TheState.com: GoGamecocks: Womenand#39;s Basketball

Women's pregame: USC vs. Penn State

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:35 EST

WHEN: Today, 3 p.m.

WHERE: Colonial Life Arena

TV: Fox Sports South

RADIO: WISW, 1320AM

RECORDS: USC 1-1, Penn State 3-0

Tigers toe the line in double overtime

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:15 EST

The Clemson women's basketball team worked the free throw line to close out double overtime and hold off South Carolina, 94-92, at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Tigers (2-1) used 21 points from junior Sthefany Thomas and 20 from sophomore Shaniqua Pauldo to win their second game in a row against the Gamecocks (1-1).

"I came into this game telling the girls they needed to play a hard 40 minutes," Clemson coach Cristy McKinney said. "I didn't realize it would turn into a 50-minute game, but the girls rose to the challenge and played hard."

With the Tigers up one, Clemson's April Parker fouled Valeria Nainima with 7.6 seconds remaining in double overtime. Nainima hit the first of two free throws, but the second rimmed out to Clemson's Kirstyn Wright. After a scrum, Wright found Pauldo, who raced down court, launching a 3-point attempt with three seconds on the clock. However, Pauldo was hit by USC's Kesley Bone while she was shooting, sending her to the line in a 92-92 game.

Pauldo missed the first attempt, but drained the second.

Women's pregame: USC vs. Clemson

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:38 EST

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina

TV: None

RADIO: WISW, 1320AM

RECORDS: USC 1-0, Clemson 1-1

Bone takes control in her collegiate debut

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:28 EST

CHARLOTTE - It took Kelsey Bone a half to get cranked up Monday, but South Carolina's highly touted freshman was a force once she got going.

In her first college game, the 6-foot-5 Bone scored the Gamecocks' first nine points of the second half and the final five in overtime as USC held off Charlotte 70-66 at Halton Arena.

Bone, a Houston native and the nation's No. 2 prospect as a high school senior, notched a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds to help USC (1-0) overcome an 11-point halftime deficit and beat the 49ers (0-2) for the 10th time in their past 11 meetings.

"After all the hype, it's still basketball," Bone said. "You still have to step out on the floor and produce."

USC received huge production from another newcomer. Shooting guard Valerie Nainima knocked down four 3-pointers and scored 22 points in her first game after sitting out last season following her transfer from Long Island University.

Staley's Twitter account abuzz during game

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:28 EST

Dawn Staley has been on the forefront of the social networking movement. So it was not surprising the USC coach's Twitter page was updated regularly throughout the Gamecocks' opener Monday at Charlotte.

A USC staffer, whose identity was a closely guarded secret, served as a "guest tweeter" from Halton Arena. During a sloppy first half for the Gamecocks, the mystery poster wrote that "13 turnovers does not make a happy coaching staff."

But the tweets were more enthusiastic as the Gamecocks overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to win in overtime.

"What a game!" wrote the guest tweeter. "Gamecocks escape with 70-66 win!"

Newton out. USC guard Courtney Newton was held out as a precaution after she banged heads with a practice player last week. Newton, a redshirt sophomore from Flowery Branch, Ga., averaged 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 22 games last season.

Women's basketball pregame: Gamecocks vs Charlotte 49ers

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:08 EST

WHEN: Today, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Halton, Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: None

RADIO: WISW, 1320AM

RECORDS: USC 0-0, Charlotte 0-1

Improvement expected for Staley, USC

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:06 EST

Dawn Staley is not setting the bar low for her second season at South Carolina.

The four-time Olympic gold medal-winner expects the Gamecocks to make the NCAA tournament.

"If we stay healthy, I don't foresee us not being one of the 64 teams," Staley said recently.

That might seem like bold talk from a coach whose first USC team finished 10-18 and in next to last in the SEC with a 2-12 conference mark. But Staley raised expectations after signing a top-5 recruiting class, a group that included the No. 2 prospect in the country - 6-foot-5 center Kelsey Bone.

"Talent," Staley said. "There's no substitute for it."

New-look Gamecocks roar to life for Staley

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:38 EST

The first look at the second edition of the Dawn Staley era proved a welcome sight for USC women's basketball fans.

With the addition of high-profile newcomers, South Carolina romped to a 94-38 exhibition victory against Division II Augusta State at the Colonial Life Arena.

Kelsey Bone, a Parade All-American, had a double-double after the first shot of the second half. The Houston native finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

But she said she was nervous before the start.

"I was actually quite nervous," Bone said. "I talked to my Mom for about an hour before I had to be back to the gym because I couldn't get the jitters out. She just told me that I've played a lot of basketball and this was just another game."

