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Gamecocl Saturday's c SEC against By AARON KNOWLTON Staff Writer The South Carolina men's basketball team takes its show on the road Saturday night when it visits Littlejohn Coliseum Arena to face the Clemson Tigers. The Gamecocks, led by senior guard Jo Jo English (17.6 ppg), Jjope to turn things around after a rcartbreaking loss against Mississippi State on a half-court buzzer beater and a 83-81 overtime loss to Alabama Tuesday night. Saturday's game is the first of four consecutive road games for the Gamecocks, who travel to Ole Miss, Mercer and Arkansas before their next home game Feb. 19 against LSU. In addition to playing away from home the Gamecocks must W)pe with the loss of 6-foot-8 forward Joe Rhett, who collapsed last Saturday night during the game against Mississippi State. Rhett, who has been playing with a heart pacemaker since the device's installation in February 1990, is the team's leadi; rounder and second leading scorer. s:b#fte| I 1239 I AP National ACC Overall | Ranking W L W L I Duke 7 0 15 0 N.Carolina 4 2 14 3 Georgia Tech 3 3 15 5 Florida State 5 2 13 4 1 WJffi1 12/6 Alabama vs. I 12/18 Georgia vs. < 12/21 Kentucky vs. i 12/27 Tennessee v 1/27 Florida vs. F Trainers supp< *5n times of tro By ERIC GLENN Staff Writer A loose ball flies. Bodies fall. An ankle twists, causing the crowd to gasp and a star athlete to writhe in pain. Time to call the trainer. Behind every USC sports team there is a group of support people in the shadow of the stars. Easily overlooked and sometimes taken ^?>r granted, trainers provide the ervices athletes need to stay healthy and compete at their maximum potential. "Being a trainer is the next best thing to competing," said junior Brett Osean, trainer for the men's basketball team in Fall 1991. "That is why I went into it ? because I love sports. I could not be an athlete because of my size, but by being a trainer, you are still right ^ere next to the action." But just as it takes a big time commitment to be an athlete, it takes a lot of time to be a trainer. In addition to classes, a trainer must pass a six-hour certification exam. They also must log 1500 hours of hands-on training under the guidance of another certified trainer. "No doubt it takes a lot of time," Osean said. "You have to be there before and during practice to tape ankles, ice injuries, whatever is needed. But it really has its advantages." %For Osean, one of the advances of the job was becoming an important part of an exciting men's basketball team. "I got to know the Says," he said, "I'd go in before toe games and wish them luck and c"t up. It is not a great friendship, but it is a good acquaintance. I enjoyed being part of it." Despite all the time and hard work involved, certain commitments are essential to being a good gainer, said Jennifer Olivo, trainer ' the women's basketball team and second year graduate student studying physical education. is to meet a ontest pits ACC In contrast to Carolina, Clemson is returning home after a long week on the road in which the Tigers played three games in five days, including a 112-73 loss to Duke. The Tigers feature a balanced attack with four players averaging in double figures. Junior guard Chris Whitley leads the attack with 13.1 points per game. Six-foot-10 freshman center Sharone Wright has made an immediate impact, averaging 12.7 points per game and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game. Clemson's 81-71 victory over Western Carolina Wednesday night improved the team's overall record to 10-6, but the Tigers have struggled to a 1-5 mark in the f? ACC. The Tiger's ACC woes revolve m around the loss of senior guard jl David Young who was suspended five games into the season for academic reasons. Experience also has been a problem for Clemson this season. With the suspension of n Young, the Tigers do not have a Jj eincrlf* CPTlinr r\n fhpir rr\cti*r liSlilSfSlCl 1 I ? H g AP National SEC Overall ? r | Ranking W L W L | jI Arkansas 6 1 17 3 I Kentucky. 5 2 15 4 j Alabama 4 3 16 4 c vs. I $ eeisemas s N.C. State 77-66 I c Georgia Tech 66-65 s Georgia Tech 80-81 . s. N.C. State 92-78 I 1 lorida State 67-68 | Ryan Sims/The Gamecock ort USC teams uble and pain Like Osean, Olivo finds her job to be very enjoyable, but admits that it is not without its problems. "Being on the road can be hard," she said. "It's hard to find time for yourself. You need to take a break sometimes, even for just 15 minutes. "Also, sometimes athletes feel that a trainer's presence is a right, not a privilege," she said. "Although, the women's basketball team is a great group of girls. They really treat me with a lot of respect." That respect is comes from women's head coach Nancy Wilson. "Trainers are a tremendous part of our program," she said. "This year we have several serious and nagging injuries. If we didn't have trainers, we would be in real * trouble." \ L.AKU MARA! SAL Februat Iheexlrd/nriile... Pmf Spo+tu*mo *20% OFF all reg. pric *10% OFF already rec Running Gear & Shoes 2821 Devine S Less than one mil rch-rival1 , ' '' ' || riaip -' ^ ^ Jk? m g| ':\< % jfi f^SEt JUM j^^K^KKKT m W .;;;;W T | SSH Ml Senior guard Jo Jo English makes lior guard Latrell Sprewell in the G >ama Tuesday. Gamecocks 1 iy AARON COUNCIL Staff Writer The Gamecocks, playing withlut their top scorer and rebounder, ;ave No. 22 Alabama a big suprise ^uesday night in the Tide's 83-81 ivertime victory. Jo Jo English led the Game:ocks with 30 points, and helped tage a second half comeback with tis brilliant shooting. USC got to within three points vith 14 seconds left and fouled %.. | ;Wm: HBM| ? Second-year physical education g telps freshman forward Jenny Ran( tttt: 1 LIINA rHON E! y 1-8 :ed merchandise iuced merchandise Aerobic Wear >t. 799-8841 e from campus Clemson 8F dip VI ?