The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 03, 2003, Page 7, Image 7
7
GAME SCHEDULE
PONTAPT TTQ WOMEN’S TENNIS at Furman, 5 p.m. Wednesday
I L O MEN’S BASKETBALL at Louisiana State, 8 p.m. Wednesday
Story ideas9 Questions? Comments? WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Louisiana State, 7 p.m. Thursday
E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com BASEBALL vs. Charleston Southern, 3 p.m. Friday
Men drop third straight at home
ML Kentucky $7
(16-3, 6-0 SEC)
gg USC 69
I ES (7-10,1-6)
by SHAWN ROURK
THEfiAMECOCK
For only the second time in sev
en games, USC’s offense was on
the same page. Even shooting over
50 percent from the field, howev
er, wasn’t enough to knock off the
No. 7 team in the nation.
USC (7-10,1-6 SEC) extended its
six-game losing streak Saturday
as Kentucky (16-3,6-0) rolled over
the Gamecocks 87-69 at the
Carolina Center.
“I thought we came out and
shot very well, but I think
Kentucky showed what a great
team it is by not losing their poise
^ and composure,” USC head coach
™ Dave Odom said.
“I thought we played some of
our best basketball in the first
eight or nine minutes of the game
that we’ve played in quite a
while,” Odom said.
USC came out and shot well in
the first five minutes of the game,
however, Kentucky took the lead
with 14:17 left in the first half and
did not relinquish it. Their offen
sive effort was lead by their big
center Marquis Estill. The 6-foot-9
senior led all scorers with i8
Points on the afternoon.
“I think what happened in that
period of five minutes where the
game was won by them and lost by
us,” Odom said, “we did not take
care of our defensive boards; they
took care of their offensive boards.
(^We did not dive on loose balls;
they came up with each one. And
the worst culprit of all was the
four turnovers in five possessions
that turned in baskets on the other
end.
“You go through that kind of a
period and you have to be one
heck of a team to survive it — and
we didn’t. We’re not a heck of a
team.”
Chuck Hayes provided a little
less than a fourth of the Wildcats’
37 rebounds and had a double-dou
ble, scoring 12 points as well. Four
out of the five Kentucky starters
had scored double digits, and Cliff
Hawkins came off the bench to
score 10.
“But Kentucky, like all great
teams, still beat you from five
feet,” Odom said. “Everybody
talks about their defense, but
Kentucky is the best passing team
in the league, particularly interi
or passing. It just never stops.
They tempt you outside, but they
beat you from five feet.”
After Carolina’s initial run, the
Wildcats finished the half with a
34-10 run. The Gamecocks went
into halftime down 57-32.
“I thought early in the game,
South Carolina did a good job at
lav-lung wui pivoo auu gui mo vsmi
of our press early. Once we set
tled down and played better half
court defense, we were able to get
our composure and get some
shots,” Kentucky head coach
Tubby Smith said.
Both teams had 13 turnovers on
the night, with Kentucky taking
more advantage and scoring 24
points off USC’s miscues. Like the
Florida game, second-chance
points were a huge problem for
USC. Kentucky put back 24 points
on 17 offensive rebounds. Carolina
only had five points off second
chance shots.
USC senior Chuck Eidson led
the Gamecocks in scoring and as
sists with 17 and four, respective
ly. Rolando Howell also had a good
game as he threw down 15 points
from the field and had four re
bounds.
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PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
Kerbrell Brown, center, tries to drive to the basket during the Gamecocks’ loss to Kentucky
on Saturday. Brown finished with 15 points and four rebounds on the day.
Softball wins battle of Carolinas
BY MATT ROTHENBERG
THE GAMECOCK
ft
It was a day of new beginnings
at Beckham Field on Sunday, as
the 20th-ranked USC softball team
swept a doubleheader against the
North Carolina Tar Heels.
Not only was it the start of the
2003 season for both teams, but
the Gamecocks’ freshmen came
up big in their USC debuts. Some
familiar faces also helped South
Carolina (2-0) put up a pair of
shutouts, winning 2-0 and 4-0
over the Heels (0-2).
