Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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MCKIE'S MARCH Senior BJ McKie needs only 13 points to be the first Carolina player to ever score 2,000 points. Stay tuned for McKie's march into the record books. Page 6 Carol to No by Brock Vergakis Assistant Sports Editor USC's two-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night when the sixth-ranked Auburn Tigers annihilated the Gamecocks at Frank McGuire Arena, 76-48. In front of nearly 10,000 fans, Carolina played one of their worst games of the year against one of the best teams in the nation. Coming into the game, Auburn had won as many games as USC had played all season. "They're better in person than they are on tape, and they're pretty good on tape," said USC Head Coach Eddie Fogler. "They're a legitimate contender for the NCAA and SEC championship," USC's BJ McKie said. Fogler had little praise for his team after the game. "The only thing we did well was we broke their press," he said. "I didn't think anybody played real well." With the suspension of LeRon Williams and injuries to Antonio Grant and Tony Kitchings, Carolina's inside game has been severely weakened. Instead of playing with a full roster of 12, USC is down to only nine players, including three freshmen. "We're hurting with depth, obviously," Fogler said. Auburn took advantage of that weakness. USC only managed seven offensive rebounds the entire game, while the Tigers took 30 defensive boards. "They're the best offensive rebounding team in the country, and the stats show that," Fogler said. "They go every time. When you go every time, you're going to get those boards," Carolina forward William Gallman said. Ross score by Charlie Wallace Assistant Sports Editor For the first time in his short car South Carolina Gamecock, sophomoi David Ross led USC in scoring. However, his 14-point performance day night wasn't nearly enough, as tl Auburn Tigers destroyed the Gamecc 48. When a player has a career-high usually means one of two things. Either he helped his team immen: spurred them to victory or at least 1 game close, or his point productio rare beacon of light in a blowout loss. Walvieball by Nathan Brown Sports Editor The Lady Gamecocks almost upse Georgia Wednesday night, losing 62-58.1 key word in that sentence is "almost." adage goes, "almost" counts only in hors and hand grenades. But the way Georgia coach Andy L talked afterward, the contest was nothin than a war, and one that could have in hand grenades, with Carolina winning i the battles. "They [USC] outplayed us," Lander "Our guards blew up." Georgia's guards were shot down, or couldn't get their shots to go down, bee; the frenzied USC defense. Both members of Georgia's twin tan Kelly and Coco Miller, the third- and- fift ing scorers in the SEC, respectively held under their season averages in poi fact, the UGA team scored 16.6 fewer than their season average. "Georgia is leading the country in o I believe," USC coach Susan Walvius s* "We held them to 62 points. Defens bounding was the name of the game. Th; best defensive performance we've had keep playing the defense we did today, w< the rest of our SEC games." Carolina supported its strong d< with a swift and decisive blitzkrieg-style c leading the charge was freshman Shai ki Gortman, who racked up a team-h points and five assists. Gortman and her colleagues led the until UGA tied the contest at 58 wit i If you're interested in w are currently a writei Tuesday. Please come tc p.m. and 6 p.m. The mee TRACK AND FIELD The Gamecock women are ranked No. 2 in the countr by the United States Track Coaches Association. The team travels to Indianapolis for the Cannoi IV Invitational this weekem ina k >. 