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SOFTBALL USC's softball team opens its season at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., hosted by Arizona State. The Lady Gamecocks open play against No. 7 Texas 11a.m. today, and then against No. 2 Arizona at 5:30 p.m. Fridav. February 12. 1999 (^ otv^lino \jcl i wiiiia dwells in SEC cellar ? What a - Hiffprfvnpo n t\v e e k makes. winning two straight matches, I the Caroli_ll , David Cloninger na men s From the Cockpit basketball ? team has dropped three consecutive games to once again assert its stranglehold on the Southeastern Conference cellar. That's not what this week's column is nhfmt thniiaVi This is about the shameless referees who snatched a Gamecock defeat from the jaws of victory Wednesday night. Since Arkansas is a very tough team and is having a great year, I figured that Wednesday's game would be a blowout and that no effort by myself or my insane 'Pit friends would be enough to overcome this. Well, I was shut up at the opening tip-off, first because USC actually grabbed the tip, and secondly because it went to my personal punching bag, Bud Johnson. I was treated to another surprise as Carolina came out roaring, looking like an inspired and confident team for perhaps the first time all season. rrn ii. men tmngs turned uglier "I WAS than Monica treated to Lewinsky back- anothef ing out of pri outhouse. surprise SEC officials as Boudreaux, Hig- Carolina Ts7dA?'NeA! came out decided to get into the act f^a^ing, by whistling looking two quick fouls like an Sweet" McKie! illSPired both of which in- Convolved some ndent kindofchaigeor team for contact. perhaps The rule K book clearly the IlTSt states that a time all charge occurs season." whpn an nffpn sive player plows into a planted and motionless defensive player. With this definition in mind, the refs clearly saw how BJ ran into Arkansas forward Derek Hood, whose feet were off the floor at the time. Also, never mind that McKie got a swift kick in the unmentionables from Hood; it was still a foul. Of course, my friends and I cried bloody murder, and even a bit ruder than that, but when's the last time refs listened to fans? To borrow a line from fellow cellmate Shawn Singleton, refs are among the smartest people on Earth until they pull on that uniform. It's like Kryptonite on Superman. The officials proceeded to never call a foul on Arkansas, even when McKie was knocked down a record five times. He had to wear knee pads because of floor burns, for the love of God. Wouldn't you think this would bring a closer eye on Nolan Richardson's "40 Minutes of Hell" defense? Apparently not. Of course, the foul everybody saw was the McKie charge with 10 seconds left in the second half that basically lost the game 1 for USC. 1 Well, duh. The point is, if the . refs had actually blown the whistle in 3Q-nlns mirm+f>c Hofr>T-aVian^ Par olina wouldn't have been in that situation. Never before have I seen such flagrantly blown calls. The only reason I can think of to explain it is Arkansas already lost to Vanderbilt this week. God forbid they lose to another last-place team. That could upset the SEC power structure. Is it any coincidence one particular ref never blew another whistle on a Razorback after coach Nolan talked to him during a timeout? I think not. So thank you, Mr. Official, for robbing the fans and team of a victory that could've brightened a dismal season. * * s MEN'S TENNIS Carolina's No. 9 men's ten- / nis team lost Wednesday to A N.C. State, 4-3. Winning in ^ single matches for USC were Jerome Jourdon, Olof Akesson and Juan Gamboa. viuvnvir by Brock Vergakis Assistant Sports Editor In a hard-fought battle at Frank McGuire Arena, the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Carolina on Wednesday night, 72-66. A highly physical game resulted in two Arkansas players fouling out and an exhausted Gamecock squad afterward. "I expected a very physical basketball game," TTOr?? D T * K ~T/"* : J (jo*^ s Dd ivicrut; saiu. McKie led his team with 25 points, dominating scoring in the second half for USC (7-16 overall, 2-9 SEC) while facing continuous double- and triple-teaming by Arkansas (17-7,6-5). His scoring was so prevalent on the Gamecocks' scorecard that for a stretch of eight minutes, no other player for Carolina scored a single point. While his play in the second half boosted his own point totals, other Gamecocks suffered in that department. USC's other starters combined for only 10 shots in the second half, as McKie drove into the lane time and again. "He's got to get to the point where he pitches the ball more," USC coach Eddie Fogler said. The scoring distribution for Carolina in the second half was remarkably different from in the first. Herbert Lee Davis led all scorers in the first half with 10 points, yet he was unable to score in the second, missing his only shot. "I've got to trust my teammates when they get an open shot," McKie said. TTTl *1i1 />l 1 lllil wnue me uamecocKs were lea oy me same man who has taken charge all season, Arkansas received help from some unexpected players. Upset with a lack of senior leadership from stars Kareem Reid and Pat Bradley in last week's loss to Vanderbilt, Razorbacks' Head Coach Nolan Richardson decided to start freshmen in their places. Ultimately, three freshmen contributed 30 of Arkansas' points, led by T. J. Cleveland, who led all Arkansas scorers with 13. "We talked all week about our freshmen stepping up big for us," Richardson said. "If the team is sick and needs medication, you give it to them. I thought that our freshmen would be our medicine, and