Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Che ©amecoch Lady Gamecocks turn season around by Kyle Almond The Gamecock The South Carolina Lady Gamecocks came into SEC play with a dismal 4-8 record. But since starting conference play, USC has won three of its last four games and is play ing like a totally different team. Transfer Teresa Geter has been the dri ving force for the Lady Gamecocks over the winning stretch, and her performance Sunday at Alabama proves it. Geter scored a career-high 34 points for USC in route to a 82-67 win over the Crim son Tide. The win snapped a five-game home winning streak for Alabama and an 11 -game win streak over USC. The Lady Gamecocks hadn’t beat Alabama since 1988. “Any time you can get a win on the road in the SEC, you’ll take it,” Carolina head coach Susan Walvius said. “We’re very excited about beating Alabama.” The Lady Gamecocks responded after losing their first conference game of the jvujv/u juav uuw uujo vuiuu uguuiov nu. Tennessee. The Lady Vols blew out Car olina 99-45 at Thompson-Boling Arena. “I thought Teresa (Geter) played very well today,” Walvius said after the Alaba ma win. “She was disappointed in her last performance against Tennessee, and she re ally came to play.” Geter only had four points and four re bounds against Tennessee, the school she transferred to USC from. But in the team’s first two SEC games, against Arkansas and No. 20 Auburn, Geter was outstanding. In the Lady Gamecocks’ Jan. 7 battle with Auburn, the Columbia native scored 20 points on nine-of-13 shooting. She also added a career-high six blocks on the way to an 87-60 upset of the Tigers. Against Arkansas, Geter scored 10 points, grabbed eight boards and added five steals in the La dy Gamecocks’ 64-49 SEC-opening win. For her efforts against Arkansas and Auburn, Geter was named SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 8. Geter has been supported well by her teammates. The Lady Gamecocks are shoot ing the lights out from the field (54 percent against Auburn and 58 percent against Al abama in the second half), and down the stretch, they are hitting their free throws. In the first two games of SEC play, Car olina made a combined 26 out of 28 shots from the charity stripe. “We are playing better right now,” Walvius said. “We are not perfect, but this is a major step for us. The biggest difference is the health of Shaun Gortman and Teresa Geter. We are starting to understand the strengths that every player has and we are utilizing them on the floor.” Gortman has been a dependable second option for USC. Against Arkansas, Gort man scored a team-high 17 points, and against Auburn, the junior guard had 12 points and 10 rebounds. DtKor r.nnoeru'lzc ctonnorl nr* hirr for Carolina over the past few games. Ju nior Tatyana Troina scored a game-high 24 points against Auburn. Freshman point guard Nihan Anaz scored 13 at Tennessee. Center Petra Ujhelyi has been a consis tent rebounding force. The Lady Gamecocks look to contin ue their winning ways at Vandeibilt on Thurs day. Next Sunday, USC will return to Co lumbia to face Florida. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports® hotmail.com Sean Rayford The Gamecock Shaun Gortman rises for a lay-up. Gortman has helped lead USC to three wins in Its first four SEC games. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OVER THE BREAK Dec. 10 atDuquesne 6765L Bste-Shehu (DU): 27 points Dec 19 East Tennessee St 117-71W Lady Gamecocks: 4th highest point total ever Dec. 21 vs. North Carofaa 74-68 L G Brown (UNC): 27 points, 4 assists Dec. 28 atChariotte 6143 W Goitman,Anaz: 12pointseach Jan. 2 Ariansas 6649 W Gortman: 17 points, 6 rebounds Jan. 7 Auburn 87-60W Ttoina- 24 points, 5 rebounds Jan. 11 at Tennessee 9945 L Randall (UT): 28 points, 7 rebounds Jan. 14 at Alabama 82457 W Geten 34 points (Kyi 1FG, 11/13 FD Record overtrade (5-3,3-1 SBC) OVERALL FEDORD: (7-9,3-1 SBC) Smith hired to coach women’s soccer team by Brock Vergakis The Gamecock Looking to rebuild an ailing women’s soccer program, USC announced Thurs day that Rhode Island women’s soccer head coach Shelley Smith will take Car olina’s vacant head coaching position. Former head coach Sue Kelly resigned in No vember. Smith has been the head coach at Rhode Is land University for the past four sea --- sons and was SMITH named the 2000 NSCAA North east Region Coach of the Year. She was also the Atlantic 10 coach of the year. “I am very excited about the op portunity to coach for the university and in the SEC,” Smith said. “I was impressed with Athletics Director Mike McGee and his staff during the entire interview process and the support they give women’s soccer.” McGee is excited about bringing in some young coaching talent to the pro gram. “After performing a national search, we believe we have hired one of the finest young coaches in the collegiate ranks in Shelley Smith,” he said. “She has a good knowledge of soccer both as a player and a coach.” a a~„ — u:-~a c_:*u 1 11VV/I l/Vlllg 1111 VU) VI1 11111I1VU1 ately drew praise from the only men’s soccer coach Carolina has ever had, Mark Berson, who has led the men’s program to national prominence with 14 NCAA appearances in 23 years. • “It is a pleasure to welcome Shel ley Smith as our new women’s soccer coach,” Berson said. “She has done an outstanding job rebuilding the Rhode Is land program and fashioning it into a competitive force in the Northeast. She had an exceptional career as a player and continues to be one of the best young collegiate soccer coaches.” McGee hopes Smith will be able to bring the same reputation to the women’s soccer program that the men’s program enjoys. “We are excited to welcome her and her husband to the Gamecock family and are anxious for her to start work re vamping our women’s soccer pro gram. She and the men’s head coach, Mark Berson, are very familiar with each other and this should be a plus,” McGee said. The task of reshaping the women’s soccer team won’t be an easy one, but Smith has experience in building a win ner. At Rhode Island, Smith took a team that was 2-16 her first season to 12-6 in her second year. This year RIU made the Atlantic 10 semifinals for the first time in the program’s history. “I feel I can bring a lot of good qual ities to the program that will make them a contender as one of the top teams in the conference,” Smith said. “It’s a great opportunity, and it’s a great step in my career as a coach at a higher level.” Smith will be leaving the A-10 for one of the most competitive conferences in tne country. Florida has been a dominant force in the SEC, regularly being nationally ranked and recently winning a national championship. On the schedule this sea son for the Gamecocks was also a match with national powerhouse North Car olina, which became national champi ons once again this year. She has her work cut out for her to make Carolina competitive. Last year the Gamecocks finished 4-16 season and just 1-8 in the Southeastern Conference, and for the fourth time in the six years of the program’s existence, didn’t qual ify for the SEC’s postseason tournament. The sports desk can be reached at gameeocksports@hotmail.com SPRING 2001 SCHEDULE Event , Basketball Challenge Basketball Soccer Badminton Softball Bowling Team Bowling Racquetball Doubles Team Racquetball Floor Hockey Table Tennis Track Meet Tennis Doubles Entries Open Tues.1/16 Tues.1/16 Mon. 1/22 Mon. 1/29 Mon. 1/29 Mon. 2/12 Mon. 2/12 Mon. 2/19 Mon. 2/19 Mon. 2/26 Mon. 3/26 Mon. 4/9 Mon. 4/9 Entries Close Thu. 1/18 Thu. 1/25 Thu. 2/1 Thu. 2/8 Thu. 2/8 Thu. 2/22 Thu. 2/22 Thu. 3/1 Thu. 3/1 Thu. 3/8 Thu. 4/5 Thu. 4/19 Thu. 4/19 For more information contact the Office of Campus Recreation at 777-5261.