||[ * |j| $0jfsj j?? wMmum mm liifiii./ M J? Jfl ? /JM &L flU DB ' */^H B A'\ |POTC.f * ' |HHp Eric Glenn/The Gamecock a 3-pointer over Alabama's juamecock's overtime loss to Alaose in OT Alabama's Latrell Sprewell on the in-bounds pass. Sprewell missed both freethrows, and Carolina rebounded and headed up court. English then hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime tied at 72. "Coach Newton told me to be .L ~ *- 'i ^ rr .i uic Lraiier coming on tne screen and just shoot," English said. In the overtime period, however, USC was unable to pull off the win. O o o E iraduate student Jennifer Olivo dall stretch her knee. H ]Shov Enjoy the Excitem ORG. Thursda) ai (Enter /V Come to Either Meeting Track tear to compet By TIM THORSEN Staff Writer The USC track team travels to Gainesville, Fla. tomorrow to compete in the Barnett Bank Invitational. They will be competing against Southeastern Conference foes Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Also competing will be Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Head USC track coach Greg Kraft called the SEC the toughest conference in the country. SECmember Georgia saw its outdoor team finish 10th in the nation in 1991, yet the team was only ranked seventh in the SEC. , And the nation's reigning indoor and outdoor champions are SEC teams ? Arkansas won the indoor title, while Tennessee claimed the outdoor championship. "While it takes time for our athletes to adjust to the increased competition in the SEC, they are handling it well," Kraft said. V VIA avnA/%to tEa fantvt ivian aaiu 11^ wtptAaa uk> iwiii to continue improving over the next two to three years. The Gamecocks will lose only four of 28 athletes to graduation at the end of this season. Although Kraft said the GameWomen's t Arkansas \ in SEC sho By SEAN RYAN Staff Writer Last place was not what the Lady Gamecocks and the Lady Razorbacks of Arkansas had in mind when they began their inaugural season in the SEC. Both teams were coming off conference titles in the 1990-1991 season, USC in the Metro, and Arkansas in the Southwest. USC visits Arkansas in the first meeting between the two teams in a battle to stay out of the SEC basement, Saturday at 2 p.m. The Lady 'Backs enter the SEC matchup sporting a three-game losing streak, including an 81-6C blasting by West Virginia. Arkansas' record now stands at 8-9, 1-4 in the SEC. USC, pending the outcome of the Old Dominion game, is 8-10, and 1-6 in the conference, in last place. Arkansas is playing its ninth game without leading scorer and rebounder Sha Hopson, who reportedly failed to enroll in classes foi the spring semester. Hopson was averaging 18 points and six rebounds per game before hei departure. However, all was not lost for the team from Fayetteville, Ark. Senior point guard Amber Nicholas is averaging nine points, five rebounds and three steals each contest. She is the first UA player tc score 1,000 points and dish oul 500 assists in a career. Nicholas also is shooting a cool 97 percenl from the free-throw line. Be Pai I Caroline USC's Recruitin Be Part of Gam< Football's No i . _ I Ranked Re v Your School Pride ent of the Southea ANIZATIONAL MEE1 /, February 6th at 3pr\ ' Williams-Brice Stadii lain Gate, Directly Left of g - Meetings Will Last Api q adjusting itive SEC cocks are "young and in transition," there are several athletes who have turned in outstanding performances. Senior David Arnold is an NCAA All-American performer in the 400-meter hurdles. He also is running the 55-meter-high hurdles, which he recently ran in a lifetime best 7.40 seconds. Red-shirt freshman Adrian Bonner has had success in the 800- meter as well as other distances between the 400-meter and the mile. Freshman Tom Cronin has turned in the team's best time in the following three events: the 800-meter, the 1,500-meter and the 3,000-meter. Other standouts include senior Darrfn riiiuic tha 1QQA N/fdtrn v*i i^u t iiiv i y ?/ v/ xTivuv/ Conference champion in the pole vault, and sophomore Ron Willis, the conference leader in the 35-pound weight throw. Willis is coming off a championship in the U.S. Air Invitational in which he defeated the defending champion. After the Barnett Bank Invitational, the Gamecocks have two more meets to tune up for the SEC Championships Feb. 22 to 23 in Gainesville, Fla. earn to meet rnmnn oiijoit y uiiicii a yy aj >wdown Junior forward Blair Savage enters as UA's new leading scorer and rebounder with 11 points and six rebounds. The Lady 'Backs I also get help from freshman Stephanie Bloomer, who blocks just over one shot a game, while scoring seven points a game. [ Turnovers could once again be I the key statistic of the game. Arkr ansas has turned the ball over an ! unbelievable 66 times in its past two games. The teams quicktempo playing style has contri; buted to the turnovers. Turnovers have been down on Carolina's side, as Christi Timmons and Nikki Bass have made fewer mistakes. Wendy Moss and Brit Canty also have performed well at the guard spots. The key for Arkansas will be to i slow down junior center Marsha [ Williams. In SEC play, Williams is averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds. On the season, the All; American candidate is shooting 49 percent and has a total of 417 points for the year. Her current 23.2 average sets a Lady Game; cock record for highest scoring average, which stood at 22.7. ; Coach Nancy Wilson also could have a big weekend with a win against Arkansas. At press time, i Wilson is two wins away from vict tory number 350. A win in Fayeti teville added to a win against t ODU could give the Gamecock coach this milestone. rt of the ] Classics g Hostess Group 5COCk itionally icruiting Efforts! i and stern Conference! riNGS n or 7pm im r Gate 5) proximately 45 Minutes