6 Ai Because of the absence of USC' post players, Bud Johnson was forcet to play most of the game for th< Gamecocks, getting more minutei (31) on the court than anybody els< on either team. Fatigue probabb played a part in his poor performance Johnson had only one point and n< offensive rebounds. As frustrating as the season hai been all year for USC's players, theii troubles weren't helped by the Car olina "faithful." One student nea: courtside vented his frustrations b yelling, "Ref, please toss Bud [John son]. Give us a break." Apparently, students weren't the only ones to show their disappoint ment with the team. With 7:20 re maining in the game, the crowd be j. _ _ *111 J1 _ _ gan 10 quicKiy awinaie as masses o people headed toward the exits. Mos' of the rest left after the next timeoui at the 5:20 mark, with Carolina dowr by 29. "[The fans] have their own opin ions. We're the South Carolina has ketball team. We're in it together anc don't worry about outside influences,' the Gamecocks' David Ross said Surprisingly, Ross was one of th< few bright spots for the Gamecocks on a dismal night. Ross, who ordi narily doesn't get much playing time led all USC scorers with 14 points "In a game like this, everybod) deserves to play," Fogler said. "I try to come out and play hard every time I get an opportunity tc play," Ross said. ~ What seemed to differentiate Ross scoring was his choice of shots. Mosl of the shots Carolina took were near the paint, where AU 7-footer Mamadou Ndiaye waited to contest nearly everyone of them. s career h: For Ross and the Game the case. eer as a Despite playing 19 mil e guard from the (including: range) and grabbing three Wednes- cocks still lost by 28 poii he No. 6 ketball team is having pr< >cks 76- The problems are so other players to score in < game, it BJ McKie and William G; 10 points, respectively, sely and McKie is Carolina's al cept the er, so scoring is expected \ n was a Gallman has played w< box score doesn't really ra loses to left. Then, with only 18.8 se took the lead by two. t No On the ensuing USC pc 3 , edly the most important of Au ,, 8 chose no one other than Gi S, 6 shot. With the clock counti es oes drove to the hole, spinning, ?nHpr<; throwing up a shot thai anQer UGA defender. ?,m?r j "When I was making th nost of defender] until I < man said. "That was the p , saw it, I had to drive it and "We executed that [las rather wajr we wante^'" Walvius nf blocked. But nine out of 101 llloC Ul I* i get over somebody and put t jpni nf Landers wasn't surpris h lead- play choice were "On the last play of the nts. In olina did wnat tney nad b points night with ? they took it r Landers said, ffense, The Lady Gamecocks v lid. sailant in the game, though, iive re- had a propensity for hurtir it's the poor shooting. . If we For a team that leads i ell win foul shoots, the 'Dogs' 44. there was mind-boggling. ] efense cold at the foul line, they we iffense. 3-point arch, where they wi mzins- "I think they were prett igh 17 whole game," Gortman saic The Lady Gamecocks loo game son Tide Sunday when they h 1:53 The tip-off is set for 3 p.m. riting for the Sports sec r, there's a mandator > the newsroom anytime ting should last only 15 ?>t Thi ills 1 JDurn s However, Ross' shots, including i two 3-pointers, were usually in the 3 open court. His shot selection gave 3 him the best shooting percentage on 5 the team, at 60 percent. j Normally USC's 3-point threat, McKie went only l-of-5 from beyond ) the 3-point line. He also shot just 17 percent from the field, yet still took 3 more shots than anyone else on the r team. Carolina had only three players r to score more than three points. / "They're [Auburn]better than I thought they were," Gallman said. USC's poor offensive performance led ; to a cycle of poor defensive perfor mance. "When we have trouble offensively, it reflects on the defensive f end," Ross said. Fogler echoed that t sentiment. "We struggled defensivet ly, and when we can't score, it seems i to take our enthusiasm," Fogler said. Even when Auburn put its bench in with three minutes remaining, - Carolina managed to score just five 1 points. "It's the best Auburn team I've seen since I've been in this league," Fogler said. "They are cer3 tainly deserving of their national > ranking." Should USC win the remainder , of their games, including the SEC tournament, their record would still r only be 18-14. Auburn won 20 games before the end of January. I The Gamecocks now look to i bounce back Saturday against Georgia in Athens. "We have to be ready for Georgia ; and hopefully put things together," McKie said. "We can be the giantTrill/M*!? 'I'llada ^anmc 4-lir?4- ay?a am 4-1-?a iyiucio. 