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USC looks to extend winning streak By MATTHEW NAGY THE GAMECOCK The USC women’s basketball team will end a regular season that it would like to forget Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks will enter the contest with seven wins on the year and only two SEC wins. However, all the momentum is in Carolina’s corner after back-to-back SEC wins. Mississippi is fifth in the SEC, heading into what is also its final regular-season game. The Rebels are 11-2 at home this season and pose a serious challenge to a Gamecock team that has not won a road contest in the SEC in two years. Carolina won its first SEC contest of the year last Sunday with a win against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game featured the return of sophomore point guard Lea Fabbri to the USC lineup after missing games while in Croatia to visit her ill father. Carolina was able to play two complete halves of basketball en route to earning its first SEC victory since Feb. 12, 2004, when the Gamecocks defeated the same Crimson Tide team in the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks were able to continue their momentum after a Thursday night matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats. Carolina was able to gain a victory with a score of 60-47, notching its first SEC winning streak since March 2003. Sophomore forward Iva Sliskovic has come into her own as of late, scoring in double figures for the third consecutive game. She notched her first double-double of the season against Kentucky with a 16 point and 15 rebound performance. The rebound total set a new career high for her, surpassing the her previous high of 14 set against Clemson earlier this season. The contest against the Rebels on Sunday could prove to be just a preview of the women’s SEC Tournament. As the standings are, the Gamecocks are set to match up against Mississippi in the first round of the tournament in Greenville. The Rebels are lead by sophomore Armintie Price, who averages 15.7 points per game. The guard from Blue Mountain, Miss., was the SEC Freshman of the Year one season ago and has continued to blossom into one of the most dynamic players in the conference. She is seventh in the SEC in scoring and is the best rebounder in the conference, averaging 10 per game. Only sophomore guard Lauren Simms is in the top 30 in the conference in points per game with 12.1. Simms sprained her knee in last Sunday’s victory over Alabama and is out indefinitely. Prior to missing Thursday night’s game against Kentucky, Simms had not missed a game in her career at USC. She had played in 54 consecutive games, starting all but one. Price leads a high-powered Mississippi team that is third in the SEC in scoring per game at 73.5 points. The Gamecocks are last in offense this year, averaging only 58.3 points per game, while giving up an average of 63.3 points, good for eighth in the conference. Whatever the outcome of the final game of the season against the Rebels, there is sure to be some conversation about USC coach Susan Walvius’ job status after USC Athletic Director Mike McGee retires June 30. While a new athletic director has not yet been named, Walvius has struggled since taking the Gamecocks to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. The team has won only 18 games in the last two seasons, with only four of the victories coming away from the Colonial Center. In the past two seasons, Carolina has beaten only two SEC opponents, Alabama twice and Kentucky once. The Gamecocks can look to finish the season strong and continue to develop their young talent if the team is going to be able to right the ship in the 2005-2006 season. The game against Mississippi is set for 2 p.m. Sunday. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Sophomore guard Stacy Booker shoots over Kentucky forward Sarah Potts. Softball to battle nation’s elite By TYLER GREGG THE GAMECOCK Last week, the Carolina softball team was one game away from a championship in the Sunshine Tournament on the Florida State Campus. The Gamecocks made it all the way to the championship game but failed to seal the deal, losing 3-10 to Syracuse. The softball team is 8-6 on the year. The Gamecocks have a chance to redeem themselves after a tough loss when they travel to Columbus, Ga., today to play in the Leadofif Classic. Carolina should expect some tough competition in Columbus, as 11 of the top 25 teams in the country will be present at the nail biting diamond tournament. The Gamecocks are scheduled to battle two national powerhouses, No. 18 Georgia Tech and No. 8 Michigan. Both teams