The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 14, 1996, Page 7, Image 7
Davis, Gam
LARRY WaiKUWf Staff Writer
The trio of Larry Davis, BJ McKie and
Melvin Watson earned the moniker "triple
trouble" this year for their formidable scoring
prowess.
Subtract Watson, add Malik Russell to the
mix, and what do you get? You guessed it.
Triple trouble.
Accounting for 71 points, the trio of Russell,
Davis and McKie led South Carolina's men's
basketball team to a 100-73 drubbing of the
Davidson Wildcats Wednesday in first round
action of the National Invitation Tournament.
The win, giving USC their 18th win overall,
guaranteed the Gamecocks yet another game
on their home court - where they are 15-1 this
season - against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
While Watson (who only attempted four
shots all night) was being harassed by Davidson's
defense, McKie and Russell were picking up
the slack, scoring 22 and 16 points, respectively.
But make no mistake ? this was Davis'
night. Big time.
Davis, who led his team in scoring for the
14th game this season, shot a red-hot 12 of 13
from the field and an even more blistering 7-7
from behind the three-point arc, rolling up 33
points, his second highest total of the season.
"We did a great job in the halfcourt offense
... my teammates did a great job," Davis said.
"Although it looked like an individual effort, it
was a team effort. I couldn't have gotten any
nf fKnao aknfa unfViAiif mu fAftmmofAo n
^^J^s^nsored by
% V^a ^ FREE Di
/- W^^m. >WN ni? AM
ne neeas Diooa to kc
Many people don't git
now, you do. Don't w
BLO
Monday, March
Open
SOUTI
sponsored by Gre
^ y\ .OLD
VI V11VOV OUVW TTllllUUb J l.ran Head
coach Eddie Fogler was pleased with
his team's emotion in the game, one which
easily could have been a continuation of the
lackluster effort in the SEC Tournament against
Arkansas.
"We played pretty darned good," Fogler said.
Tm pleased with the juice, the emotion that
we played with."
While many of the 7,168 fans in attendance
might not have considered the Wildcats a serious
threat, their opinions were quickly changed in
the opening moments of the first half.
Using a tenacious, pressing defense, Davidson
forced turnover after turnover in the first four
minutes of the half, running to an 8-0 lead with
16:51 left.
If Carolina fans weren't in the game earlier,
they certainly were by this point. The 500 to
800 standing red-and-blue clad Davidson fans
who made the trek from North Carolina made
their presence felt early and often.
USC got its first points of the evening on a
Ryan Stack score with 16:19 left and then went
on to out-score Davidson 15-5 over the four
minutes, taking a 17-13 lead with 12:29 left.
The Wildcats had their last lead of the game
uo you ki
L jjStk
HShp^s
... probably not. His name
lecocks nea
when they held a 25-23 margin with 7:0<
remaining. After that, the Gamecocks wen
fueled by McKie and Davis, who combined fc
score 16 of USC's final 22 points of the hall
Davis, who was just heating up, buried back
to-back three-pointers to fuel the run, whili
McKie sank nine straight free throws durin)
the stretch.
McKie. whn ornhheri a lnnae hell with iiia
seconds to go in the half, raced down the cour
and found Davis, who performed a spectacula
over-and-under act to put the ball into thi
basket, to put the fans into a frenzy and th<
Gamecocks into the locker room with a 45-3;
lead.
"(The shot) was just something tha
happened," Davis said. "I knew that there wai
a little time on the clock, the layup went in
and from there it was another boost for th<
second half."
Boost? You don't say.
As if they were set out to prove that theii
blistering first half shooting performance wai
no fluke, the Gamecocks sizzled the nets in thi
second half as well, shooting 69.4 percent fron
the floor.
Leading 59-48 with 11:17 left, the Gamecocki
dashed any hopes of a Wildcat comeback
outscoring 15-4 over the next four minutes t<
go up 74-52 and all but seal the victory.
Extending their lead to as much as 32 ovei
the last seven minutes, the Gamecocks wen
on cruise control, and with 37.5 seconds left ir
the game, the chanting got what they wantec
- a George score.
George Formanek, the junior and little-usec
is Trey Mills. He's 17 and t
>ep him healthy - to keep hi
re blood until they know sg
ait - Give blood before it's
>OD DRIVES
18TH 1:00PM-"
to everyone!
H TOWER LOBBY
lif# ( i f ^ ? M m
?e/c ure in nonor or ureeK we
> BAND HOUSE
USC Band, 511 Main Street
Drawings for N
inners for Two from... /
-3 Village Idiot 1
ID DillA. A DIMA
UbL center, though double-teamed m the paint
got the ball off and, in what was only fitting or
this night, scored.
With an 100-74 victoiy over Davidson, Foglei
said he was surprised at the ease with whicl
USC won.
"I never dreamed the score would be this
way," Fogler said. "We shot the ball great, w<
got inside, we used our strength and our powei
against a smaller under-manned team, but mj
guys certainly did a good job here tonight.'
With Wednesday's win, USC advances tc
the second round of the NTT. SBC foe Vanderbilt
whom USC played twice this year, comes t(
Frank McGuire Monday. The Commodores
beat Arkansas-Little Rock Wednesday night
USC beat the Commodores 87-83 in their firs'
meeting in Columbia, but lost 107-97 ir
Nashville.
Unofficially, tipoff will be 7:30 p.m.
flow this
r perfec
5 IHHnAi
e
0
e
1
t
t
Wf #1 :, t
r
ill
i
B^kvHiilli W 1^1
m jH
* ^^WKMmMF HHi
)
1
I
1 I
MM, jir
t ^
i
Junior guard Larry Davis, k
guy? 11
ias leukemia,
im alive,
imeone...
too late.
7: OOPM
tek
Sf
t in victory
Jflj fLg?
I 4
^%.v. '%,v
'" - ^fete ^v. -
x>klng to pass horo, scorod 33 points off
I oorlorcl
iwwmvi wa
in i
Garnet & Blac
The Gan
The Gi
WUSC
All positions require that applicants be
overall or minimum GPR required to r
is greater), and must have worked f<
equivalent experience). Applications a
on their application form, two letters c
Student Publicatior
Applications can be picked u
completed ap
<
b
5
Sti
over Davidson
^??n?nj^
'^vsj
W H | mmr /
ROBERT WALTON The Gamecock
12>for>13 shooting In Wodnosday's victory ovor Davidson.
iiiiHIIIlil
hip Positions
Student Media
k Quarterly Magazine Editor
lecock Summer Editor
amecock Fall Editor
FM Station Manager
junior or senior standing, have a minimum GPR of 2.50
emain in good standing in the major college (whichever
)r the respective organization for at least one year (or
re judged on their submitted samples of work responses
if reference, and a formal interview before the Board of
is and Communications on April 15.
ip in Russell House Room 331. Deadline for
plication is 3 p.m., April 3.
ident Media
SM. 3/14 I