBV1I IV MU1 III Carolina for two more games. The Lady Gamecocks return home Tuesday to play Adelphi. w- / - 9 r/ i W 1 JOE RICKER I The Gamecock iy as the men's tennis team beat the cks, ranked 15th in the nation, with Ala., tomorrow to play Florida State Joublehead ;TO f *?1 Jf* ' f Sfe I^J 1 J mBSm-. I ifc '' : ? lllilw -;# ' fl USC's Sonya Smith round* third d Ohio Univorsity Monday. 1 Baseball sauad ?a faces Furman By Joff Owens Ranked 22nd in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, USC will take its 18-6 record to Greenville today to take on the 18-13 Furman raiauui). The Paladins have a good hitting team, which has compliled a .314 team average and hit 26 home runs. Bob Thomas and Paul McBride, who alternate between first base and the designated hitter, lead Furman at the plate with eight home runs each. Catcher Rock Hurst has six home runs and hit two against USC last year in a game played in Columbia. Brad Rogers is expected to be on the mound for Furman. Rogers is 1-1 and has the team's best earned run average at 3.86. USC will send its ace, right hander Mike Cook to the mound, who has a 5-1 record with a 2.03 ERA. Cook also ranks among the nation's best in strike outs with 55 in 44 and one third innings for an average of 11.2 strike outs per game. The Gamecocks are led at the plate by leadoff hitter Jeff Barnes, who is hitting .384. In USC's recent nine game home stand, Barnes went 18-36 with five doubles and three home runs. Carolina has lived by the home run this year, hitting 61 in only 24 games. Most of those have been provided by the top four batters in the Gamecock lineup. Barnes, Jeff Morris, Joe Datin, and Keith Killian have combined for 32 homers. Lewis Jenkins, the fifth batter in the lineup, has ad ded seven home runs to the total, but is doubtful for the game due to a stress fracture. The game will be the first of two between Furman and USC. The Paladins will come to Columbia for one game on April 2. The Gamecocks will return to Sarge Frye PIpIH fnr a tY\ms* CI orr*#* cnriot um?K Ahlrv Ctofrt beginning Thursday night at 7:30 The Buckeyes, 2-0, are just beginning their season. They have beaten Jacksonville State twice and will play two games at Alabama_ Birmingham before coming to Columbia. Ar tnmnrrniRi OE IUIIBUI I UVV .Wi*W \^*' jfltfflB A V** ? , As* IWliliwl IIII MMMMWBP RAY GRONBERG/Tht Gamecock luring the Lady Gamecocks' 5-1 victory over