11 ivoc i/caiiio tiiat aic un uic bubble, we can be the ones that spoil their fun." igh, lone h: >cocks, the latter was But Ross' out] is from St. Peters lutes, going 6-for-10 test averaging 1.1 2-for-3 from 3-point assists per game rebounds, the Game- Down 144 wil its. Carolina's bas- Eddie Fogler tun iblems. Ross for junior gi bad that the only Thirty second double figures were er. illman, with 11 and Carolina's del other end of the 1-time leading scor- jumper from the from him. session. Just like ell as of late, and his of USC's points, ion on nirnKi'mir omrnn of 1 Q loc C4A1 CJ'CUiUVV. OCVCI1 Ctb X\J~xJ. UGA Wa conds left, the Dogs by Stevae W Jssession, undoubt- Staff Writer the game, Walvius " ' oilman to take the y.SC finishec ng down, Gortman cruiting with tt twisting and final- Football, Derek t was blocked by a '^ie f?p-sheli state career rus e drive, I didn't see 88 touchdov 5hot the ball," Gort- and 44 touchdov lay. Coach said if I topped off that take it." setting 275 yards t play] exactly the Shrine Bowl, said. "The shot got After getting imes, Gortman will narrowed his co he ball in the hole." Tennessee. Ear] ;ed with Carolina's cocks but later r On signing d ; game, South Car- again and opted een hurting us all While it was ight down the gut," Lou Holtz and hi file recruit, Wal weren't the lone as- attraction in thi The Lady Bulldogs Ryan Brewer ai lg themselves with and nationally r "If we did pri :he SEC in making recruit with an; 4 percentage from of South Carolin; But if Georgia was chose this unive re frigid behind the right reasons. T ent 0-for-7. they want USC ;y much rattled the to compete agai: 1. ence and to take k to rattle the Crim- olina to heights travel to Alabama. One player d reach those heig =========1 the No. 2 fullba< tion or you 6 feet and 260 po y meeting horse who can v. between 3 Also, his bru misleading for v minutes. ,^+v, a c an ? yjj ttimi ~x.\j v"* wi 'I like a halfback. Bamccock "HE mrfc ^ ILIi in s W and Sun* 8 Gamecock ^r >;:. **>*?: ,?a*g| ^p. BBr ? ,UM * 19 A ^#?!W?aaji?MF .? jmH^9 R#SrF JBff^Mt^B:Mm M Ills * ;3<s HOI* jffk^S^ri flF Jt| 11l.f iBte^I>: Vvvs mm flnr s ?vjl Wiiir sQu up j| Senior William Gallman gets fouled in Wednesday's loss ighlight in Carolir put was a surprise, Ross, who On his performance, Ross iburg, Fla., came into the con- come out and play hard every t; 1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.4 portunity to play." Ross wouldn't score again i th 12:30 left in first half, Coach partly because he played only aed to his bench and inserted stanza aard Herbert Lee Davis. u -+u r r d , , ? i i n . However, with Carolina do^ is later, Ross nailed a 3-point- , , , ,, A . break, he would get more playii ense then held Auburn at the ^ ?amefloor, and Ross sank a 6-foot Ross went on to make anc baseline on the ensuing pos- 311(1 several other impressive s that, Ross had more then half ond half, but the game wasn bringing his team to within Auburn proved to be too quick i the Gamecocks. tson comes eible "He gained 240 yards i onship game on just six carrie: _ . you can't give him the ball in 1 strong down the stretch in re- y q, h rt M ? H ]t ic aumtiuu ui mc swic o i?xx. Brewer, Ohio's Mr. Footb Watson. jn great company. Former si running back prospect set the earned that award include CI hing record with 6,766 yards Curtis Enig) Andy Katzenmo; ms. He rushed for 2,571 yards big ^ Robert Smith, wis his senior season. Watson Brewer is a north-south p< performance with a record- ajs0 Ras the break-away speec s rushing in the annual all-star back. He runs the 40 in 4.4 se "Ryan is the most intense I national attention, Watson have ever been around," said! liege options to Carolina and high school coach. "He has gr ly on, he opted for the Game- js next to impossible to tack ecanted. - standing power and speed. H( ay, Watson changed his mind big individual." for USC. As for the prospects who o a major victory for USC coach state this year, Holtz doesn't fa is staff to sign such a high-pro- coaches. ;son wasn't the only national "We have to do a better job s class. Andrew Pinnock and that this place is as good as an e also two highly recognized he said. "We will always recrui ated signees. very hard." 3ve one thing, it's that we can Holtz said that the unive /body here at the University high percentage of the athletes a," Jrloltz said. 