University of South Carolina Libraries
(jAMIl oUimlJ ULili VOLLEYBALL vs. Alabama in SEC Tournament, f!ONTAf!T TTSs ' 6p.m. Friday VJ yjly lrXyj 1 uu MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Navy, 8 p.m. Friday Story ideas? Questions? Comments? WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Clemson, 8:30 p.m. Friday E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com FOOTBALL vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. Saturday Rivalry game will be bitter war I I Clemson at USC 7 p.m. Saturday Columbia • TV: ESPN2 BY JONATHAN HILLYARD THE GAMECOCK Once again, it comes down to one game. For 364 days, one side will boast while-the other side weeps. For the 101st time, two squads will run onto the field to renew the third-oldest active ri valry in the country. For many, every game prior to this means nothing. Simply put, the Carolina Clemson game is not just a game — it’s a war. In what seems to be a recurring theme, the USC football team will look to make a little history. Not only is Carolina looking to avoid back-to-back losses to the Tigers, but it is trying to win back-to-back games in Columbia for the first time in nearly 30 years. USC is looking for another per formance like it had in Williams Brice Stadium two years ago in a 20-15 victory over the Tigers. The victory came after the Gamecocks gained 215 rushing yards — a number the Gamecocks would take in a heartbeat on Saturday. Can senior comerback Dunta Robinson end his career with a game like Sheldon Brown’s two interception effort against the Tigers two years ago? Can the se nior class be the first-ever class at USC to go to three bowl games? So much rides on Saturday’s matchup that the consequences have to be considered. “If we lose, the only thing we get to do is to go home and get full on Thanksgiving and spend Christmas at home,” said Robinson. “That’s not something I want to do.” Unfortunately, that feeling is a familiar one for Carolina, which trails Clemson in the overall se ries 60-36-4 after losing five of the last six to the boys from the Upstate. The 2003 edition of the rivalry will be especially important for the 2Q seniors who will play their last game for USC in Williams-Brice Stadium oiTSaturday. This is a se nior class that has lost to three now top-15-ranked opponents by a combined margin of eight points. “If you beat Clemson, the rest will take care of itself,” USC head coach Lou Holtz said Monday. Holtz has not had a great deal of success against the Tigers since coming to Carolina, with a 1-3 record against Clemson. As for Clemson, the Tigers will come into Columbia playing their best football of the season. They have won their last two games, in cluding a shocking win in Death Valley over then third-ranked' * Florida State. Despite already be ing bowl eligible, beating Carolina remains the first thing on Clemson’s wish list. “If I had to pick one game be fore the season that I wanted to win, it would definitely be this one,” Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said. In order to get that win, Clemson will rely on the leadership ♦ FOOTBALL, SEE PAGE 11 FILE PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK USC’s Troy Williamson sets up to catch a Dondrial Pinkins pass In Saturday’s loss to Florida. The quarterback-wide-receiver tandem looks to hook up for some big plays against Clemson this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Williams-Brice Stadium. Women’s basketball gets rivalry weekend going with opener on the road at Clemson BY JOEL WALLACE THE GAMECOCK The Carolina-Clemson rivalry might take center stage this week on the football field, but the USC women’s basketball team gets first crack at the Tigers on the road tonight at Clemson. The game is the season opener for both teams. Last year, in the inaugural game at the Colonial Center, the Gamecocks won 72-58 in front of 17,712 fans. USC has made the NCAA tour nament for the past two years, winning more than 20 games each season, while the Tigers finished last season with a record of 14-15. The Gamecocks return only three letter-winners from last year’s squad, so expect most of the eight players who made up one of the country’s top recruit ing classes to see a significant amount of minutes. “We signed the lOth-best fresh man class in the country last year and those eight ladies will make an immediate impact on our pro gram,” head coach Susan Walvius said. The backyard brawl will fea ture a backpourt clash, as both teams feature talent at the guard positions. Carolina’s Ciocan is one of the best point guards in the SEC and has been mentioned as a possible first-round pick in the WNBA. Clemson’s Lakeia Stokes ranked second on last year’s team