have excellent defenses, seeing that both teams boast honored athletes in their respective conferences — Amy Hosier for the Yellow Jackets was named ACC Co-Player of the Week, and Lorilyn Wilson for the Big Blue was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. Hosier led the Yellow Jackets to their third straight undefeated week, putting the Yellow Jackets at 13-0 (a school record for softball) on the season. The junior center fielder is also well-known for her hitting skills. Last week against Furman, Hosier smacked the ball to the warning track, which allowed the game-winning runs to score. This softball phenom also boasts a .647 on base percentage. However, Tech does not only rely on Hosier’s skill to crush its opponents; they also get help from their pitching staff. Leading the Yellow Jackets pitching staff is senior Jessica KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK The USC softball team will return to action today in Columbus, Ga. Sallinger, who is 8-0 as a starter. Sallinger hurled a complete game four-hitter in the team’s season opener. Sallinger is second on the all-time wins list in the ACC with 89 career W’s. The Jackets were also pleasantly surprised by the raw display of talent by freshman Whitney Humphreys in the Lady Panther Softball Invitational. Humphreys flung a complete game shutout and improved to 3-0 on the year. Michigan, like Georgia Tech, is also coming off a tournament win and is 8-1 on the year. The Wolverines’ star pitcher Wilson struck out seven and allowed only one hit in the last game of the tournament on her way to tournament MVP honors. However, this Michigan team is not all defense. In the first 7-of 8 games the Wolverines have jumped on their opponent early, taking a lead in the first inning. This Wolverine team has outscored its opponents 18-5 in the first inning this season. Michigan has also had nine players torch the ball over the fence this year. Michigan’s offense is looking solid and is led by the junior power hitter junior second baseman Tiffany Haas, who has a batting average of .563 this year. This weekend’s tournament is Carolina’s chance to really prove it is a top-caliber team. The Leadoff Classic is the one of the bigger tournaments of the year, and a few solid wins will help a budding Carolina team. Look for offensive production from Gamecocks senior first baseman Meghan Cornett and freshman outfielder Jessica Josker, as both players are batting more than .400 on the year. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gumt.sc. edu LEARN ONE OF 21 LANGUAGES ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As a Soldier at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, you’ll learn one of 21 languages. And you don’t need to speak a foreign language to qualify. >> Call Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Greene at 777-4812 about college loan repayment and more Army benefits. And see how you can become AN ARMY OF ONE. > > Or talk to a Recruiter at the Lagare College, 902 Sumter Street in Columbia. Monday through Saturday 8=00 a.m. through 7=00 p.m. or call toll free 877-264-3876 ■ McCarthy Continued from page 9 collided, Jordan threw the ball down with such power that this particular dunk can only be described in association with the look of ferocity engrained on Mike’s face immediately afterwards. He was still dunkmaster of the universe. Let’s jump ahead to 1996. These Air Jordans were simply awesome. The top portion of the shoe was white. The border before the sole was black-patent leather. It was like playing basketball in a tuxedo. JThese shoes marked the beginning of the Chicago Bulls’ second string of three consecutive titles in the Jordan era, which climaxed with Jordan’s game winning shot against the Utah Jazz in 1998, the last shot he ever took as a Bull. Needless to say, if Mike hadn’t missed the two seasons prior to 1996 because of personal issues leading to his early retirement, the Bulls would have won eight DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In a wide array of colors, the original models of the shoe that Michael Jordan wore in in the NBA in 1985 sit in a row at a shoe collectors’ show at Niketown in Denver on Friday. consecutive NBA championships. Again, he is the greatest of all time and will remain the greatest of all time for years to come. His will to win on the court was unmatchable. His grace off the court is most admirable. And I try like hell everyday to be like Mike. ■ BASKETBALL Continued from page 9 As junior Antoine Tisby emerges as a truly dominant post presence on both sides of the ball, one can be certain he plans to display his skills