GAME NOTES: The South Carolina Gamecocks will be looking to win for the fourth time in five outings as they play host to the Wofford Terriers.
Tonight's matchup will be the 62nd meeting between the Gamecocks and Terriers. South Carolina holds a 42-19 advantage in the all-time series. Wofford defeated South Carolina during the 2009-10 season, 68-61, in Spartanburg. The win was the first for the Terriers over the Gamecocks since the 1939 season. South Carolina has won 24 of the last 25 meetings between the two schools.
Wofford comes into tonight's game with a 7-5 overall record after losing 87-79 to High Point its last time out. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for head coach Mike Young's squad. High Point was able to shoot 57.7 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range against the Terriers, which was a surprise as Wofford currently leads the Southern Conference in scoring defense with 63.3 points allowed per game. The success has not translated to the offensive end, as the Terriers are ranked last in their conference in scoring with 63.2 ppg.
Kevin Giltner is leading the Terriers and is ranked second in the SoCon in scoring with 16.9 ppg. The 6-6 guard put on a show in his most recent outing as he connected on 47.1 percent of his shots from the field and 8-of-15 from three-point range to score 28 points. Wofford's point guard, Brad Loesing, is second on the team in scoring with 13.5 ppg and third in the SoCon in assists with five per game. Loesing, like his backcourt partner Giltner, is a legitimate threat from beyond the arc. Wofford's big man Drew Crowell is leading the team with a field goal percentage of 61.8.
South Carolina comes in with a 5-6 record after topping Southeast Louisiana 62-43 its last time out. The Gamecocks saw a second half lead slip away against the nationally ranked Ohio State Buckeyes prior to the victory over Southeast Louisiana. Darrin Horn's team is ranked 11th in the SEC in scoring with 63 ppg, but is fourth in the conference in scoring defense with 62.3 points allowed per game.
Malik Cooke leads the Gamecocks in scoring with 13.2 ppg. The senior forward has scored in double figures in three straight games, and was especially impressive against Ohio State with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. Anthony Gill is second on the team in scoring with 9.3 ppg and leads the squad with 5.2 rpg. The freshman forward tied his career high with 14 points against Southeast Louisiana in the team's last outing.
South Carolina is 1-1 against teams from the SoCon so far this season, so a Wofford road victory is very possible. The Terriers rely on three-point shooting for their production, which will either be the key to victory or their demise in this one. The Gamecocks have the worst three-point defense in the SEC as opponents have connected on 39.7 percent from beyond the arc against them this season, which means Wofford has got to like its chances.
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