USC looks forward to challenge at UT
The Gamecocks will have their hands full against perennial powerhouse Tennessee on Thursday, but they’re not only prepared for the task at hand — they’re excited about the challenge.
South Carolina (17-5, 6-3) will travel to Knoxville to face the SEC’s second-place team, Pat Summitt’s No. 8 Lady Vols (16-5, 7-1), whose lone conference loss came against now–No. 6 Kentucky.
After dropping three conference games in a row earlier in January, the Gamecocks have won their last three, earning them consideration for the Top 25.
“The time is now,” said coach Dawn Staley. “I told them I like who we’re taking into Knoxville, you know, as far as our defense and what we’ve been able to do from an offensive standpoint.
“We don’t have to play perfect basketball, but we do have to do certain things for us to be successful against Tennessee.”
After the overtime win against Vanderbilt and two dominating performances against Ole Miss and Mississippi State, the Gamecocks are feeling good about their chances.
“I think the confidence level is pretty high,” Staley said. “The morale is high because we are on a winning note, and we’re doing things the right way. We’re back to playing defense the way we’re used to playing defense. Our offense is jump-started with players taking shots that they naturally take. Hopefully we’ll just do those types of things on the road.”
When asked about what comes to mind when facing a historically rich program like Tennessee, senior guard La’Keisha Sutton had one word in mind: tradition.
“I think our preparation is always good, but this time it feels different,” Sutton said. “Our team chemistry, the way we’ve been playing lately — like I said, I’m excited about this game.”
Along with the tradition in Knoxville comes the Tennessee faithful. Thompson-Boling Arena regularly fills the stands with fans who almost always play a role and affect preparation.
“It’s gonna be a packed house,” Sutton said. “It’s gonna be really loud in there. So we really need to communicate and call the plays out and use hand signals and just make sure we keep pushing, no matter what the score is. Basketball is a game of runs, so just keep fighting.”
Staley downplayed the Tennessee atmosphere and aura of success that could affect the game, but acknowledged the significance of a potential win.
“It would be a great win for our program for a lot of reasons,” Staley said. “From a historical standpoint, but also, it will go to show how far our program has come and what the future will look like.”
Looking at the matchup on the court, the Lady Vols present a difficult challenge for the Gamecocks’ conference, leading defense with their size.
“They’re a really good team; I think of height,” Sutton said. “They’re all long, from spots one through five.”
One way the Gamecocks may look to neutralize some of Tennessee’s size is with freshman Elem Ibiam. The 6-foot-3 forward is the tallest Gamecock on the roster and could see more playing time against a squad featuring two of the conferences best rebounders in Glory Johnson and Vicki Baugh.
“I think (Ibiam) has been progressing,” Staley said. “I think a lot has to do with her getting in some workouts before practice. She’s playing at a high level. She’s just improving. I think for us, we consciously start putting her into the game and giving her minutes for games like Tennessee, in which they have a lot of taller players. Hopefully we can play her some extended minutes.”
Ibiam herself noted that she plans on playing a more important role Thursday night.
“The coaches and all the players have really just been telling me to be aggressive and just keep playing hard. So, that’s just what I’m going to keep doing: Keep being aggressive and being a strong body in the post.”
Staley had no doubt that her team is ready take on the Lady Vols.
“As long as they’re taking shots within our offense and they’re expected shots that put us in a position to rebound, I say let it fly,” Staley said.