that turned out to be true tonight." In comparison to USC, the Razorbacks had the advantage of getting results from nearly every member of the team. Only one player for Arkansas didn't score. "Our defense was better tonight, but Spring 01; by Brock Vergakis Assistant Sports Editor The USC Olympic sports teams begin their seasons in earnest next week, with squads like baseball and track and field looking to build on past successes while others look to begin winning traditions. Men's and Women's Track and Field The USC men's track and field team has had one of its best starts ever. Last year, they finished in the top 10, and this year they want to finish even higher. Part of Carolina's advantage is that it now has an American record-holder in one of its throwers, Ryan Harrison. "We're so proud of him," Head Coach Curtis Frye said. The team has risen through the rankings, peaking at No. 2 this season. Carolina won't be intimidated by anyone and has ambitious, but very realistic goals. "Our goal is always to win an NCAA championship," Frye said. Returning for Carolina in the sprints is Terrence Tramell. Tramell broke a 16-year-old SEC record in the 55-meter hurdles last year, and looks to break some more records in 1999. He has already qualified for the NCAA championships this year. "Tramell is an outstanding athlete," Frye said. Other Gamecock qualifiers include Stanislavs Olijars and throwers Harrison, Bert Sorin and Brad Snyder. The women's, track team is just as talented. With a strong freshman class, USC looks to improve from its No. 11 finish last year and get into the top five. "Our kids have a possibility of beT * * Hfrirr Jophomore Michelle Dosson and the Lady Gan^ei >on and look to have success in postseason com 0amccock A opon The Gamecock -pork bat we still gave up too many easy shots," Fogler said. "When you have a lot of depth and a lot of talent, you can get away with things," McKie said. With the high-intensity game Arkansas plays, it's imperative that its opponent has depth to keep up. The Razorbacks utilized their pressure defense, forcing 19 turnovers on the night. Fatigue began to play a role for Carolina as the game went along and the physical defense by Arkansas started taking its toll. The Gamecocks played with an active roster of only nine players. While onlv 40 total fouls were called on both While the Gamecocks are destined to have a losing record, their coach tells them not to have a losing attitude. "We tiy to play as hard as we can every game and play with a lot of pride," Gallman said. ympic spo ing one of the top two or three teams in the nation," Frye said. Two of the team's freshmen sensations are twins Mikele and Me'Lisa Barber. As members of the 4x400-meter relay team, they have already broken a school record and qualified for the NCAA championships. In all, Mikele Barber holds three school records, while her sister holds two. "We have 23 new people on our team. They're young, and they're doing some great things," Frye said. Both the men's and women's track teams are looking to bring home SEC team championships and a host of individual national champions. If all falls into place, Carolina will have two national champions in one season. "We're trying to do snake eyes this year [No. 1 in men's and women's]," Frye said. Men's and Women's Golf The Carolina golf teams rarely receive a lot of publicity, but they're some of the best at USC. Coached by Puggy Blackmon, the men's squad has the ability to do great things this spring. "We have the talent and depth on this year's team to contend for the NCAA championship if our key players perform at All-American standards," Blackmon said. Blackmon has taken his past 14 teams to the NCAA championships. While some coaches might be pleased to be one of the top 20 teams in the country, Blackmon expects more. "We had a 15th-ranked team in the fall. We could be a lot better than that," he said. Success for the team only looks to grow, with the talented underclassmen it has. There's only one senior on the roster, Stewart Ginn. Regarding that kind of youth, Blackmon said, "The team we have is fairly unique." - * ***"' 'r mm*. 1:1| Spiff: II : " I? I | *?*. ~ ^ y ^ * Special to Tlic Gamecock cock swimmers are in the midst of their seaipetition. teams, there were several questionable no-calls on both sides. "It was a real physical game," USC's William Gallman said. The Gamecocks were knocked down physically and mentally by the Razorbacks. "The team gets disappointed when it comes up dry offensively," Fogler said. "They unintentionally stop competing. We're not tough enough to face adversity." Carolina held the lead for the first five minutes of the game but never regained it afterward. Several times in the second half, the Gamecocks came close to a tie, but each time Arkansas responded. trn j i I l 11 ?ivery time we gave tnem a puncn, tney countered and gave us a punch back," McKie said. Perhaps the biggest punch was self-inflicted. With less than a minute remaining and USC down by only three, McKie drove into the lane like he'd been doing all night but was called for a charge. The crowd, which had been in a loud, supportive frenzy, suddenly began to realize history was about to repeat itself. The Gamecocks were on their way to yet another loss, and Arkansas supporters began to sing "It's hard to be humble when you're an Arkansas Razorback fan." USC hopes to learn something from its loss and play just as competitively in the rest of their games, which include LSU and Kentucky. "If we win a couple, we can get a decent seed in the SEC tournament." McKie said. SCHEDULE Baseball