“I thought (our) pitching did a
great job. I thought they did a su
perb job to keep us in the game,”
USC head coach Joyce Compton
said. “I felt we were a little appre
hensive, at first, offensively. I
thought we came in and started
Ro get some better at-bats as the
game went on.”
Game 1: USC 2 - UNC 0
Both UNC and USC had plenty
of scoring chances early on in the
”game, but some solid pitching
and defense quelled any threats
by the baserunners.
South Carolina’s first hit of the
season from freshman catcher
Ashley Smith soon turned into
the season’s first run scored.
Smith crossed home plate on
Melissa Sandel’s double in the
fourth inning, and the Gamecocks
never looked back.
Danielle Quinones’ two-run
double in the fifth inning gave
USC all the room it needed to keep
North Carolina from mounting a
serious comeback.
Pitchers Stacey Johnson and
Aleca Johnson combined for a
five-hit shutout, as Stacey
Johnson picked up her first win
of 2003 and Aleca Johnson her
first save.
Smith was quite involved in
her first collegiate game. She took
part in two plays at home plate in
the first game: one as she scored
and the other, taking a throw
from center field to nail UNC’s
Emily Price at the plate. Smith
also helped catch a runner at
tempting to steal second base.
“It was a lot of fun. I felt confi
dent because we’ve been practic
ing so well the past few weeks,”
Smith said about her opening day.
“Our defense played great and ev
erything flowed really well. I
didn’t really have that many jit
ters (except) in the very begin
ning. But after the first pitch, I
was fine. It felt like any other
game; I just had to play as hard as
I could.”
Price and Tiffany Tolleson
each picked up two hits apiece for
the Tar Heels, and pitcher Crystal
Cox took the loss.
Game 2: USC 4-UNCO
Shortstop Amber Curtis led the
way with a 3-for-4 game at the
plate, as freshman Melanie
Henkes hurled her first collegiate
complete-game shutout.
North Carolina pressured
USC late in the game, but a
stingy Gamecock defense pre
vented any hopes of a Tar Heel
comeback.
USC second baseman Debralee
Troesh drove Curtis in for the
first run of the game in the third
inning. In the fourth inning,
Curtis then knocked in Nancy
Crane for the Gamecocks’ second
score.
Troesh closed out the scoring
in the fifth inning with a two-run
home run. But Henkes took much
of the spotlight, with a five-hit,
four-strikeout performance that
didn’t amaze just the Tar Heels,
but herself as well.
“I was just as surprised as any
body else,” Henkes said. “Having
a really good defense behind me,
and a very supportive team, al
ways helps — it was a team ef
fort.”
Henkes also described the sup
port teammate Stacey Johnson
gave her.
Johnson “told me which batters
hit where, and she really helped
me out a lot,” Henkes said. But the
freshman knew that “nobody likes
the first inning, so once you get
over that, you’re good to go.”
Compton was impressed with
the performance of her new play
ers Sunday.
“I think they both played very
well,” she said. “I think Ashley
(Smith) did a great job in the
first game, and Melanie obvi
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
Stacey Johnson throws a pitch in the first game of USC’s
Sunday doubleheader against North Carolina. The Gamecocks
defeated the Tar Heels In both games, winning 2-0 and 4-0.
ously did a great job in the sec
ond game.”
The Gamecocks will spend this
week in practice before getting
several tests this weekend in the
annual Carolina Invitational
tournament.
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gamecocksports@hotmail.com
_ BRIEFLY
Women defeat
Kentucky 49-46
Kelly Morrone hit two free
throws with 14.6 seconds left as
No. 16 South Carolina beat
Kentucky 49-46 on Sunday.
The Wildcats (9-9, 2-4 SEC)
had a chance to send the game
into overtime, but SeSe Helm
missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer,
as the Gamecocks won their
secdhd in a row.
Kentucky trailed by 11 with
16:48 left, but rallied and pulled
to 47-46 on a Rita Adams 3
pointer.
The Gamecocks (16-4, 4-3),
shot just 26 percent from the
field (14-of-54), but knocked
down six 3-pointers and forced
Kentucky into 23 turnovers.
