The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 14, 1996, Page 14, Image 14
14
Gamecoi
ROBBIE MEEK Sports Editor
When South Carolina's game with
Louisiana State University started or
Saturday, it looked as if the Gamecocks
chances at a NCAA berth were fading
The fans' excitement of the possiblj
renewed Carolina basketball tradition
had started to settle down.
The Gamecocks were coming off a
four-game span that included losses
at Kentucky, Arkansas and Auburn.
The fourth game was a bad showing
against huge underdog Wofford.
Saturday's game ended all that.
By the time the 2 p.m. contest had
concluded, the Gamecocks, now 11-1
at home this season, had turned in
their largest SEC victory margin ever.
With the win, the Gamecocks (13-7.
6-5 SEC) have regained their
momentum and are still chasing a
NCAA bid.
Tonight, Carolina plays the final
game of their nonconference schedule
against the Georgia Southern Eagles
in the Frank McGuire arena. The
Eagles enter tonight's game at 3-19
coming off a 67-63 loss to the Citadel
Monday night.
Carolina will once again look to
their back court, which consists ol
Larry Davis, Melvin Watson and BJ
McKie, to lead the way. Davis is fourth
in the SEC in scoring with 18.2 points
per game. The junior AD-SEC candidate
is also hittmer on 2.2 three-Dointers
per game, and is second in the SEC
in free-throw percentage with a rating
of 81.8 percent.
Sophomore Melvin Watson, also a
All-SEC candidate, is averaging 13.3
ppg and 4.6 assists per game. The point
guard has averaged 7.3 apg over the
last four games.
Freshman Ail-American BJ McKie
is averaging 14.2 ppg. McKie has
averaged 20.5 ppg and is hitting 53
percent of his three-pointers over the
last four games.
Nate Wilbourne will get the start
at the center position. The junior is
averaging 12.1 ppg and 5.8 rebounds
per game. Wilbourne was having a
strong season before he was sidelined
by a midseason injury. He was leading
the team in rebounds and was second
in scoring at the time of the injury.
Freshman All-SEC candidate Bud
Johnson will rotate with Wilbourne
Letterman 1
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK ? David Letterman, a
longtime Indy-car fan, confirmed
Tuesday night he has became a minor
partner of Bobby Rahal's auto racing
team.
"Having grown up in Indianapolis
and been in love with racing and its
heroes for as long as I can remember,
ifs literally a dream come true for me
to become this much a part of a sport
that has meant so much to me," he
said.
The television talk show host made
the announcement at a Mercedes-Benz
dealership in Manhattan along with
Rahal, the team's majority owner and
principal driver.
mi
The Uni
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Frequent guest
& Billy ",
The Laughm^er from Showtin
and Comic Strip Live
Appearing now thru Sunfa
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i Point guard Melvin Watson and I
soar over the Eagles tonight in th
p at center. He is averaging 6.7 ppg and
1.6 blocks per game. Johnson leads
the team with 6.1 rpg.
The Gamecocks will be looking to
shut out the Eagles early and from
there use the frame as a buildin? hlock
buys into In
"I'm thrilled with the team,"
Letterman said. "They've promised
me my own air wrench."
Lettennan joins actor Paul Newman
and former pro football stars Walter
Payton and Joe Montana as celebrity
part-owners of Indy-car teams.
Rahal, a three-time PPG Indy Car
World Series champion and the 1986
Indianapolis 500 winner, reorganized
his team this season after ending a
four-year partnership with Carl Hogan.
He also hired 25-year-old Bryan Herta
as his teammate for 1996.
Rahal said he and Letterman began
talking about a partnership after they
met in 1986.
"We agreed that if the time was
ent Media
versity of South Caroli
on ihe John Boy
Big Show"
ay are NON-SMOKING.
ifOJSFORDINNER
SPO]
h for NCAi
ma^m \
ROBERT WALTON The Gamecock P
lis Gamecock teammates will try to
e Frank McGuire Arena.
ii
for the rest of the season, which indudes \
three road games. The Gamecocks are 0
1-5 on the road this season. jj
Tonight's game tips off at 7:30 p.m. s
The Gamecocks play at Vanderbilt on 4
Saturday at 8:30 p.m. b
s
dy-car team ?
ever right, we'd give it some serious r
consideration," Rahal said. "With my
starting the new team, it finally seemed 0
to make sense. And now, here we are. v
"From a marketing standpoint, if s j
an outstanding opportunity for the c
team and our sponsors. Ifs also going
to be a lot of fun. Dave is far from a
casual observer of motor sports. He's i
been with us at a number of races Jj
already, and is an informed and |
knowledgeable enthusiast We're looking
forward to his active contributions." j|
Rahal, 42, will field Mercedes- i
powered Reynard Indy cars this season, \\
The team, headquartered in Dublin,
Ohio, will begin the 16-race 1996 season
on March 3 at Homestead, Fla.
