Clemson vs South Carolina Game Notes |
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: South Carolina leads 86-72 at Clemson: Clemson leads 44-30 at Littlejohn: Clemson leads 19-7 at South Carolina: South Carolina leads 53-25 at Neutral: Tied 3-3 First Meeting: South Carolina, 39-18, in 1912-13 Last Meeting: Clemson, 85-74, in 2007-08 Probable starting lineups
2 Demontez Stitt 6-2 175 So. G 2 Devan Downey 5-9 175 Jr.
Quick Facts
- Tuesday’s game will be the 159th meeting on the
hardwood between Clemson and South Carolina.
The Gamecocks own an 86-72 advantage in the
series, but the Tigers have won four straight
current Head Coach Oliver Purnell.
- Clemson has won two straight in Columbia and five
out of the last seven in the state capital against the
Gamecocks.
- The Tigers moved up to #16 in the ESPN/USA
Today coaches’ poll on Dec. 29 and #20 in the
Associated Press rankings.
- Clemson has won its last eight road games against
non-conference opponents, which is a school
record streak. The Tigers won earlier this year
at Charlotte and at Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten
Challenge.
- The Tigers are 12-0 for the second time in the
last three seasons. In 2006-07, Clemson was the
nation’s last remaining unbeaten team at 17-0. This
year, nine undefeated teams remain in Division I.
- Clemson won at Miami (FL) in its ACC opener last
time out by a score of 91-72. The 19-point margin
of victory was the sixth-largest in an ACC road
game in school history.
- The Tigers rank in the top 25 in the NCAA in six
important statistical categories: blocks per game
(7.1 - 7th), scoring margin (+20.4 - 8th), field goal
percentage (.501 - 11th), steals per game (9.9 -
16th), scoring offense (81.8 - 21st), and turnover
margin (+4.3 - 25th).
- K.C. Rivers was named ACC Player-of-the-Week
on Dec. 22 after scoring 28 points in the win over
Miami. It was the second weekly honor earned by
the senior captain in his career.
- Rivers surpassed 1,400 points, 600 rebounds, and
200 assists in his career in the contest with Miami.
He is one of only three players in school history
to meet those standards, joining Vincent Hamilton
(1980-85) and Horace Grant (1983-87).
- Trevor Booker needs just four rebounds to reach
600 for his career. He currently ranks third in the
ACC with 9.6 rebounds per game and is coming
off a 16-board performance versus Miami.
- Terrence Oglesby is the ACC’s active leader with
at least one three-point goal in 20 straight games.
His streak ranks in a tie for the seventh-longest in
school history.
- Jerai Grant had nine points in the Miami win and
has now made 26-32 field goals on the season. His
total is one more than he had his entire freshman
year, in 22 less attempts.
- Demontez Stitt ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in
assists per game (3.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio
(1.4).
Clemson vs. South Carolina Series History
- South Carolina holds an 86-72 lead in the series
with Clemson. South Carolina has a 53-25 lead
in games played in Columbia. The two schools
have split six neutral site games.
- Clemson has won each of the last four games
after South Carolina had won four in a row.
Clemson is trying to win five in a row for the first
time since winning six in a row from 1994-95 to
1999-00.
- Clemson enters this game ranked 20th in the
nation. Clemson is 6-0 all time as a ranked team
against South Carolina.
- Clemson has won 30 of the 44 games played
between the two schools since South Carolina
left the ACC after the 1971-72 season. The
two schools did not play from 1972-73 through
1976-77 (Tree Rollins never played against South
Carolina). The series returned on a regular basis
in 1977-78.
- South Carolina held a 28-15 advantage in the
series when the two schools were in the ACC
(1954-72). That includes five seasons in which
the two schools played three times each. South
Carolina won each of the last 11 meetings while
the two schools were in the ACC.
- Clemson and South Carolina have met at least
once a season since the 1977-78 season. The two
schools did not play in the calendar year of 2002.
The two teams met twice a year from 1977-78
through the 1989-90 season.
- The two teams played eight games decided
by five points or less between 1990 and 2000.
Clemson’s 2004-05 overtime victory ended a
streak of four straight double digit wins by the
Gamecocks.
- The most unusual date for the basketball rivalry
game came in 1957-58 and 1958-59. Both of those
seasons the game was played on New Year’s Eve
as part of the Carrousel Classic in Charlotte.
Clemson won both meetings, 85-65 in 1957-58
and 55-49 in 1958-59.
- Eddie Fogler is the TV color analyst for the Fox
Sports South broadcast on Tuesday. He had a
record of 123-117 as South Carolina’s head coach
from 1993-2001.
Scouting South Carolina
The Gamecocks enter Tuesday’s game
with nine wins and just one loss, which was in
overtime at College of Charleston on Nov. 28.
South Carolina is a perfect 8-0 in games played
at the Colonial Life Arena this season. In their
most recent outing, the Gamecocks defeated
Presbyterian 75-56 thanks to 58 percent
shooting as a team.
The Gamecocks rely heavily on outstanding
backcourt play from upperclassmen Devan
Downey and Zam Fredrick. A first-team All-
SEC selection last year, Downey is averaging 19
points and 4.5 assists per game. Fredrick is at
15.1 points per game. In the post, sophomore
Mike Holmes averages 13 points and 8.8
rebounds per game. USC also has a dangerous
weapon from the outside in junior Evaldas
Baniulis, who is hitting at a 54 percent clip on
his three-point attempts.
South Carolina is under the leadership of firstyear
Head Coach Darrin Horn, who came over
after five successful years as the man in charge
at Western Kentucky. He owns a sporty 120-49
career record.
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