The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 25, 2005, Page 10, Image 10
GAME SCHEDULE
Pao-p 10 WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Alabama, 2 p.m.
5.§ uoc mnc MEN’S TENNIS at Alabama, 4 p.m.
Friday, March 25, 2005 BASEBALL at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Senior forward Carlos Powell goes up for a slam against Georgetown in his final game in Columbia.
*
use 69, GEORGETOWN 66
START SPREADIN’
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Gammecocks defeat Georgetown in quarterfinal\
advance to NITfinal four in New York City
By ALEX RILEY
STAFF WRITER
The city that never sleeps just
got a wake up call from a lot of
crowing Gamecocks, as USC
makes plans for a trip to the Big
Apple for the second time in four
years to take part in the 68 th
Annual National Invitation
Tournament’s semifinal game.
Senior Carlos Powell walked off
the Colonial Center floor nothing
short of a winner Thursday, as the
words to Frank Sinatra’s legendary
song “New York, New York” came
loud and proud through the
speakers. Fans stood in awe,
cheering until their lungs could
not stand it after downing the
Georgetown Hoyas 69-66 in front
of 10,662 loyal followers of the
garnet and black.
“Its been great. I just don’t want
it to end,” Powell said as he smiled
in post-game interviews. “We’re
having a lot more fun right now.
Basketball is fun again.”
After an uninspired start, the
Gamecocks found themselves
down early and often. Carolina’s
lackluster performance was
apparent when Georgetown senior
Darrel Owens hit one of his four
3s as the half wound down to push
the Hoyas’ lead to 10, 34-24.
Trailing by 8 at the half 34-26,
Carolina put up a ferocious rally, as
junior guard Tarence Kinsey hit
back-to-back layups to pull USC
within 4 with less than 40 seconds
on the clock. A huge swat by
Powell turned into a fast-break
layup by junior Rocky Trice,
pulling the game within 2 at 34-32.
Georgetown made a small run
to go back up by 6, when another
Kinsey fast-break basket pulled the
score within 4 again. That would
be the closest it would get for just
more than eight minutes, as
Georgetown and Carolina traded
baskets, keeping both teams at bay.
That’s when senior Josh Gonner
hit his first basket of the night, and
it could not have been at a better
moment. Gonner canned a 3 with
just less than 12 minutes to play,
pulling Carolina within 3 at 47-44.
A Jonathan Wallace turnover led
to a layup by sophomore Tre’
Kelley, which would make it a 1
point ball game. Kelley’s next shot
would be the big one, as he nailed a
3 to put Carolina up by 2 at 49-47,
a lead they would never relinquish.
The lead grew again on another
Gonner 3, putting Carolina up by
5 at 52-47 with less than eight
minutes left to play.
Georgetown lived by the 3-point
shot in the game and used it to get
back into the game. Back-to-back 3s
would cut the Carolina lead to 2,
with less than 50 seconds to play, and
a foul by Kinsey on the second 3
turned into a 4-point play, ultimately
cutting the lead to 1 at 64-63.
Kelley was immediately fouled
by the Hoya’s Jeff Green, sending
him to the charity stripe for the two
most important shots of the year.
' Kelley hit the first and, after a time
out, the second would rattle home
as well, giving USC a 66-63 lead.
Tarence Kinsey hit one of his two
free throws after a Georgetown foul,
putting Carolina up by 4. Powell
would hit both of his free throws
following another Hoya foul, giving
USC a 6-point margin and only 10
seconds left on the clock.
However the Hoyas would not
go down without a fight, as junior
forward Brandon Bowman hit a 3
with three seconds remaining to
give Georgetown a bit of hope.
And hope is what they got, as
Kelley missed both of his free
throws, setting what could have
been the stage for a dramatic finish.
Bowman looked to throw up a
prayer, but it was denied as
Gonner slapped the ball with
authority as hard as he could to the
court, sealing the 69-66 victory for
the Gamecocks.
“What a three-game run,” USC ■
coach Dave Odom said. “We
haven’t played a bad team yet.”
And the team most likely will not.
The Gamecocks will face the winner
of the TCU-Maryland game on
Tuesday in Madison Square Garden.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@givm.sc. edu
Point guard pulls through in clutch for Carolina
■ Kelley’s second half
propels men’s hoops over
his hometown team
I’d like to say congratulations to
you Tre’ Kelley. Yeah, you man. You
see me? I’m the tall, white guy sitting
over here in the back of your 9:05 a.m.
economics class. Before we take this
quiz, I want you to know that your
calm, steady influence is the reason
10,000 fans were singing “New York,
New York” in the Colonial Center on
Thursday night.
Every time Kelley has a great game,
USC loses. Before Thursday night, each
time Kelley had scored in double-figures,
USC came out on the losing end.
Thursday night, Kelley dropped 15
points and passed out seven assists in
leading USC to a 69-66 against
Georgetown.. Thursday night, Kelley
almost single-handedly led a second
half comeback and sent the
Gamecocks into the semifinals of the
NIT in New York City.
