Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, December 1,2003 7 • Ml ^ ~ ' “Tk f\iPk m Ol GAMESCHEDULE CONTACT US l| Ml |K I \ ““TSTSSS Story ideas? Questions? Comments? I I |> / MEN’S BASKETBALL at The Citadel, 7:15 p.m. E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com _I_ _I_ _I_ rW * Wednesday USC remains undefeated BY BRAD SENKIW THE GAMECOCK The USC men’s basketball team (6-0) is off to its best start since the 1988-1989 season after sweeping •irough the Guardians Classic fi als and a dominating win over Campbell over the week. The Gamecocks were crowned cham pions of the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, Mo., after defeating Southwest Missouri State 77-64 on Nov. 24 and Richmond in the final game 67-61 a day later. Carolina re turned home on Nov. 29 to beat Campbell 77-48. SW Missouri State 64, USC 77 Carolina had the entire start ing five score in double figures, led by Tarence Kinsey and Kerbrell Brown’s 15 points apiece. Michael Boynton, who dished out seven assists, and Josh Gonner added 13 points each, while Carlos {Rowell chipped in 11 points. USC ^got a spark off the bench from freshman Renaldo Balkman, who scored nine points and led the team in rebounding with eight. The Bears (2-1) held the Gamecocks to 2-for-ll shooting from behind the arc in the first half as SW Missouri State took a 30-29 lead into halftime. The cold shooting wore off quickly for USC as the team blistered SW Missouri State in the second half from the 3-point line to pull away for the win. Carolina connected on eight of its 11 attempts, with Boynton leading the charge, finishing 4-for 5 from long range. The Bears were led by Tommy Johnson’s career-high 25 points, as Monwell Randle added 15 in ^|he loss. Richmond 61, USC 67 In the finals of the Guardians Classic, it wasn’t the easiest of victories for Carolina, but the Gamecocks found a way to take a late lead and hold off the Spiders (3-1) for the tournament champi onship. Kinsey once again led the way with 15 points, and Balkman added 13 on a 5-for-9 shooting night off the bench in the win. Powell put up a double double after grabbing 12 re bounds to go along with his 12 points. The Gamecocks once again tried to win from 3-point range, taking 24 shots behind the arc but connecting on eight of those attempts. Kinsey nailed three of his five attempts from 3 point land. It was a close battle throughout much of the game with four lead changes and three ties coming in the first half as Carolina took a 33 32 lead into the locker room. Richmond came out in the second half to gain a four-point lead with 10 minutes to play, but USC re sponded and took the lead for good with 7:22 to play. Carolina fought off the Spiders in the final minutes to secure the win. Tony Dobbins, who scored 15 points, led Richmond offensively. Kinsey was named the tourna ment MVP after scoring 65 points in four games in what was the school’s 15th tournament title. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, guard Josh Gonner sustained a neck injury against Richmond and didn’t suit up for the Campbell contest. Campbell 48, USC 77 Powell scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds in Carolina’s thrashing of Campbell (0-3) that never really amounted to much of a game for USC. PoWell connected on seven of his 11 at tempts from the field as Kinsey scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half. Brown and Tre Kelly put up double digits in scoring with 12 points and 10 points, re spectively. Carolina outshot the Camels from the field 46.3 percent to 32.3 percent. USC struggled from behind the arc again, shoot ing 18.8 percent from the 3-point line. “I would’ve liked to play better offensively, but you could almost feel it from the beginning,” USC head coach Dave Odom said. “We missed three or four shots in a row, really weren’t close on any of them, and just one of those nights we’re going to have to work extremely FILE PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK USC’s Carlos Powell takes a shot In an earlier game against Navy. Powell was named to the Guardians Classic All-Tournament team and scored 18 points in Saturday’s win over Campbell. hard to get the energy level up where we needed it to be.” The Gamecock defense once again held its own by blocking 12 shots and forcing eight steals in the win. Brandon Wallace blocked four shots in 19 minutes of play