Basketball Schedule (Men's and Women's)

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:41 EST

MEN'S SCHEDULE
11/5/09	vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (Exh.) *	Columbia, S.C.	W, 78-55
11/13/09	vs. Alabama A&M TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/16/09	vs. Georgia Southern TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
Charleston Classic
11/19/09	vs. La Salle TV	Charleston, S.C.	9:30 p.m. ET
11/20/09	TBD	Charleston, S.C.	TBA
11/22/09	TBD	Charleston, S.C.	TBA
11/27/09	vs. Jacksonville TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/2/09	vs. Western Kentucky TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/6/09	at Clemson TV	Clemson, S.C.	1:00 p.m. ET
12/16/09	vs. Richmond TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/19/09	at Wofford TV	Spartanburg, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/21/09	vs. Furman TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
12/30/09	at Boston College TV	Chestnut Hill, Mass.	9:00 p.m. ET
1/2/10	vs. Baylor TV	Columbia, S.C.	1:00 p.m. ET
1/5/10	vs. Longwood TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
1/9/10	at Auburn # TV	Auburn. Ala.	1:30 p.m. ET
1/13/10	vs. LSU # TV	Columbia, S.C.	8:00 p.m. ET
1/16/10	vs. Vanderbilt # TV	Columbia, S.C.	6:00 p.m. ET
1/20/10	at Mississippi # TV	Oxford, Miss.	9:00 p.m. ET
1/23/10	at Florida # TV	Gainesville, Fla.	6:00 p.m. ET
1/26/10	vs. Kentucky # TV	Columbia, S.C.	9:00 p.m. ET
1/30/10	vs. Georgia # TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
2/6/10	at Tennessee # TV	Knoxville, Tenn.	6:00 p.m. ET
2/10/10	vs. Florida # TV	Columbia, S.C.	8:00 p.m. ET
2/13/10	at Georgia # TV	Athens, Ga.	4:00 p.m. ET
2/17/10	at Arkansas # TV	Fayetteville, Ark.	9:00 p.m. ET
2/20/10	vs. Tennessee # TV	Columbia, S.C.	1:30 p.m. ET
2/25/10	at Kentucky # TV	Lexington, Ky.	9:00 p.m. ET
2/27/10	vs. Mississippi State # TV	Columbia, S.C.	6:00 p.m. ET
3/3/10	vs. Alabama # TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
3/6/10	at Vanderbilt # TV	Nashville, Tenn.	2:00 p.m. ET
SEC Tournament
3/11/10	SEC Tournament TV	Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
3/12/10	SEC Tournament TV	Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
3/13/10	SEC Tournament TV	Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
3/14/10	SEC Tournament TV	Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
WOMEN'S SCHEDULE
11/11/09	vs. Augusta State (Exh.) *	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/16/09	at Charlotte	Charlotte, N.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/19/09	at Clemson	Clemson, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
11/22/09	vs. Penn State TV	Columbia, S.C.	3:00 p.m. ET
U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam
11/26/09	vs. Oklahoma	St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.	1:00 p.m. ET
11/27/09	vs. Notre Dame	St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.	1:00 p.m. ET
11/28/09	vs. San Diego State	St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.	1:00 p.m. ET
12/2/09	vs. High Point TV	Columbia, S.C.	11:00 a.m. ET
12/13/09	vs. NC State TV	Columbia, S.C.	2:00 p.m. ET
12/17/09	vs. Wake Forest TV	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
Carolina's Challenge
12/20/09	vs. North Carolina	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	3:00 p.m. ET
Saint Joseph's Hawk Classic
12/28/09	vs. Boston University	Philadelphia, Pa.	4:00 p.m. ET
12/29/09	Brown/Saint Joseph's	Philadelphia, Pa.	2/4 PM ET
1/3/10	vs. LSU # TV	Columbia, S.C.	6:00 p.m. ET
1/7/10	at Tennessee # TV	Knoxville, Tenn.	7:00 p.m. ET
1/10/10	at Alabama #	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	3:00 p.m. ET
1/14/10	vs. Kentucky #	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
1/17/10	vs. Auburn #	Columbia, S.C.	3:00 p.m. ET
1/21/10	at LSU #	Baton Rouge, La.	7:00 p.m. ET
1/24/10	at Florida # TV	Gainesville, Fla	1:00 p.m. ET
1/28/10	vs. Mississippi #	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
1/31/10	vs. Tennessee # TV	Columbia, S.C.	2:00 p.m. ET
2/4/10	at Auburn #	Auburn, Ala.	7:00 p.m. ET
2/7/10	at Georgia # TV	Athens, Ga.	2:00 p.m. ET
2/11/10	vs. Mississippi State #	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
2/14/10	vs. Arkansas # TV	Columbia, S.C.	3:00 p.m. ET
2/21/10	at Kentucky #	Lexington, Ky.	2:00 p.m. ET
2/25/10	vs. Georgia #	Columbia, S.C.	7:00 p.m. ET
2/28/10	at Vanderbilt # TV	Nashville, Tenn.	1:00 p.m. ET
SEC Tournament
3/4/10	SEC Tournament TV	Duluth, Ga.	TBA
3/5/10	SEC Tournament TV	Duluth, Ga.	TBA
3/6/10	SEC Tournament TV	Duluth, Ga.	TBA
3/7/10	SEC Tournament TV	Duluth, Ga.	TBA