in points, rebounds, steals and free throws. “We had a very good week of practice,” Walvius said. “The team is in the best physical shape in my six years here, which is a credit to the work the players did during their strength and condi tioning workouts. I like the depth that we have on the team. I can count five guards and four post players who could be in our start ing lineup on opening night.” The Lady Tigers hold a 29-19 advantage in the series that dates back to the 1975-76 season. In games at Clemson, the Lady Tigers lead 20-4. Clemson returns four starters and nine letter-winners from last year’s team. Seniors Julie Aderhold, Kanetra Queen, Maggie Slosser and Stokes will lead a team, which finished seventh in the ACC and fifth in the 2003 ACC Tournament. Aderhold is the team’s leading returning scorer, averaging eight points per game. The game will begin at 8:30 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Gamecocks’ home opener will be Nov. 24 against Appalachian State. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Men’s basketball looks to sail past Navy PHOTO BY MARK SCHILLING/THE GAMECOCK USC’s Tre Kelly dribbles up the court against Gardner-Webb on Monday. Carolina plays Navy tcnlght at 8 p.m. at home. BY JAY POU THE GAMECOCK The USC men’s basketball team looks to add another win when it takes on the Navy Midshipmen on Friday night at the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks (2-0) will play host to Navy’s first regular-season game. The Midshipmen looked strong in their only other contest of the season, a 77-73 exhibition win over Team Champion on Nov. 16. Navy is led by a pair of guards — sophomore David Hooper, who poured 28 points into Sunday’s win, and senior Jeff Charles, who had a double double of 16 points and 14 re bounds in the exhibition. The Midshipmen are coached by Don DeVoe, who is entering his 12th season as Navy head coach. DeVoe spoke highly of his guards following his team’s vic tory over Team Champion. “David Hooper was our go-to guy today,” DeVoe said. “He needs to keep knocking down the shots, but there is certainly no doubt that we have more guys that can shoot the ball. Jeff Charles was the-catalyst in this game.” The Midshippien are coming off a disappointing 2002-03 sea son, posting an 8-20 record and finishing seventh in the Patriot League with a 4-10 conference mark. Navy is a young team, re turning only one of last year’s starters and listing only three se niors on its roster. “It’s so obvious that we’re a very young team. It’s refreshing to see us win, and win doing the right things,” DeVoe said. “Every game will be a challenge for us this year. We have a lot of growing up to do.” This will be Navy’s first trip to Columbia and the teams’ first meeting since a 43-22 Navy vic tory at Annapolis in 1925. It was also the only meeting between the two programs. USC will be looking for win its third win Friday before it heads to Kansas City to compete in the finals of the Guardians Classic on Monday. The Gamecocks secured a spot in the tournament’s final round by defeating Idaho on Tuesday night. Carolina will look to junior forward Carlos Powell to lead it against Navy. Powell, who had 19 points and six rebounds in Tuesday’s win, will help fill the hole left by senior Rolando Howell. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. tonight following Tigerbum. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotinail.com PHOTO BY MARK SCHILUNG/THE GAMECOCK Sarah Morgan and the rest of the Gamecocks will play host to the SEC Tournament this weekend, beginning at 1 p.m. Volleyball to face Alabama in tourney BY WES WOLFE THE fiAMECOCK The USC volleyball team (12-16, 6-10 SEC) is heading into the SEC Volleyball Tournament tonight as a No. 6 seed, taking on No. 3 Alabama (17-12,11-5). The last time Carolina and Alabama got to gether, the Tide won 3-1 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 2. “We’ve had some great players recently with a very tough men tal attitude, and that has made the rivalry between Alabama and South Carolina grow very in tense,” USC head coach Kim Hudson Christopher said. “We will have our hands full with Alabama, but I hope the crowd gives us a little edge. ” Ironically, the last meeting be tween the two schools before this season’s match was in the open ing round of the SEC Tournament last year. The Crimson Tide pulled a major up set, taking out the No. 18 Gamecocks 3-0. Alabama has won 10 of its last 12 matches, and three of its five SEC losses have come to top con ference opponents Florida and Arkansas. Conversely, USC has only won three of its last 12 matches. Three players who helped Alabama to its third-place finish ♦ VOLLEYBALL, SEE PAGE 11_