while Powell finished with four steals. No Campbell player was able to reach double figures in scoring as Anthony Atkinson led the Camels with nine points. Although the Gamecocks once again relied on a tough defense to stop the Camels, USC did go on a 23-5 run in the first half to lead 41-26 at intermission. The on slaught didn’t stop there, as Carolina boosted the lead to 37 points, including a 26-8 run. In the final eight minutes of the con test, Odom decided to clear the benches and give everyone play ing time. The Gamecock offense had a difficult time putting points on the board, scoring four points during that eight-minute span. Kelly, who saw a considerable increase in his minutes at the point because of Gonner’s injury, dished out five assists in 28 min utes to go along with his 4-for-7 shooting night. “I thought I played well,” Kelly said. “I made a few turnovers late due to fatigue, but I pushed the ball like my coach wanted me to.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com file photo by johnny haynes/the gamecock USC’s Cristina Ciocan set a school record with 18 assists In a game against Florida A&M on Saturday. Women’s basketball sweeps 3 home games BY WES WOLFE THE GAMECOCK The USC women’s basketball team (3-1) swept its first three home games this season, beat - ing Appalachian State, Mercer and Florida A&M in convincing fashion. Appalachian St. 66, USC 82 The Gamecocks bounced back from their opening game loss to Clemson to beat the Moun taineers in Carolina’s first home game of the season. Guard Kelly Morrone led the team with 19 points, while forward Iva Sliskovic went 7-of-10 for 18 points and forward Larissa Kulscar shot 6-of-7 for 15 points. Things didn’t start off well for the favored Gamecocks, who fell be hind to ASU13-9 early in the first half. The lead didn’t last long though, as Carolina went on a 26 4 run. The run put needed dis tance between the two teams, and USC coasted on to win the game. However, everything did not go perfectly for Carolina, who shot only 57 percent from the free-throw line. “Free throws are critical,” USC head coach Susan Walvius said. “If we make our free throws, we beat Clemson. We’ve ad dressed this and we have good shooters. It’s a mental issue.” Mercer 78, USC 99 Carolina followed up its win over the Mountaineers by beat ing the Mercer Bears on Nov. 26 by 21. By the end of the night, Morrone scored a career high 31 points, along with career high field goal attempts, career high free throw attempts and career high free throws made. “I am pleased offensively with our team,” Walvius said. “Kelly Morrone provides great leader ship. With so many freshman playing, we need that.” Guard Cristina Ciocan'came within three rebounds of earning her second triple-double of the season after getting her first triple-double against Clemson in the first game of the season. Ciocan ended the game against Mercer with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. The Gamecocks got off to a quick 7-2 lead in the first half, but Mercer’s size in the post caused problems for USC’s inside game and Mercer made, an early come back. The Bears took an 11-10 lead and kept it close as Carolina pulled together a 30-27 lead mid way through the first half. However, the Gamecocks took control through three-point shooting and hitting 8-of-ll from the free throw line. Mercer per formed much better in the second half but was unable to stop Carolina’s offense. The Gamecocks, while satisfied with their offensive numbers, weren’t satisfied with their defensive per formance. “To be a great team, to be a top ♦ SWEEP, SEE PAGE 8 Nebraska sends Solich packing after 9-win season _PY ERIC OLSON |K ASSOCIATED PRESS OMAHA, NEB. - Nebraska foot ball coach Frank Solich was fired Saturday night after winning more than 75 percent of his games over six seasons but failing to keep the Cornhuskers as the na tional powerhouse they were un der Tom Osborne. The firing by athletic director Steve Pederson was first report ed by the Omaha World-Herald ; D and the Lincoln Journal Star. “All I know is we did the best we could. We mustered up nine wins. To a man, we can hold our heads high,” offensive coordina tor Barney Cotton told the Associated Press. Cotton said he had a bad feel ing about the situation on the flight home from Colorado on Friday night after Nebraska’s 31 22 victory. “I was happy with the win and proud of