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Game schedule THWSAMECOCK _,S x^k r\ x^k m Tuesday ill# I I I | I | 1 Men’s basketball vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. Page 8 JL J— rV_/ Monday, Feb. 13,2006 ^ USC rolls past Mississippi State Kelley scores 22 points in biggest margin of victory since 2002 RJBembry STAFF WRITER One game after completing the season sweep of Florida, coach Dave Odom and his Gamecocks struck one more task off their collective “to do” list. Odom’s team beat Mississippi State on Saturday for the first time in his Carolina tenure. The Gamecocks also recorded their first win against the Bulldogs since the 2001 SEC Tournarilent. Both teams entered the game with 12 10 records and recent wins over divisional foes — but the similarities ended there. Guard Tre’ Kelley led the Gamecocks with 22 points, including six three-pointers, as Carolina tnrottiea tne Bulldogs 83-61 in front of more than 14,000 fans at the Colonial Center. Early in the game, USC looked as if its momentum from the win in Gainesville wouldn’t translate to success against MSU. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-7 lead six minutes into the first half. From there, Carolina came alive, going on an 18-2 run for the final six minutes of the first half and taking a 43-27 lead into halftime. “We reminded our team coming out of the locker room that the last two games Mississippi State has come out of the locker room in the second half with a 10-0 run,” Odom said. “I thought we played very well offensively coming out of the locker room to kind of throw water on any kind of comeback hopes that they may have had.” The Gamecocks did exactly that, as they refused to give back the lead and never let MSU get within 14 points in the second half. Guard Tarence Kinsey continued his strong play, potting 15 points and seven rebounds, despite going 1 of-5 from beyond the three point arc. Senior center Brandon Wallace was the third Gamecock player to score in double figures, totaling 11 points and seven rebounds. While the offense did its job, the Carolina defense was largely able to shut down reigning SEC Freshman of the Week and MSU’s leading scorer, Jamont Gordon. The guard from Nashville, Term., managed 13 points and eight rebounds. The Bulldogs were led by sophomore forward Charles Rhodes, who scored 18 points and also had eight rebounds. State’s starters accounted for all of the Bulldogs 61 points, as the bench as a whole failed to tally a single point and grabbed only one rebound. Entering the game, MSU was second in the SEC in rebounding margin, grabbing 4.6 more rebounds per game than their opponents. Carolina reversed this trend, out rebounding the Bulldogs 34-30. USC’s control of the glass helped them score 17 second-chance points to MSU’s 11. “When they shoot the basketball — that’s the key to South Carolina — when they shoot the ball, because they play so small, they have a chance to beat anybody,” Bulldogs coach, Rick Stansbury, said. “They went to Vandy, shot it, and won. They went to Kentucky, shot.it, and should’ve won...When they shoot like that, they have a chance to finish this run out at home. And I think they will.” Carolina finishes their SEC schedule with four of six games at home, including a Valentine’s Day HOOPS • 9 Nick Esarts / THE GAMECOCK USC guard Tre Kelley drives during the Gamecocks’ 83-61 Saturday win against Mississippi State. Kelley finished with 22 points and shot 6-of-9 from behind the arc. Gamecocks take 2 of 3 against Elon Phoenix Freshmen shine in teams first series win of2006season Stephen Pastenau SPORTS EDITOR USC’s comeback win that clinched the weekend series with Elon came from an unlikely source. All of the Gamecocks’ RBIs came from the seventh, eighth, and ninth spots in the batting order, as USC erased a 3-0 deficit and won, 8-3. Freshman shortstop, Reese Havens, and second baseman, James Darnell, keyed a five-run fifth inning that shifted the Gamecocks from a 3-2 deficit to a 7-3 lead. Junior Forrest Beverly started the game for USC and gave up three runs on three hits. Beverly also struck out six while walking one, and was replaced by Mike Cisco, who pitched a perfect three-inning stretch. USC (2-1) completed a 2-1 series win over the Phoenix, who waited out a rain delay on Saturday to beat the Gamecocks 2-1. The fifth inning rally on Sunday started with a walk to USC left fielder Cheyne Hurst. Third baseman Neil Giesler followed with a single that put runners on first and second. Elon brought in pitcher Kevin Regan who got two quick outs before walking the Gamecocks’ first baseman Justin Smoak to load the bases. Havens singled to score two runs and give USC the lead, and Darnell followed with a three-run shot over the left-centerfield wall. Despite the two wins, the Gamecocks trailed in each of the three games against the Phoenix. Elon held a 4-1 lead in Friday’s game before the Gamecocks rallied late to win 5-4 in 11 innings. A botched double play that would have ended the 11th inning for Elon allowed Chris Brown to score USC’s winning run from third base. Elon rebounded to win 2-1 Saturday at a wet Sarge Frye field. Phoenix pitcher Lance Cole allowed five hits in seven innings. USC catcher Trent Kline hit into a game-ending BASEBALL • 9 Juan Bias / THE GAMECOCK USC pitcher Mike Cisco delivers a pitch to catcher Trent Kline during Sunday’s game against Elon. The Gamecocks won 8-3 and took the series, 2-1. Women win third straight SEC road game against Florida Johnson scores career-high 27points as team beats Gators 81-63 in Gainesville on Sunday Saw Smith THE GAMECOCK Florida may consider removing USC from its sports schedules in the 4 future. \ Be it football or basketball, USC has dominated the series in s all sports since the fall of 2005. Women’s basketball proved to be no exception, as the Gamecocks dropped the Gators, 81-63 on Sunday. The win in Gainesville was the Gamecocks’ third straight on the road — the first time since USC joined the SEC that it has won three consecutive road conference games. The Gamecocks’ shooting percentage is higher on the road tha.i it is at home this season. Led by junior Melanie Johnson, who scored a career-high 27 points, the Gamecocks pulled out a win that pushed them to a 13-9 overall record and a 4-6 record in conference play. It was also a big day for USC freshman guard Demetress Adams, who scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Another freshman, Brionna Dickerson, added eight points, and junior Lauren Simms put up 14 points, 12 of which were scored in the second half. The game featured seven ties and 10 lead changes despite the final margin. The Gators’ second-half comeback attempts were met with baskets from Johnson and Adams to keep women • 9 ' Haters aside, Odoms team has ehcirtoe 11 in final games Remaining schedule highlighted by several should-win matchups You know exactly what happened. After writing a column a week ago about how I had stopped watching □ basketball and was no longer going to invest any emotional stock in USC’s performance, the team starts ( I raining three’s BRoom and Playins Third-year defense. Then political sci- they beat ence student Florida on the road and Mississippi State at home. Apparently, once a semester I have to make a total idiot out of myself. Last semester I called out Alabama’s football team before they came to Columbia and they beat the Gamecocks by 23. The next week I got more hate mail than probably any columnist at The Gamecock ever. The message board on www.dailygamecock.com was held hostage by people calling me out. It was good times all around. Maybe this semester the basketball team will make me look stupid. Looking at the schedule, USC may have to win the remainder of their games to make the NCAA tournament. BROOm • 9 ■