University of South Carolina Libraries
'(Che ©amecock USC track team to host its first meet of indoor season ■ Top athletes to take meet off, rest for next week's conference championships BY MANESHKA Eliatamby The Gamecock As the indoor season draws to a close, the Gamecock track and field team will be competing on their home turf this weekend for the first time this year. USC will host the Gamecock Indoor Invitational on Saturday, its last compe tition before the team heads for the final showdown of the indoor season - the SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 24-25 in Lexington, Ky. USC’s track team, which has com ^peted throughout the winter, might not show off their maximum strength at this weekend’s meet. Head coach Curtis Frye is going to rest most of the athletes who will be in action at the conference championships. “The athletes have had a long and hard winter of competition, and I want them to take a break before the SEC In door Championships,” said Frye, who is also wary of his own indoor running sur face. “The risk of injury is high on this track since it is made of an extremely hard sub stance, and I don’t want to take chance with those going into the meet next week,” Frye said. Demetria Wishington, Miki Barber and Pap Howard are among the athletes that will be taking the week end off from competition. However, Gamecock fans won’t be ^vithout a good show. Sprinter Mechelle ^-ewis returns to the track after a three week break because of injury. She will compete in both the 60 and 200-meter events. Lewis will be joined in those events by teammate Lisa Barber. On the men’s side, Corey Taylor will be in action in the 60-meter hurdles event, while Andre Totton will participate in the 60 and 200- meter sprints. Despite missing their top athletes, Frye still insists the meet is a can’t miss. ‘This has always been a nice meet because the facility is tight, so it gives you a chance to see a little bit of everything.’ Curtis Frye USC Track and Field Head Coach “The meet this weekend will be a good one with our field events and some of our shorter sprints competing,” Frye said. “We are excited to welcome Dawn Ellerbe (former Gamecock, NCAA champion and 2000 Olympian) back to Columbia, who will compete in the weight. “It will be agood time to see our pole vaulters, including our newest school record holder, Chris Steddum. Football fans will also have a chance to see five of the guys (Deandre’ Eiland, Langston Moore, C.J. Frye, James Adkisson and Brian Elam) competing in the sprints, hurdles and throws. This has always been a nice meet because the facility is tight, so it gives you a chance to see a bit of everything.” Frye adds that although the top Game cocks won’t be in action, they will still “be there all day ready to talk track and sign autographs.” Competition is slated to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with the pole vault. The meet is held in the Indoor Practice Fa cility, located next to the soccer stadium. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com Gamecock Indoor Open Schedule of Events Saturday, Feb. 17 USC Indoor Complex ■ Field Events: 10 a.m. Pole Vault 11 a.m. Weights 11a.m. High Jump 11 a.m. Long Jump 1:30 p.m. Shot Put 2:30 p.m. Triple Jump ■ Track Events: Starting from 1 p.m, (order of events) 55m Hurdles Women (semifinals) 55m Hurdles Men (semifinals) 55m Dash Women (semifinals) 55m Dash Men (semifinals) 55m Hurdles Women (finals) 55m Hurdles Men (finals) 55m Dash Women (finals) 55m Dash Men (finals) Mile Run Women (followed by men) 400m Dash Women (followed by men) 600m Dash Women (followed by men) 800m Run Women (followed by men) 3000m Run Women (followed by men) 4X400m Relay Women (followed by men) W THE THOMAS COOPER SOCIETY » Student Book Collection Award A competition Open to all Students Currently Enrolled in South Carolina Institutions on Higher Education Prize $300 The Winning Collection will be Exhibited in the Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia. Entry Forms Must be Submitted by March 30, 2001. For a set of Competition Guidelines and information on How to Enter, CONTACT: Nancy Washington Director of Publications Thomas Cooper Library University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 (803) 777-3142 Crimson Tide 60, Gamecocks 55 Alabama overcomes sluggish start, sloppy play to beat USC by Alex Merritt The Crimson White TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama matched South Carolina turnover for turnover in a game that was sloppy throughout, but the Tide pulled out a 60-55 victory Wfednesday night at Cole man Coliseum. “It feels good to win, but we did n’t play well,” said ’Bama Coach Mark Gottfried. “It was just one of those nights. We struggled and it’s like running in the mud a little bit. It seemed like whatev er we did right, we did something 'wrong.” Both teams came out flat to start the game. Neither team managed to score a point on a combined seven possessions after the tip until sophomore Erwin Dud ley scored off a Kenny Whlker miss more than two and a half minutes later. Some players attributed the slow start to the sparse crowd. The Tide had been averaging more than 11,000 in attendance per game this season, but on ly 8,246 showed up for this match-up. Even that number may have been a gen erous estimate, as fans opted for Valen tine’s Day instead of basketball. “I think the crowd played a big part in it,” said the Tide’s leading scorer, Rod Grizzard. “We were talking about that for a little while, but in the tournament they aren’t going to follow us either.” “We don’t need to be so con cerned with the crowd, although our guys have been excited because of the big crowds,” Gottfried said. With 7:51 remaining in the first half, the Tide was trailing 14-12 and r-— seemed to be completely out of sync of fensively, until sophomore center Ken ny W&lker converted a three-point play, hitting a free throw after being fouled on a lay-up. Walker’s hustle initiated a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to give Alabama a seven-point lead. Since he has been reinserted into the starting line-up, Walker has picked up his in tensity. “Well, since Gerald (Wallace) start ed for me that one game, Erwin (Dud ley) came up to me and said, ‘Kenny, you’ve been playing all year. What’s wrong?”’ Walker said. “And from that day, I’ve got my mind set that I’m go ing to come out and play. If coach needs a rebound, I’ve got to rebound. I’m a good player, I’ve just got to come out and play.” Despite the 9-0 run, Alabama man aged only a 22-21 half-time lead. While sluggish second-half starts have plagued the Tide this season, they managed to put together another impressive 9-0 run early in the second half. Once again, it began with a Kenny Wker basket. It ended with the Tide holding a 33-26 ad vantage with under 15 minutes left in regulation. The Gamecocks managed to cut in to that lead, however, mostly due to Tony Kitchings, who scored 10 straight at one point in the second half and scored a'game-high 16 points. With under a minute to go, Carolina guard Aaron Lu cas nailed a three-pointer to silence the crowd and cut the lead to three. Alaba ma point guard Travis Stinnett was called for an offensive foul on Alabama’s next Eastern Division SEC All Kentucky 9-2 16-7 Florida 7-4 17-5 Georgia 7-5 14-11 Tennessee 5-6 18-7 USC 5-6 13-9 Vanderbilt 4-7 15-9 Western Division SEC All Ole Miss 8-3 20-4 Alabama 8-4 19-5 Auburn 5-6 15-9 Arkansas 5-6 14-9 Miss. St. 3-8 12-10 LSU 1-10 11-11 possession, giving South Carolina one last opportunity. Fortunately for the Tide, Kitchings could not find the basket on his turn around juniper with under 20 seconds remaining, ending South Carolina’s hopes of escaping Coleman with a victory. • “I don’t think we played well, but we got the win and that’s all that mat ters,” said Dudley, who led all rebounders with 12. —: 1 Priority Reservations Lottery for Student Organizations for Fall 2001 2nd Floor Lobby Russell Mouse February 22,2001 9:00 A.M. • 1st Ballroom Date and Weekly Meeting Room Space 10:00 A.M. - 2nd Ballroom Date Because of the high demand for space in the Russell House a lottery system is used to ensure equitable distribution of space to registered student organizations. The highest level of demand is for Ballroom reservations, however, the lottery system will apply to all reservable spaces in the Russell House. at 777-7127 or stop by Russeii House 218. Academic Space will not be reserved until September 6,2001. liiii......