how the kids 1 played, but I didn’t know if that win was enough to resolve the situation,” he said. “Steve’s de cision must have already been made.” Solich’s son-in-law, Jon Dalton, said Solich is disappointed. “I don’t know the reason be hind it,” Dalton said. “Get Steve to tell you. This is a sad day for the state of Nebraska.” Split end Ross Pilkington was stunned. “I’m so filled with emotion,” t Pilkington said. “It almost feels like losing my father. After win ning nine games, thi£ doesn’t happen.” Solich and Pederson could not be reached for comment. Nebraska representative Chris Anderson would not comment Saturday night on the firing. Solich had just finished a 9-3 regular season with Friday’s 31 22 victory at Colorado. He was 58 19 in six seasons. Pinnacle Sports Network, the if rights holder for Nebraska radio broadcasts, reported that first year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini would be the interim head coach. The current group of assis tants will coach in Nebraska’s upcoming bowl game. It was un known whether any of the assis tants will be retained after the bowl. “Frank just said it was over, ♦ SOLICH, SEE PAGE 8 Could be time for Holtz to hit road SHAWN ROURK GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM Lou doesn’t need to end up like Joe Raterno. Where did all the coaches go? I leave for Thanksgiving break, and I come back, and everyone’s gone. OK, maybe not everybody, but enough to make the front page of The State newspaper. This is the second year in a row the defensive coordinator for the Gamecocks has left the team after a losing season. Last year, Charlie Strang left the team for SEC pow erhouse Florida, and Chris Cosh was just recently fired in Lou Holtz’s firestorm of pink slips. I’m still waiting for Holtz to come on television and say, “It’s OK, guys; that was just a fake. There are no firings.” Has old Lou figured out that maybe it’s not the supporting cast but the main attraction that’s muck ing up the show? It doesn’t take a math major — and trust me, I am not a math major — to figure out that Lou has gone 5-7 over the past two seasons. That equates to 10 wins in the past two seasons. Frank Solich at Nebraska won nine games this year and he got fired. Tommy Bowden won nine games this year and there were many rumors about his firing before he extinguished them—and USC’s hopes of squeak ing into a bowl game — by pound ing USC 63-17 at home. By the way, there is still an APB out for our fans; about halfway through the game, they seemed to have disappeared. Please alert local authorities if you find them. Ubc is in desperate need ot a new direction for its football program. Don’t get me wrong, I am not joining the masses in the whole “Firethiscoach.com” craze that seems to be sweeping the nation. OK, maybe not fire, but something more along the lines of “Please retirelou.com.” With young players like Moe Thompson, Demetris Summers and Syvelle Newton, the Gamecocks have potential. But the problem with potential is it’s wasted unless someone does something with it. It is hard to say that Holtz’s glo ry days are gone, but even The Boss couldn’t revive Lou’s magic, it would seem. Solich is now available, and Strong is definitely deserving of a head coaching job. There you go — two worthy candidates for USC’s new head football coach.. Skip should not get the job be cause I can just read the headlines his first 5-7 season he would have: “Like father, like son.” I know Lou Holtz has done a great deal during his career. I know he’s a great person, and I know that he loves coaching here at USC. But it’s kind of like the idea of taking driver’s licenses away from senior citizens—there comes an age wnen you jusi shouldn’t be allowed to do things. You see the same thing in coaches like Joe Patemo, who is already making plans for his re tirement sometime around the year 2006.1 really hope we don’t have to endure that many losing seasons before Lou decides to hang it up and enjoy the retired life. Maybe if the university got him one of those really nice RVs that he could drive across the country, then he might take a hint. Do it Lou; think of the children, or at least us reporters who are forced to endure this right along with you. Honestly, how many ways can you write that Lou called another failed fake punt, or that we “al most” beat another team? Rourk is a second-year print journalism student.