j
na
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6
Gamecocks ^
(RYAN JOHNSTON Staff Writer ;
The cool weather and the high score '
/ould have been perfect for a Saturday ]
iternoon football game, but the reality >
/as it was baseball. Behind a five3r-five
hitting day from Eric Stanton, 1
JSC defeated UNC-Charlotte 17-13
\iesday at a chilly Sarge Frey Field. 1
TVio turn to q m c >>nmkinorl fnr .10
uns, 27 hits, five errors, eight pitchers, 1
even hit batsmen and 18 walks in a
ame that even USC head coach June 1
taines called "ugly."
"If s good to win ugly, and that was
n ugly ball game on both sides," Raines
aid. "You expect some ugly ball games
arly in the season, and I was very
leased with it, but our pitching has
0 get better."
The runs came fast and furiously
1 the first three innings for both teams.
JNCC took a 1-0 lead into the bottom
f the second when the two teams lit
t up. The Gamecocks started off by
coring five runs off three hits. The
9ers retaliated in the top of the third
y sending 13 batters to the plate and
cored seven runs off of six hits.
UNCC was already on their third
titcher in the third inning when the
lamecocks sent 10 batters of their
wn to the plate, producing six more
uns.
With the bases loaded and no one
ut, USC's next six batters came up
rith six RBFs off only one hit Catcher
lyan Bordenick reached on a fielder's
hoice, driving in Stanton. Jason 1
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"G~4 F 35
'ry Davis Duane Goel
3190 6-4183
* , , L
G10 G 5
in Watson Ryan Parki
2195 5-10152
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~G3 I I G 24
I McKie Brian Walla
i-2185 | 6-4199
vin ugly, imj
\rbinger and Etienne Hightower then
Doth reached on walks to drive in two
more runs. Ryan Szwejbka then drove
m Bordenick with a sacrifice fly.
Hie one hit recorded in this stretch
belonged to left fielder Mark Mapes.
His single scored Arbinger to make
he score 10-8. Designated hitter Scott
Weil's sacrifice fly drove in Hightower
to finish the scoring for the inning.
The game then settled down for a
vhile, until the fifth inning. The two
teams combined for seven more runs.
r T*rn n i o /? rvi
UlNUU scored iour runs 01 unver
Harwas (W 1-0), the fourth of five
Gamecock pitchers, to tie the score at
L2.
In the bottom half of the inning,
[JSC started off the inning with Mapes
aeing hit by a Joe Lopez (L 0-1) pitch.
\fter Weil walked, the Gamecocks put
he game away with a Stanton threerun
homerun over the left field fence.
"It was a fastball, inside, and I kind
)f got jammed on it," said Stanton. "I
vas kind of surprised it got out of here.
[ thought it was a fly ball, but luckily
t got out."
The Gamecocks got a great game
From left fielder Mark Mapes. His
bur-for-four hitting drove in three of
[JSC's runs.
But the player-of-the-day had to
3e Eric Stanton.
In only his third collegiate game,
;he freshman first baseman from
dewberry, SC, went five-for-five with
hree singles, a double and the threetin
homerun. The homerun was the
I The Student Gi
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first of his career.
"Eric Stanton has a chance to be a
fine, fine ballplayer before he leaves
here," Raines said. "He's going to be
big, he's strong, he's got a good eye at
the plate. He's just going to be an
outstanding player and I'm going to
turn him loose and let him swing the
bat."
"It feels pretty good," Stanton said.
"It's real different from high school,
but so far if s been good and Fm happy
to be here."
For the season, Stanton is batting
.538 (7-13), has one homerun, four
RBFs and has a perfect fielding average.
But this doesn't keep him for
wanting to accomplish more.
"You never want to get complacent,
and I always want to do better, but I
feel I've done my job so far and just
want to keep doing it," Stanton said.
The Gamecocks, 2-1, travel to
Jacksonville, Fla this weekend to play
four games in three days. They play
Florida International on Friday,
Jacksonville and FIU on Saturday,
and Jacksonville again on Sunday.
For USC to be successful, Coach
Raines has no doubt as to what must
happen.
"Our pitching's got to do a better
job. We've got to find some pitchers
who'll come in there and challenge
people."
If the Gamecocks can find some
pitching and keep the bats knocking
in the runs, USC should be in good
shape for the long season.
imecock Club is adding member
aen's basketball games. The project
id during the 1996-97 season, but
le rest of this season. If you have
e interested in joining the Student
ill Tripp Penn at 777-4276.
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