Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Women’s tennis battles Charleston Double-match season begins with Cougar visit Carly Reed THE GAMECOCK The Gamecocks women’s tennis team will open its season in a double match against College of Charleston on Wednesday. USC head coach Arlo Elkins has led his team to the NCAA Tournament 11 years in a row. With six nationally ranked players, two of whom are freshmen, the Gamecocks have a solid core taking the court tomorrow. “This is one of the better teams we’ve ever had,” Elkins said. “Every team poses a threat jto us, but I think this is going to be a very successful season for us.” The USC tennis team is ranked No. 22 in the country with three of its players ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast r an Regional Raniangs. “This year we really want to go farther in the (NCAA) tournament, win regions and then hopefully place in the top 10,” Elkins said about the goals he and his team have set for this season. Several players suffered injuries last season that required surgery. No. 1 player Danielle Wiggins has fully recovered since her shoulder surgery in the off-season. On the other hand, juniors Miranda Gutierrez and Christyn Lucas will not be ready for tomorrow’s match. Lucas, who was team-MVP last season, had hip surgery and recovered enough to hit a few balls two days ago. “Miranda isn’t going to be ready to play for at least three weeks, but we’re hoping that Christyn will be back and fully recovered soon,” Elkins said. FreshmenNatasaVuckovic and Gira Schofield are ready to fill any hole Lucas may have left in their first match. Schofield is ranked No. 11 “Every team poses a threat to us, but I think this is going to be a very successful season for us.” ARLO ELKINS USC coach in the Southeast Regional Rankings. The Cougars are faced with having to regroup after losing four of last year’s starters. However, the team has added two new players during Christmas break. Amanda Becker, who transferred from Gonzaga, and Ashley Finnegan, who graduated a semester early from her Florida high school to play with the Cougars, should be among the team’s top players. The match will begin at 5 p.m. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu Phil Sandlin / The Associated Press Florida’s David Huertas goes up for the basket against Savannah State in the Gators’ 113-62 win earlier in the year, a season-high point total. GATORS • COATIAUGD PROR112 Senior guard Tarence Kinsey remains the Gamecocks ’ leading scorer (15.2 points-per-game, eighth in the SEC), but many have taken notice of sophomore guard Dwayne Day’s play. Day is averaging 11.8 points a game in conference play, nearly double his season average of 6.1 points. He tied a career-high with 18 points against Kentucky in only his third career start, and he hit four three pointers for the second game in a row. “The guys are starting to believe in me,” Day said at Tuesday’s news conference. “They’re looking for me, they are even telling me ‘Dwayne get open,’ but right now I’m worried about the seniors. I really want the seniors to go out with a bang, so that’s what I’m working on.” Odom is happy to see Day’s progression on and off the court. “Not only is (Day) shooting the ball well and scoring well, his defense has improved and he is more vocal and more confident,” Odom said. “I think he is not only growing as a player, he is growing as a person.”. The Gamecocks will need Day’s extra scoring against Florida. The Gators lead the SEC in points per game averaging 83.8, and Carolina has surpassed that mark in just four of its 18 games. Two of those instances came in the first two games of the season against Western Carolina and Toledo, and the others came in overtime against Marquette and South Carolina State. The game is set to tip off at 8:05 p.m. in the Colonial Center, and it will be televised on Jefferson Pilot Sports with Tom Hammond and Larry Conley making the call. The first 800 students in attendance will receive a free tie-dyed T-shirt, which will work as a coupon to get a hot dog and drink for $2. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edit Two freshmen transferring from USCfootball team The Associated Press Two South Carolina freshmen, including tight end Jonathan Hannah, are leaving the Gamecock program, the school said. Hannah, who played in three games before spraining his high right ankle, and tailback Brandyn Young, who did not play in 2005, are leaving. Coach Steve Spurrier could not be reached for comment, but sports information director Steve Fink said Spurrier told him “it appears they’re giving up football or hoping to transfer somewhere.” Hannah said a combination of factors prompted his decision. “It wasn’t anything about playing time. The playing time situation here would have been good,” Hannah said. Hannah said the departure of tight ends coach Rick Stockstill, who left last month to become Middle Tennessee State’s coach, was a factor. “We had the best relationship. You could ask anyone, it wasn’t like a player-coach relationship. The way I talk to my friends is the way I talk to him.” Hannah, a native of Hope Mills, N.C., also said he would be more comfortable in a smaller college town. Young was signed out of Tucker, Ga. Fellow freshmen tailbacks Mike Davis and Bobby Wallace had significant playing time last season. FRSTCnHU • COflTinUEO FR0fni2 E-mail your picks to gamecocksports@gwm. sc.edu and look for our tournament bracket contest in April. Good luck. -:—-:—I THBWAMECOCK Nobody covers USC better. Nobody. www.dailygamecock.com Men’s Basketball VSa #2 Florida Wed, Jan 25 @ 8pm Women’s Basketball vs. Georgia Thur, Jan 26 @ 7pm 13