Staley counting on young players to contribute

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:38 EDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Tennessee legend Pat Summitt watched last season as South Carolina's Dawn Staley struggled during her first SEC season.

But Summitt also watched Staley clean up on the recruiting trail, including with a player she wanted.

"They'll be fine. I have no sympathy for them," Summitt said about Staley on Thursday. "She's added some talent and there's no doubt that they'll be competitive in this league."

Staley hopes so. Her debut season at USC was somewhat expected, as roster attrition and injuries led to a 10-18 record, including 2-12 in the SEC.

But the off-court news was much better, as Staley brought in one of the nation's top recruiting classes. A number of recruits were swayed by the former Olympic guard, the marquee signee being 6-foot-5 center Kelsey Bone.

Staley conducts a talent search

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:08 EDT

As the injuries and losses piled up during Dawn Staley's first season at South Carolina, the Gamecocks' 39-year-old coach discovered hard work only goes so far.

"I learned you have to have players," Staley said Tuesday. "No matter how hard your team plays, no matter how much work you put into it, it can get you to a certain point. But you have to have the talent to get over the hump and win games."

The Gamecocks finished 10-18 last season and lost their top two players - seniors Brionna Dickerson and Demetress Adams - to season-ending knee injuries in consecutive games in January.

The Gamecocks received a talent infusion with the arrival of the nation's fourth-ranked recruiting class and the emergence of a transfer guard from Fiji who grew up playing an all-girls sport called netball.

Freshman Kelsey Bone, a 6-foot-5 center from Texas rated the country's No. 2 prospect, drew the most attentionTuesday during USC's media day. But Staley expects Valerie Nainima, who sat out last season after transferring from Long Island University, to make a big splash, as well.

USC women's hoops to be on TV 10 times

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:52 EDT

The USC women’s basketball team will play 10 televised games during the 2009-10 season, including a pair of SEC games on the ESPN family of networks.

The games scheduled to be broadcast:

-- Nov. 22 Penn State, 3 p.m. SportSouth

-- Dec. 2 High Point, 11 a.m. SportSouth

-- Dec. 13 N.C. State, 2 p.m. SportSouth

Woods carves a vision at High Carolina

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:43 EDT

SWANNANOA - Standing in what will eventually be the 18th fairway of his first American golf course design - the Cliffs at High Carolina - Tiger Woods looked up the hill Saturday morning toward a white stake designating where the 18th green will be built.

Woods stood on bulldozed dirt, still thick with sticks and stumps, under a blue October sky. The hardwoods covering the hills around him had not yet begun to show their autumn colors but Woods wore a brown sweatshirt against a soft, cool breeze.

Two years from now - fall of 2011 if all goes well - High Carolina will be open for play and Woods could see it coming to life Saturday.

"You want to leave a lasting impression on anyone who plays here," Woods said. "This is as good as it gets."

From where he stood, approximately 3,800 feet above sea level 10 miles east of Asheville, Woods could see for miles. In ideal conditions, golfers will be able to see nearly 50 miles from spots around High Carolina.

Staley, USC see attendance boost

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:20 EDT

The University of South Carolina women's basketball program lifted its average attendance by 992 fans in 2008-09, a number that ranked seventh in the nation, according to the NCAA.

The Gamecocks drew an average of 2,793 fans over their 15-game home schedule last season after 1,801 fans visited Colonial Life Arena per game in 2007-08.

"Our goal each year is to grow attendance and expose as many fans as possible to the game of women's basketball," director of marketing events and public relations Dawn Ellerbe said. "We focus on creating an atmosphere that is fun and exciting for our fans while providing a great competitive advantage for our student-athletes. With the arrival of head coach Dawn Staley and the student-athletes she has added to our program, interest in our program continues to grow. We look forward to those added fans helping us create a game day environment that rates among the best in the country."

In June, the NCAA announced that South Carolina received one of 18 grants to foster the grown of women's basketball on NCAA member campuses and conferences. Two of the six programs that posted larger attendance gains than the Gamecocks in 2008-09 were among those awarded the grant for last season. Additionally, each of the six programs ranked ahead of South Carolina won more games than the season before, and five of the six advanced to postseason play.

