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■ PREVIEW Continued from page 13 second consecutive season. Junior guard Chet Stachitas is the third Hawk averaging double figures also with 10 points per game. Martelli is in his 10th year as the Hawks’ head coach. The 2004 National Coach of the Year has compiled a 195-109 record in his nine seasons. Saint Joe’s won 25 or more games in four of those seasons. Martelli is third in all time Atlantic 10 victories, and his 11 postseason victories rank him second on the school’s all-time list. The Gamecocks, under coach Dave Odom, have bounced back after losing five of their last six games to end the season. USC held off NCAA bubble team Miami in the first round for a 3 point win in the Colonial Center. In the second round, the Gamecocks had a little less trouble, dispatching the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 77-66. The team then withstood a 3-point barrage by the Georgetown Hoyas to win 69-66 and earn a trip to the Big Apple. Senior forward Carlos Powell has led the Gamecocks as he has all season, averaging 18 points a game in the tournament. Junior guard Rocky Trice was key in Tuesday night’s victory against Maryland but went down hard late in the second half and might be limited for Thursday’s final. Thursday’s game marks Odom’s third NIT final in five seasons. Odom’s Wake Forest squad won the NIT championship in 2000, two seasons before he reached the final with the Gamecocks. Powell has said throughout the tournament that his team’s objective in the postseason has been to simply have fun. The Gamecocks exhibited that attitude Tuesday night, forcing numerous Terrapin turnovers and running the floor relentlessly. Trice and sophomore forward Renaldo Balkman both had thunderous dunks out of the fast break, as Carolina took control midway through the first half, not allowing Maryland to put together a run. Saint Joe’s will likely prove a tougher match-up, as the Hawks force teams to play in a much slower tempo than they would like. The key for the Gamecocks will be to limit their turnovers, as they were able to do against the Terrapins, and not allow the Hawks to get comfortable in their pressure defense. Tuesday’s win was a confidence booster for USC, which has often failed to put teams away this season. The most notable example was the 17-point lead the Gamecocks squandered in a late-season loss to the SEC tournament champion Florida Gators. Comments an this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu NICK ESARES/THE GAMECOCK Redshirt sophomore quarterback Blake Mitchell stands under center during practice Tuesday. The Gamecocks returned to the practice field after practice was cancelled Monday due to inclement weather. ■ RECAP Continued from page 13 junior Nik Caner-Medley, averaging more than 16 points entering the game, scored just 6 in the first half. Carolina could not rest at the half though, as the Terrapins had already overcome leads of 16, 13 and 7 points in this tournament to advance to the semifinals. Not on this night. The Gamecocks came out just as hot as they went in, building a lead as high as 17 points early in the second half. Maryland would keep the game a contest, and USC would go on a cold streak, scoring just 2 in a more-than eight-minute period. Free throws were again an Achilles’ heal for USC, as the Gamecocks only converted 62.5 percent of their shots from the stripe. Maryland cut the lead to as little as 7 in the final minutes, but the balanced attack of the Gamecocks was too much for their ACC foes. Averaging 82.4 points per game, the Terrapins were held 15 points short of their season average by Carolina. The Gamecocks were only averaging 68.6 points per game entering Thursday’s major conference showdown in the Garden. Powell ended up as USC’s leading scorer, scoring 17 points and notching his 17th double digit scoring game of the season. The Gamecocks had three players in double figures as Gonner added 12 points and junior Rocky Trice added 10 before injuring his right arm in the final minutes. Sophomore forward Brandon Wallace was instrumental in the victory with five blocks. Powell continues to extend his career at USC, as Carolina has now won four of the five games necessary to send its four seniors out as champions. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu mm.jM Warn ED BETZ/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sophomore forward Brandon Wallace was vital in Tuesday’s win with five blocks. ■ SPRING Continued from page 13 DEFENSE Junior transfer student Mike West practiced with the defensive backs. John Thompson, the new defensive coordinator, said the switch was made to give more players time at the Harley position — basically a strong safety. Thompson said the switch might not be permanent. Other spring standouts include seniors De’Adrian Coley, Chris Tucker and Ricardo Hurley, as well as freshman Fred Bennett. Thompson said he would like to use 3-4 or 4-4 schemes. INJURY REPORT Whiteside re-injured his __* hamstring and will not be able to do much the rest of spring. Newton also hurt his hamstring, and he will see how it feels today. Safety Ko Simpson will mostly likely be out the rest of the spring with a broken left pinkie. The Gamecocks will resume spring practice today at 4:15 p.m. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu ■ - -1 KOGER CENTER 8 P.M. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 '