The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 09, 2001, Page 7, Image 7
Gamecock Sports Schedule
*
■ Men’s basketball vs. Kentucky in second round of SEC Tournament in
Nashville, Tenn., 3:15 Friday (JP)
■ Track at NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., Friday-Saturday
■ Baseball vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m. Friday
Sean Rayford/The Gamecock
Tony Kitchings had a solid all-around game for USC on Thursday. The redshirt
sophomore led the Gamecocks in three categories with 14 points, 10
rebounds and four assists.
Kitchings strong
in first-round win
■ Gamecocks
to face Kentucky
in second round
of SEC tourney
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
' Tony Kitchings scored a team
high 14 points and added 10
rebounds to lead USC to an opening
round SEC Tournament victory
Thursday over the Mississippi State
Bulldogs 69-62.
With the win, the Gamecocks
(15-13) move on to the next round
to face SEC regular-season co
champion Kentucky today. The No.
15 Wildcats are the SEC East’s No.
1 seed in the tournament and had
a first-round bye.
USC gained revenge over the
Bulldogs (16-12), which defeated
them in the final game of the regular
season this past Saturday in
Starkville, Miss.
“This was a game we needed to
win to build our confidence,”
Kitchings said. “We’ve lost a lot
of close games this season, and we
lost to Mississippi State on Saturday.
We really needed this win tonight.”
Free-throw shooting was key
for USC down the stretch. The
Gamecocks, averaging only 67
percent from the line going into the
game, made 18 of 23 foul shots
Thursday and were able to hold off
Mississippi State’s attempt at a late
comeback.
Carolina led at halftime 32-28
and had an eight-point lead in the
second half, but the Bulldogs
went on a 144 run to take the lead
with 9:35 to go.
Kitchings hit back-to-back shots
minutes later to give USC a lead it
would never relinquish. Jarnel
Bradley, who like Rolando Howell
scored 11 points for USC, hit a
jumper to give the Gamecocks a
se ven-point lead with just under five
minutes remaining. -
MSU took advantage of some
missed free throws by USC to get
within three with under a minute
left, but Carolina held on for the
victory.
“I’m glad we could come out
and compete today,” USC’s Antonio
Grant said. “It was a good win for
us.”
The Bulldogs hit 13 of 20 three
pointers in Saturday’s game but
struggled to find a shot Thursday.
MSU made only three of 17 from
behind the arc.
Marckell Patterson and Antonio
Jackson led Mississippi State with
15 points each. Tang Hamilton, one
of the Bulldogs’ leading scorers,
went 0-for-6 from the field and made
only one point.
“[Carolina] played great defense
tonight,” Hamilton said. “They
always had someone in my face.”
Next up for the Gamecocks is
Kentucky, a team that’s beaten them
twice already this season. The
Wildcats held off USC 69-63 in
Lexington, Ky., on Jan. 10 and then
69
62
Soum Carolina 69
(15-13)
FG FT R A TO TP
Petravicius2-4 4-5 4 1 2 8
Grant 2-8 2-3 4 0 3 8
Kitchings 7-130-0 10 4 3 14
Lucas 2-100-1 4 2 3 5
Bradley 2-3 6-6 3 2 0 11
Ross 1-1 1-20114
'Boynton 3-6 0-0 0 0 0 8
Howell 3-5 5-6 5 0 1 11
TOTAL 22-55 18-2330 10 13 69
Mississippi Srcre 62
(16-12)
FG FT R A TO TP
Hamilton 0-6 1-2 5 0 3 1
Patterson 7-14 0-0 5 4 4 15
Smith 39 1-3 8 0 1 7
Goffer 1-3 2-2 3 1 2 5
Jackson 6-14 33 1 2 1 15
Austin 6-9 0-2 8 0 1 12
Billups 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 0
Bowers 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Gholar 24 M 3 0 1 5
Zimenman 1-3 0-0 2 0 1 2
TOTAL 26-64 7-12 36 7 15 62
Halftime score: South Carolina 32-28
3point shooting: South Carolina 7-13
(Grant 2-3, Lucas 1-4, Bradley 1-2, Ross 1
1, Boynton 2-3) Mississippi State 3-17
(Hamilton 0-3, Patterson 1-2, Goffer 1-3,
Jackson 0-5, BBups 0-1, Gholar 1-3).
Steals: South Carolina 7-2
Blocks: 2-2
Attendance: 16,197
pummeled them 94-61 in Columbia
nearly a month later.