Morrone hit three 3-pointers
and tied teammate Christina
Ciocan for high-scoring honors
with 13 points.
Adams led Kentucky with 14
points, while Helm had 11
points and 13 rebounds.
Tennis team opens
season strong
The No. 22-ranked USC
men’s tennis team opened the
2003 season with victories over
Winthrop and College of
Charleston on Saturday.
The Gamecocks shut out
Winthrop 7-0 to open the day.
In doubles, all three USC pairs
claimed victories. Carolina also
swept singles play.
In the afternoon contest, the
Gamecocks had two more dou
bles victories for their second
win of the day. After taking the
early 1-0 lead, Carolina also
used singles victories from
Seth Rose, Angelo Niculescu,
Marcus Westman, Geraldo
Knorr and Tom Eklund to win
6-1.
Lekote wins 800
at Boston Indoors
USC track-and-field stand
out Otukile Lekote won his
fourth-consecutive 800-meter
run as he ran 1:48.07 to claim
the title at the Boston Indoor
Games Saturday.
The Botswana native won
the race by .03 of a second over
USA’s Derek Peterson
(1:48.10).
Entering the competition,
Lekote, who earned this week’s
SEC Athlete of the Week honor,
held the fastest time in the world
in this event. Lekote hasn’t lost
an 800 race this season.
Legend
should
seethe
spotlight
BRAD SENKIW
*GAMECOCKSPORTS®HOTMAIL.COM
Jordan should accept
offer for All-Star spot.
Did I hear correctly that
Michael Jordan turned down a
starting spot in the NBA’s All-Star
game?
Hello, Mike; have you lost your
mind?
Orlando Magic guard Tracy
McGrady and Philadelphia guard
Allen Iverson each offered Jordan
a chance to end
his All-Star game
career by starting
in their places.
Jordan announced
that in no way
does he want to
take the spotlight
from them. Is
Jordan really Jordan
through with be
ing the center of the basketball
universe?
It’s hard to believe the greatest
human to ever touch a basketball
would give up starting in what is
going to be his last All-Star game
performance, or at least we think
it is.
I hate to tell you this Mike, but
you are crazy. Please start so
maybe for once in the last 10 years,
All-Star weekend will mean some
thing.
I think it took a lot for McGrady
and Iverson to give up their spots
in what has become a self-centered
sports world. Jordan should thank
them and have his name called in
the starting line-up on Sunday.
In a world where athletes be
come more pampered and stub
born, it would be nice to see the
ink as poster Doy tor trouDie,
Iverson, step down to let Mike
start. I’m sick of people always
picking on the NBA, saying the
new generation of players don’t
respect the history of the game.
Finally, players are taking a
stand and saying that someone
else is more im
portant than them
selves.
As far as Vince
Carter’s saying he
never considered
giving up his posi
tion because it
Carter would be rude to
the fans, since
when did fans
start mattering? Sorry, Vince; I
can’t think of one fan on Earth
who would rather see you limping
around rather than see possibly
the greatest athlete in the world
start in the league’s biggest exhi
bition game.
Jordan needs to realize this is
not some new idea. Doug Collins,
Jordan’s coach, let Celtic great
John Havliceck take his position
in 1978. Even Jordan’s close friend
and former Laker, Magic Johnson,
accepted Tim Hardaway’s offer to
start in 1992.
I can’t believe a three-time All
Star-game MVP would not see
that this is good for the game.
Jordan would not be helping him
self; he would be doing the league
a favor. The world needs to see
players remembering the man
that helped pave the way for their
success. This has nothing to do
with who was or wasn’t voted
into the starting lineup and ev
erything to do with the history of
the NBA.
.joraan is trying to snow tnat
the torch has been passed and that
seems admirable. But how nice
would it be to think of Iverson as
the guy who gave up a starting po
sition to Jordan rather than the
gun-toting thug who doesn’t like
to practice.
Jordan said himself that he
would have stepped aside for
Julius Erving, so why can’t he just
let McGrady or Iverson be like
Mike?
Senkiw is a third-year print
journalism student.