vs. Davidson, p.m. Saturday and Sund Saige Frye Field. / Men's basketball at Kentucky, 4 pun. Saturd televised on IP Sports. tie goes t JM HK x Senior BJ McKie tries to get a shot off before block his shot. McKie led all scorers for Carolin; rts ready 1 The team's staff increased by one this year with the addition of Tom Shaw, a former NIKE Tour professional. "Fve not had an assistant since I've been here. Tom is going to be a great part of our staff," Blackmon said. The women's golf team will be making its mark this spring, as well. "I'm very proud of our acrnmnlishmpnts fhns far " HppH Pnnrh Kric+i Prior. gins said. The Lady Gamecocks have been ranked as high as 22nd nationally this year. "Going into spring, we're excited," Coggins said. "We've got a transfer from Tulsa currently ranked No. 2 in the country. She also spent three years on the Swedish National Team." The women's golf team will finish its fall schedule in Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 26-28. It will begin its spring season in the sunny Dominican Republic over spring break, March 12 and 13. Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving The swimming and diving teams at Carolina already have their regular seasons under their kJ*o 1 t J A A mens auu aic luuivuig tuiwaiu tu pusiscasuu competition. The men's team, ranked 24th, has proved itself in one of the toughest conferences in the country. "We're a week away from the SEC Championships in Lexington, Ky., and that's where we'll peak," Head Coach Keith Switzer said. The hours of hard practice are paying off for this youthful team, which has only four seniors. "We've been led through this year by the underclassmen," Switzer said. It doesn't hurt to have swimmers from all over the world competing and making a difference as freshmen. One of these is Hungarian native Zsolt Gasper. Gasper is not only ranked nationally in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, but is ranked on the world level as well and should have a good weekend in Lexington. The women's team hasn't been quite as successful this year but is still hoping to have a good cVinwincr at ttio STTP Phamninnchins "Wd'vd had a rough season this year," Head Coach Beth Harrell said. Due to the difficult task of swimming in the SEC, the women's record is not as good as they'd hoped for, but it does give them hope. "We finally have a chance to break in and move up in the conference," Harrell said. One of the women's team's strengths has been its divers. Michelle Davison goes to Lexington as a defending conference champion. "She may be one of the best divers in the history of this school," diving coach Todd Sherritt said. Men's and Women's Tennis At USC's 1999 Spring Sports Press O inference, both men's and women's tennis coaches introduced NATE SAYS... 1:30 Nate says American Airlines lay, saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served on firstclass flights. The company's lay, pilots were ordered by a federal judge Wednesday to end a "sick strike." Page 7 O'Hogs W ^ wmmF^titLA iF*t^P*I*^4^^MHB|^Ep(fM ^jKife* dKjjfl JK^ &g "'" mB ig SHli jVfl it jir^.j& m ?4m y^fl r V(fl9ln^^^ it v^Hk? __ ^Hm, vh9K V .>^'-|k, ^8H AKH^, WaHif aL h **'^^H|Hph^H Sean Rayford l'hoto Editor Derek Hood of Arkansas has a chance to a with 25 in their loss to the Razorbacks. for action what each called the strongest teams they'd seen in years. Ranked No. 1 in Region II, the men's team i x i AL . i. c <i i* .1 nupes lo piace in me lop nve in tne nanon tnis year. However, Head Coach Kent DeMars leads Carolina into one of its toughest schedules. As the fourth-ranked team in the SEC, it faces tough competition, as three of the top five teams nationally are also in its conference. The nation's No. 1-ranked team, Stanford, is also scheduled. The absence of seniors on. the team "bodes well for next year," DeMars said, but it puts the pressure on the juniors this year. This year's starting lineup includes Jerome Jourdon, a GTE AilAmerican, Vladimir Pavicevic, the 1998 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rookie of the Year, Guillaume Legat and Olof Akesson. The Gamecocks also boast their recent transfer from Tennessee, Juan Gamboa. An important tournament coming up for the men is the ITA National Team Indoors Championship, where the top 16 teams in the nation play. With three of his plavers ranked amone the top 20 in the nation, "We line up well with the other teams," DeMars said. The women's tennis team has its work cut out for it, too. "We've got one of the toughest schedules in the country this year," Head Coach Arlo Elkins said. The Lady Gamecocks will be a strong contender in the SEC. Leading the way is senior Celine Regnier, who finished last season ranked No. 80 in the country. Regnier and freshman Katarina Markovski will pair up for doubles. Along with being the strongest team Elkins has seen here, "It's also one of the youngest teams I've had," he said. Four freshmen will help fill the six starting positions. Tamara Sutton, ranked No. 5 in Florida last year, Jennifer Radman and Lynn-Yin Tan round out the freshmen starters. Leigh Eichelberger, a returning sophomore, will complete the lineup. The women must play powerhouses in their own conference, including Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Georgia. The wonjen's first SEC match will be Feb. 21 against Kentucky at the Indoor Tennis Center. The men face off with Alabama March 5 in their first home SEC match. The men's next regional home match will be Feb. 26 against Davidson at the Sam Daniels Tennis Center. Staff Writer Emily Gifford^contributed to this article.