'The people who that there were many visits n rsity are coming here for the said it was a difficult year foi hey are coming here because cause the staff started so late on their diploma, the chance "We had no staff," he said, nst the Southeastern Confer- ing to put a staff together for : the University of South Car- to salvage a year. It took a lo unknown." staff together, but we felt lit efinitely looking to help USC good teachers. And if you gel hts is Pinnock, who's rated as they will be good recruiters." :k prospect in the country. At The coach also praises h unds, Pinnock is a diesel work- being very competitive and ha> ^ear defenses down. istry. "They've responded and w ising fullback frame might be he said, rauld-be tacklers, as he blows The freshman class rounc e 40-yard dash) speed. He runs ented recruits. Most of them w major schools, and the fact t DULE NATE SAYS... basketball vs. Georgia, Nate says USC's men's i. Saturday, at swimming and diving team broke into the Top 25 for baseball vs. College of ^rst ^me Year a^er )n, 1:30 p.m. Saturday defeating Alabama by 59 day, Saige Frye Field Points Saturday. The SEC has six teams ranked in the Top 25. Friday, February 5, 1999 Ml ff fj w W:f Mk % imsHm* *il^ iW' 1 ^ S( itrix s - -S| RsFlaM 'J?F IF$ ifm W?'.% '"M&k. 19^HF&? % .. 19 ?# Jk ?P-- . .' ;'A fiiLfw&^P1' W Am | V Hpp^ HB ^^^k^mhbh|emp f4ffij& :$J| ^1 SpF MBS VjjV^ ^||^| ftPr^ P^ ^ JU^^H Sean Rayford Pholo Editor s to No. 6 Auburn. He finished with 10 points. la's loss to Tigers ; said, "I try to "That's the best Auburn team I've seen since ime I get an op- I've been in this league," Fogler said. Ross' previous best game came in another n the first half, blowout loss, when he scored eight against Infive minutes in ^iana earlier this season. But take away Ross' output against the Tigers, and Carolina would've vn att e jost 76-34. This situation is nothing new to the ig time later on ... , , *T , ^ Gamecocks this year, though. Never before has ither 3-pointer spring been so hard for USC to come by. hots in the sec- Different players have stepped up all year, 't in doubt, as but with the losses of players to injuries and and athletic for suspensions, every Gamecock will have to "play" every game irom here on. to Carolina n the champi- USC symbolizes just a few early returns on the 5, which tells me dividends of having a big-name football i their territory, coach. z said. For example, Rod Thomas, a 6-foot-l, 218lall last year, is pound outstanding linebacker prospect, chose ;ar players who USC over Syracuse, Kansas State, Oklahoma, larles Woodson, Alabama, Virginia, Florida and Florida State, per, Bobby Hoy- Michael Ages, a talented offensive/defensive back, chose USC over Boston College, Georjwer runner but gia Tech and Georgia. I to be a big-play As of press time, there was one highly reconds. cruited player who hadn't made up his mind football player I yet about coming to USC. Steve Nolan, his Quentin Brown, who made a substantial eat balance and impact in the state of Texas in both football and :le. He has out- track and field, is thought of as one of the most ;'s just an amaz- outstanding defensive players nationwide. But for now, the nation will just have to wait to find pted to go out of out where hell be going to school. ._1a al TT-1a al i.:ll ? C -a 1?? uii uiem ui meir noiiz says mere are sum a iew recruits wau haven't qualified, but that there are also of showing them some very good students. Asked about those y in the nation," yet to qualify, Holtz said, "We wouldn't have t this state very, signed an individual if we didn't think he would qualify." rsity retained a Holtz's plans for getting the winter program who visited, but started with his players is to improve them all ot used. He also fundamentally, teach them the system, evalr recruiting, be- uate them and then put a team together. "We are starting out with a 1-10 team," KD..J. T >i. TT-ii. : J 3 _i out i wasn i go- nuiiz saiu. iiuayetu we upen up aim pxay oigut expediency just bowl teams. Three of the first four are on the ng time to get a road against bowl teams. We've got a lot of work :e we would get to do." ; good teachers, Holtz has a plan to add some excitement to this football program. He believes in doing is new staff for what it takes to succeed, which means putting ^ing great chem- the best man in each position, without regard orked real hard," to his classification. "I'll tell you this, these freshmen coming in Is out at 23 tal- here are going to get a chance to prove that they rere recruited by can play in the fall," he said. "I'm not opposed hey're a part of to playing freshmen."