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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.
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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.
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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_