To his credit, Kelley has had good
games where he didn’t put up points.
All season long he has filled his role of
being the team’s floor leader, running
the offense and
coming up with
one well-timed
assist after another.
Against the Hoyas,
he finally brought
it all together.
In the games in
which Kelley has
excelled
STEPHEN offensively, it was
FASTENAU because his mind
was set to do so
SECOND-YEAR from the
JOURNALISM beginning of the
STUDENT game, and the
offense didn’t
flow as it should.
Last night, Kelley saw the entire floor
and drove hoping to find an open
man. When he didn’t he went to the
basket, making layup after layup and
energizing the Colonial Center crowd.
With just three points and an assist
at halftime, Kelley took over midway
through the second half. Down 47-44
with just more than 11 minutes
remaining, Kelley drove the lane and
lofted a layup over Georgetown’s 7
foot-2 freshman center Roy Hibbert,
drawing the foul in the process. He
missed the free throw, but the
psychological damage was done and
Georgetown was on the ropes.
Kelley’s 3-pointer just more than a
minute later gave USC its first lead
since the 11:25 mark of the first half,
and the Gamecocks never trailed again.
The 12-point second half was one
Kelley called the best of his young career.
The Washington, D.C. native said
playing his hometown school was no big
deal for him, noting that he didn’t know
any of the current Hoya players.
Although he said he never considered
attending Georgetown, senior Carlos
Powell thought otherwise.
“Yes he did,” Powell said. “He
wanted to play in the MCI Center (in
Washington).”
It was Powell’s final game in the
Colonial Center, and while he has
been the emotional leader all season,
Kelley’s laid-back demeanor has been
essential. After the final seconds had
ticked off, however, Kelley let loose.
Yelling with excitement, he went from
player to player, exchanging hugs and
hand-slaps.
Odom said at the beginning of the
season he wanted a leader to emerge to
replace Mike Boynton. Kelley has
become that player, exhibiting what
Odom called a “big heart” and making
big baskets.
Following a heartbreaking loss to Ole
Miss in the SEC Tournament, Kelley
could have played the woe-is-me card.
His late 3-pointer would have tied the
game had his toe not been on the line. If
anything, Kelley came back stronger.
And a few days from now in New York
City, his team will be one of only eight
college teams still playing.
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Sophomore point guard Tre' Kelley dribbles down the
court in Thursday’s NIT win against Georgetown.
Under
With USC coach Steve Spurrier
I recently sat down for a one-on-one
interview with new USCfootball
coach Steve Spurrier. We spoke about a
new era of Gamecock football, his
coaching career and, most importantly,
who the coach behind the visor is.
In part two of a three-part series, I
spoke with him about his coaching
career and his time in the SEC.
JONATHAN HILLYARD: You’ve been involved in just
about all levels of football. What is unique and
appealing to you about college football in the SEC?
STEVE SPURRIER: 1 did coach three years in the United
States Football League with the Tampa Bay Bandits,
and we had winning teams every year. We didn’t win a
championship. Obviously my last two years in fhe
NFL were not much fun at all. But that’s history, and
I
the only thing I’d do is say “I didn’t do a very good
job,” and away we go.
In college ball, it seems to me, you have more of an
opportunity to coach the team because you have a
scout team. So you get two good hours on the field
about every day, you get about an hour and a half in
the meeting room and that’s pretty much all you need
to thoroughly coach your team. And it seems like most
of the college kids listen better. They don’t have all the
answers. And it’s fun to watch a young man develop
and reach his potential. That’s one of the most
rewarding parts of being a coach.
JH: Many coaches around the SEC say that you are
partly responsible for transforming the SEC from
more of a power running conference to a more
passing-oriented game. In your mind, how has the
league changed since you first arrived at Florida?
SS: We’ve all heard the saying “timing is everything.” I
got to the University of Florida at, I think, exacdy the
right time in 1990, when the SEC mentality was: To
win the SEC Championship, you have to run the ball
and play defense. Teams that threw the ball had just
not won a championship. So, we were able to throw,
and run, the ball successfully, and play defense. And
well, we won the conference six in my first seven years
there.
Then the league caught up. Other coaches said,
Hey, those guys are' throwing it around
successfully. Let’s figure out how we can do that.
So people started hiring a lot of new coaches that
came from backgrounds where they did throw the
bail.
The first few years, throwing was very easy. The
defenses weren’t geared up for it. Then later the
defenses got a lot better toward stooping the pass.
JH: What qualities make a good SEC quarterback?
SS: They’re the same qualities that pretty much
make a good one anywhere. I always say he’s got to
have courage. He’s got to be able to stand in the
pocket and not flinch and finish his throw. You’ve
got to be tough mentally as well as physically back
there.
Number two, he’s got to have a lot of poise. He’s
got to understand the importance of preparation as far
as knowledge of the game and knowledge of the
defenses. He’s just got to have total command of
♦ Please see STEVE, page 9