Tip-off for today’s game is 3:15
p.m. The game will be televised
regionally on Jefferson-Pilot Sports.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Baseball team drops second straight
by Jason Malick
The Gamecook
Some might say it was the chilly
weather. Others might blame the lack
^ of theme music, because someone at
the Clemson game nabbed the music
generating computer out of the press
box.
Regardless, it was a sad Wednesday
night in Columbia for the No. 6
Gamecocks as they lost to Furman 5
4. It was USC’s second straight loss of
the season after it won its first 13 games.
The Gamecocks (13-2) got off to
an early lead in the bottom of the first
inning when Brennan Dees and Tim
Whittaker hit back-to-back home runs
to give USC a 2-0 lead.
Carolina stayed on top until Furman
(12-6) roughed up starting pitcher David
Marchbanks (1-1) with three runs in
the third inning to take a 3-2 lead.
Marchbanks was relieved by Matt
Wilson to finish out the rough inning,
and Wilson went on to strike out the
next three batters.
As the Gamecocks continued to
struggle to score, Furman brought in
two more runs to increase the lead to
lliree, 5-2.
In the eighth inning, things began
to look up for USC when Whittaker hit
his second home run of the game, his
fifth of the year, to cut the lead to 54.
“I was trying to get us on the board
somehow,” Whittaker said.
However, Whittaker’s heroics came
too late. Furman held on for the win.
“I was not surprised that we lost the
game,” USC head coach Ray Tanner
said. “There’s so much parity in baseball.
Clearly stated, they showed that they
have a solid club.”
Tom Mastny (2-2) got the win for
the Paladins. He allowed no runs in two
innings pitched after entering the game
in the fifth inning. Starter Jon Stallworth
allowed two runs and struck out four
in four innings of work. Rob Purvis
earned his first save of the season.
Designated hitter Derek Norman
went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the
Paladins.
If die cold weather and stolen music
weren’t a factor in the loss, the absence
of shortstop and No. 2 hitter Drew
Meyer was.
According to Tanner, Meyer had to
be taken out of the starting lineup after
hurting his back during pre-game warm
ups. He made an appearance toward the
end of the game, but was a non-factor.
Freshman Kevin Melillo started in
Meyer’s place. Melillo, playing second
base with Bryon Jeffcoat at shortstop,
hit his first double of the year in the
fourth inning and was pleased to help
Carolina’s cause.
5
4
“I was excited that I was able to hit
that double,” Melillo said. “I tried to
do what 1 could to help the team win.” '
The Gamecocks lead the overall
series with Furman 94-48-2.
Carolina will play Arkansas this
weekend in a three-game series at Saige
Frye Field as SEC conference play gets
under way. Friday’s game is set to
start at 7 p.m.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
USC center fielder McBeth off to career start
Special to The Gamecock
Marcus McBeth has added power to his already potent game. He
*'as seven home runs already on the year.
by Casey White
The Gamecock
After a sluggish 2000 season,
junior center fielder Marcus McBeth
has returned with a vengeance in 2001,
wreaking havoc on the field with
improved power from the lead-off
spot.
The past season, McBeth hit nine
home runs in 66 games. Through 15
games this season, he has knocked
seven balls out of the park, including
one grand slam.
So how do you make yourself into
a home-run champion over one off
season? According to McBeth, it’s not
Wheaties — it’s hard work, motivation
and determination.
“I did a lot of practicing on things
I felt I needed to work on, especially
my hitting, which I needed to improve
on dramatically,” McBeth said. “Most
of it was preparation in the weight
room. I’d spend hours in there. I’d go
like five days a week and spend maybe
an hour and a half (each day).”
McBeth said he has “just been
blessed this year so far to be doing so
well.”
One of those blessings came as a
relief to the team. McBeth’s first
career grand slam came at a critical
point in last month’s game against
George Mason.
Down 6-2 in the sixth inning,
McBeth crushed a ball over the left
field wall to tie the game. Later in the
game, he hit a second home run, this
one winning the game in the bottom
of the ninth. McBeth’s six RBIs over
the course of the game carried USC
to victory.
“I really can’t explain the feeling,”
McBeth said of the grand slam. “I was
amazed and shocked more than
anything else. It felt like a dream. I
didn’t realize until the next day what
had really happened.”
Along with the big performance
in the George Mason game, McBeth
has also posted a 10-game hitting streak
this season and leads USC in hits (21),
runs scored (20) and total bases (46).