"It was great to see more fans come out to help our team battle through a difficult season," head coach Dawn Staley said. "It's a tribute to our players'effort and the work of the marketing staff. The coaching staff is hard at work to put a winning product on the floor, and I know the marketing staff is planning some exciting things that will help us get into the top spot in this list next season."

Recruit to miss season at USC

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:23 EDT

South Carolina women's basketball recruit Monique Willis will not be joining the Gamecocks this season.

Willis, a guard from Savannah's Beach High, reached a plea agreement with the Chatham County (Ga.) District Attorney's office on shoplifting charges. But she still faces a November trial on separate armed robbery charges.

USC women's basketball coach Dawn Staley said Thursday those must be resolved before Willis can be a Gamecock.

"We are pleased that Monique has reached a resolution on some of her legal issues through Wednesday's plea agreement," Staley said in a statement. "In talking with her and her family throughout this process, we have decided that it is best for Monique to attend a junior college until her remaining legal matters are concluded. Therefore, she will not be a part of our team for the upcoming season."

The plea agreement stems from an April 3 incident at a Savannah mall where Willis attempted to switch tags on merchandise. When discovered, she fled and broke a plate glass window while trying to escape security. She was charged with shoplifting, criminal damage to property, simple battery and reckless conduct.

Charges keep away recruit

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:20 EDT

The USC women's basketball recruit charged with armed robbery in Georgia is not expected to make it to campus in time for the start of the season, if she makes it at all.

Monique Willis, a point guard from Beach High in Savannah, is scheduled for trial in November, and her lawyer indicated Thursday there is little chance of a plea deal.

"I do not see a negotiated resolution in this case," attorney Sage Brown said.

Willis was arrested in April on shoplifting and related charges for allegedly stealing clothing from a department store in a Savannah mall. Less than two weeks later, she was indicted for armed robbery and possession of a firearm — charges that stemmed from a string of robberies on Jan. 14, 2008.

Willis was arraigned on the latter charges this week. She has a hearing next week at which prosecutors will seek to revoke her bond because her pretrial supervising agency does not work with defendants charged with violent crimes, Brown said.

Bone at home in creating a new hoops buzz

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:02 EDT

Don't ask.

The 6-foot-5 woman with the big smile shooting baskets at "the Strom" wellness center or noshing on a burrito at Moe's is who you think she is:

The coolest thing to hit Columbia since central air and the reason to believe Dawn Staley has a chance to turn around the fortunes of USC's women's basketball program in her second season.

Meet Kelsey Bone, the Gamecocks' BWOC — Big Woman on Campus.

During the first session of summer school in June, Bone would be shooting at the Strom or the Gamecocks' practice facility when she'd notice a crowd of boys that had wandered over from Darrin Horn's camp to gather around the tall girl.

Photos: Staley leads Little Gamecock camp

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:04 EDT

USC hopes grant will boost edge at home

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:05 EDT

When Dawn Staley was an All-ACC point guard at Virginia in the early 1990s, the Cavaliers routinely drew crowds of 5,000 to 6,000 fans.

It helped that the Cavs were winning — Staley made three trips to the Final Four during her four years in Charlottesville — and featured a pair of attractive, blonde forwards in Heather and Heidi Burge, who, at 6-foot-5, were in Guinness as the world’s tallest female twins.

“Maybe we have to go out and get some 6-5 twins that can play,” Staley said recently.

She was joking. But South Carolina’s second-year coach is serious about trying to turn Columbia into a women’s basketball town.

USC recently received a $48,000 grant from the NCAA as part of its initiative to increase awareness, interest and attendance for women’s basketball. The NCAA will distribute $750,000 to 14 Division I schools and four conferences in the second year of the grant program.

Terrapin will transfer to Gamecocks

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:13 EDT

Dawn Staley continues to reshape her roster as she prepares for her second season at South Carolina.

Staley added her second transfer in less than four weeks Tuesday when the school announced former Maryland guard Marah Strickland is joining the Gamecocks. Strickland and Rend Lake (Ill.) College transfer Ebony Wilson join an incoming class headlined by Texas center Kelsey Bone and ranked No. 4 nationally by one recruiting site.

Staley had room for the transfers because of a pair of departures. Team spokeswoman Diana Koval said freshman guards Miranda Tate and Tonia Williams have left the program. Freshman center Sada Wheeler quit midway through last season.

Former Gamecocks coach Susan Walvius signed Williams and Wheeler, who played in six games. Tate, who averaged 3.0 points in 21 games last season, originally committed to Temple before following Staley to USC.

Williams, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 11 games at USC, said she is transferring to West Virginia in the hopes of getting more playing time.