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TH#%AMECOCK SPfPTS Page 10 ^3 X _ L. ■ ^3 Wednesday, March 1,2006 Tourney time for USC Probable Starters use 17-10, 7-7 SEC PPG RPG |p:&meireaM\dams F Melanie Johnson 10.5 6.3 C Ilona Burgrova 5.3 ■Kl.lSl G Shannel Harris 3.1 2.5 IG Lea Fabbri I : 5.6 IH I Auburn 13-14, 4-10 SEC F Marita Payne 8.3 6.81 C KeKe Carrier 9.1 4.9 G DeWanna Bonner 13.2 6.3 G Nitasha Brown 11.2 2.6 G Whitney Boddie 7.5 4.2 Vaughn Braxton / THE GAMECOCK USC forward Lakesha Tolliver’s recent scoring surge has the Gamecocks thinking big as they head into tourney. Women enter SEC tournament against Auburn as No. 7 seed Stephen Fastenau SPORTS EDITOR USC enters the postseason Thursday hoping to keep momentum going on what has been quite a turnaround compared to last season. With a win against Auburn on Thursday, the Gamecocks would hold 10 more wins than they finished with last season. USC enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed, while the Tigers hold the No. 10 seed with a 3-10 Southeastern Conference record. Last season’s Gamecock squad finished with a 8-21 record and went 2-12 in the SEC during what coach Susan Walvius had dubbed a rebuilding year. This season, last year’s freshmen and sophomores form a more experienced unit, one that stands 17 10 overall and 7-7 in conference play. After a slow 2-3 start to the season, Walvius’ team reeled off seven consecutive wins that included victories over then top-2 5 Minnesota and in-state rival Clemson. Following the winning streak, the team hit a stretch of four consecutive losses that included losses to top-10 teams LSU and Tennessee. The Gamecocks have not lost consecutive games since. Junior forward Melanie Johnson has emerged as team leader. She has averaged 15.8 points and nearly eight rebounds in A the past six games. M Johnson’s 27-point, ■ 10-rebound performance ■ against Florida on Feb. ^ 12 was a career high and kickstarted a USC run that included winning five of its last si games. Freshman Demetress Adams has made an immediate impact in her first season. She averages eight points while coming up with consecutive 18 point performances against Kentucky and Florida and establishing herself as an SEC All-Freshman candidate. The Gamecocks owe much of their late-season success to “The Box,” the latest member of USC’s squad to make an impact. After being out-rebounded by Mississippi State and Kentucky, USC assistant coach Tammy Holder brought the box along for the first time against Florida, leaving it beside the bench as a reminder to the team to box out. The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Gators 43-33 in the win and then out rebounded Auburn in the next game. The box then became a permanent figure on USC’s bench. The Gamecocks hold an average of almost plus-13 rebounding margin in their ^ 17 wins and have held teams to 47.4 points per game on 29 percent shooting. If USC gets past Auburn in the first round Thursday, they’ll be rewarded with a second-round matchup with Tennessee, the tournament’s No. 2 seed. The Volunteers beat USC 66-51 Jan. 4. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu Vaughn Braxton / THE GAMECOCK USC forward Melanie Johnson has averaged nearly 16 points and eight rebounds in her last six games. 2006 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Thursday, March 2 Friday, March 3 Saturday, March 4 Sunday, March 5 #9 Arkansas Game 1 Noon [RSN] - Game 5 #8 Ole Miss_ Noon [RSN] - #1 LSU_ #12 Mississippi State Game 9 Game 3 6:30 P m- tRSNl 6:30 p.m. [RSN] - Game 7 #5 Florida _ 6;30 p m [RSN] - #4 Kentucky_ Game 11 5 p.m. [ESPN2] #11 Alabama Game 8 ' 8:50 p.m. [RSN] _ Game 4 8:50 p.m. [RSN] #3 Georgia_ #6 Vanderbilt Game lO - 8:50 p.m. [RSN] - #10 Auburn Game 6 2:30 p.m. [RSN] - Game 2 2:30 p.m. [RSN] #2 Tennessee_ #7 USC _ ‘Big Baby’ gives Odom, Gamecocks something to cry about LSU forward scores 24points and hands USC 64-61 loss at the Colonial Center Hiatt Hloore THE GAMECOCK USC watched another close game slip out of reach as Glen “Big Baby” Davis and LSU defeated the Gamecocks 64-61. Davis was somewhat neutralized in the first half by Gamecock center Antoine Tisby and forward Brandon Wallace, who were able to hold him to only six points and four rebounds. H^ad coach Dave Odom was pleased with the defensive effort. .“I thought defensively we were extremely good in the first half,” Odom said after the game. “We kept Glen Davis out of rhythm. The idea of course was just to wear him down, and, let’s be honest, the guy’s an athlete. He’s in good condition, and it’s tough to wear him down.” Davis’ second half performance proved Odom’s point. He finished the garnet with 24 points and 10 rebounds, recording his 17th double-double of the season. Davis, a 67 percent free-throw shooter, also went 10-11 from the stripe. The Gamecocks (14-14, 5-10 in the SEC) went into halftime with a 34-28 lead despite a scoring slump lasting more than four minutes, only to be ended by a Brandon Wallace 3-pointer. The slump returned at the start of the second half. “We weren’t able to sustain [our strategy] throughout the whole game,” Odom said. “In able to do that you’ve got to score. At the beginning of the secc^id half, we got the ball and we came out a little bit sluggish.” LSU was able to tie the game, and it was not until the 14:56 mark that USC was able to score. Tisby made a free throw, tying the game at 35, and then hit a jumper to regain the lead for the Gamecocks. Tisby’s strong defensive stop then led to a fast break layup for guard Rocky Trice, and it seemed as though the Gamecocks were back on track. Tisby finished with 7 points and nine rebounds. Wallace then stole the show, getting blocks on two straight possessions. He ended his defensive flurry with a putback dupk on the other end that gave USC a 51-49 lead with 6:52 to play. LSU (21-7, 13-2 in the SEC) managed to get the lead back with 2:14 to go and did not let it go. USC had a chance trailing by two with 39 seconds remaining after a Glen Davis turnover, but USC’s Tarence Kinsey was called for a walk. The Gamecocks then needed a three to tie, but they only managed a layup with 2.5 seconds remaining. “Coach just wanted us to take the shot that was open,” guard Tre’ Kelley said following the game. “We had good shooters out there. We were gfetting good looks out there, but we just didn’t knock them down.” Kelley’s final desperation heave at the buzzer didn’t fall, and the Gamecocks dropped their third-straight game decided by three' points or fewer. Kinsey led USC with 21 points, and Wallace added 11 points and four blocks. It was LSU’s Davis and forward Tasmin Mitchell who stole the show. Mitchell dropped in 20 to go along with Davis’ 24. “It’s OK to feel bad,” Odom said of the close losses. “It’d be a lot worse if you didn’t feel bad. They onuis • ii