He is also second on the team in home
runs and third in RBIs with 20.
McBeth’s motivation on the field
stems from gratitude and remembrance
of those around him who aren’t so
lucky.
“I just think of people who
don’t have the opportunity to do the
things that I can do,” he said. “I try
to think of that in every situation and
opportunity I get into. I constantly
thank God that he has blessed me with
these abilities.”
This Gamecock also has a good
head on his shoulders. McBeth is
following in his family’s footsteps,
seeking a career in business as a backup
plan to professional baseball.
Marcus McBeth
Junior center Gelder
6’1”, 189 lbs.
Cross Anchor, S.C.
■ Started ail 66 games
for USC last season
■ Won the team's
Golden Glove Award for
defense in 2000
■ Named “Best
Defensive Outfielder in
the SEC” by Baseball
America
■ Currently hitting .323
with 7 HR and 20 RBIs
“I’d really like to keep playing
ball, but if I don’t make it here, I’ll
pursue a career in business,” he said.
As for the team, which is 13-2
after back-to-back losses to Clemson
and Furman, McBeth expressed
confidence in the remainder of the
season.
“Hopefully, we can keep it going,”
he said. “We can’t get a big head.
We have to stay at a calm level and
take every game one at a time.”
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Women’s Basketball
Improved
Carolina
looking
to future
by Charles
Tomlinson
The Gamecock
This past Thursday, the Lady
Gamecock basketball team was eliminated
from the SEC Tournament after a 75-68
loss at the hands of Ole Miss. Despite its
early exit from the tournament, USC still
showed improvement throughout the
season and even broke the school record
for most conference wins in a single
season.
The Lady Gamecocks finished the
season with an 11-17 overall record, 6
8 in the SEC. Under head coach Susan
Walvius, coaching her fourth season at
USC, Carolina made a vast improvement
over last season’s 3-11 conference record,
breaking the school’s all-time record of
five SEC wins in a season. Its landmark
sixth SEC victory came on Feb. 15 when
they squelched Mississippi State 76-55.
Throughout the season, the Lady
Gamecocks had a well-balanced offense,
with many players factoring in the scoring
column. With 11.6 points per game, junior
Teresa Geter led the Lady Gamecocks
in scoring. Shaun Gortman, also a junior,
was right behind Geter with 11 points
per game. Both Geter and Gortman were
named to the All-SEC second team this
season.
Junior forward Tatyana Troina was
another Gamecock often in double digits
this season, scoring an average of 10.7
points a game. Sophomore Petra Ujhelyi
contributed 8.4 points per game, and
freshman guard Nihan Anaz finished her
debut season with an average of 9.4 points
per game.
If this trend continues, Walvius
sees USC as being a more formidable
opponent next season.'
“We’re going to be a more difficult
team for people to stop because you can’t
focus on one or two players,” Walvius
said.
Whlvius is pleased with the direction
the team is headed.
“Certainly, we’re excited about
winning six SEC games,” she said.
“Especially due to the fact that we don’t
have any seniors and can step into next
season and build on that.”
Gortman believes this year’s team
was different from the other squads in
her previous years as a Lady Gamecock.
“I think our team was different from
teams in the past as far as talent and how
we communicated with each other on
and off the court,” Gortman said.
Walvius noted that a lack of vocal
leadership has been a major problem for
the Lady Gamecocks throughout the
season. However, next season, she expects
the leadership abilities of the team to be
enhanced with a more experienced squad
and some new faces. Walvius believes
the team will gain leadership from
returning upperclassmen Jocelyn Penn,
Kelly Morrone and Crishna Hill. All three
players were redshirted for medical
reasons this season. I^hlvius also plans to
add one or two new players to the roster
next season.
It s important tor us to bring in
players that have that leadership quality,
so we’re looking to do that in recruiting,”
she said.
Many of the Lady Gamecock players
will remain in Columbia over the summer,
giving Wklvius an opportunity to work
with them even more. Players from
foreign countries who won’t be around
this summer will be gaining experience
in international leagues while representing
their home countries.
Whlvius said this season’s team was
different than any other that she has
coached at USC.
“I think we could look back on this
SEC schedule and say, ‘Wow, we won
six, but we’re disappointed,”’ she
explained. “With past teams, I have not
been able to reflect back on the season
and say that.”
Walvius believes the Lady Gamecock
basketball team has a bright future in
store.
“This program wants to compete for
a national championship, and we’re going
to continue to build in that direction.”
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com