Sunday as he was punished earlier on this season for undisclosed team matters and missed the initial Florida loss. Tisby exploded for 18 points in the team’s loss Wednesday. In that loss, freshman guard Dwayne Day had a breakout game, scoring 14 straight points to bring USC back into contention. “I think it’s easier when you see a freshman that is playing a lot. It’s always easier to prepare for a freshman the second time you see them through,” Donovan said of Day’s breakout performances. Regardless of this certainty, Donovan must be aware of not only these budding spring flowers, but the backbone of USC’s team in senior Carlos Powell, junior Tarence Kinsey and senior guard Josh Gonner. While true stardom can erode from Roberson, the last time a home crowd supported this USC team against one of the premiere teams in the conference, and in that case, the nation, remarkable things happened. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edit ■ TRIO Continued from page 9 Donovan said. “He’s the best rebounder I’ve coached since Tve been here. We become a better offensive team when he gets a chance to touch the ball.” Junior forward Walsh is to Florida what Renaldo Balkman is to Carolina, all the way down to the headband. The only difference is the number of accolades Walsh has amassed in two short seasons. An All-SEC player last season, he has become the fan-favorite at Florida, not surprising given his remarkable skill and all-around talent. Averaging 14.8 points per game is not enough, as he also ranks seventh and second in conference in free-throw percentage and three-point percentage, respectably. After missing four games with an injured left ankle, Walsh has recovered I during the last six games to average 18 points and shoots a remarkable 57.4 percent from the floor. “What makes him so good is his high level of toughness,” Donovan said. “He’s a great competitor and he knows how to win.” It is junior guard Roberson that lights up the statistics and frustrates opposing teams. An honorable mention All-American last season and former SEC Freshman of the Year, the Gator Nation breathed a sigh of relief when Roberson decided not to turn pro after last season. Coming as no surprise, his return has led to another stellar season. The leading scorer in conference at 18.5 points, Roberson is a deadly accurate shooter, ranking in the top five for all three shot categories. The only game that Roberson did not score double figures was in the second game of the season in which Donovan played his reserves more than the starters in a 90-45 blowout. He has proved himself worthy of wearing jersey No. 1, being one of the top players in college basketball and a sure lock for a lottery pick when he becomes draft eligible. “We haven’t had anybody in the backcourt like that,” Donovan said. “He’s a guy who is going to physically take the ball to the hole strong, rather than getting hit and knocked down. He really brings a lot of toughness.” With at least one opportunity remaining, juniors Tarence Kinsey and Antoine Tisby and senior Carlos Powell will have their hands full in an effort to give Odom his first victory over the Gators. In the event that the mighty triumvirate prevails yet again, Gamecock fans can at least have solace in knowing that the same fate has been given to all other SEC teams but one. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu GAMECOCK CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Every week, The Gamecock's readers and staff test their sports knowledge with game predictions. 5 Kentucky at 16 Alabama LSU at Auburn Georgia at Vanderbilt Tennessee at Arkansas Ole Miss at Mississippi State 2 UNO at Maryland 4 Oklahoma State at 7 Kansas 17 UConn at 18 Pittsburgh Florida State at Ciemson Florida at USC Jonathan Hillyard Sports editor (38-22) UK LSU Vandy Arkansas MSU Maryland Kansas Pitt FSU use 62-60 Stephen Fastenau Asst. Sports editor (37-23) Bama LSU Vandy UT MSU _ UNC OSU UConn Clemson Florida 82-71 Alex Riley Staff Writer (37-23) UK_ LSU Vandy UT MSU UNC Kansas Pitt FSU use 63-57 Miquel Jacobs Staff Writer (36-24) Bama LSU Vandy Arkansas MStT UNC Kansas Pitt Clemson use 74-73 Ryan Clary Special guest (34-26) Bama LSU Vandy Arkansas MSU UNC Kansas UConn FSU use 69-65 Brandon Simmons Reader of the week (38-22) Bama LSU Vandy Arkansas MSU UNC Kansas Pitt Clemson use 72-69 WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-MAIL SELECTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GAMES TO GAMECOCKSPORTS@GWM.SC.EDU. LAST WEEK’S RESJJLTS: Our reader of the week prevailed for the firsfitime this semester, winning a T-shirt and tying Hillyard fqr first place. v