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#2 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Winthrop Eagles
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
TV: SEC Network | Online: WatchESPN.com
Commentators: Pam Ward (pxp); Debbie Antonelli (analyst)
Three-Point Preview
- The last meeting between the two teams (December 20, 2013) was a little too close to call for the Gamecocks when they hosted the Eagles two years ago at the CLA. The Eagles, who ended up as the Big South champion that year, came just shy of upsetting the then-#10 Gamecocks, but fell by a final count of 69-61. Of course, South Carolina ended up heading to the Sweet Sixteen that year.
- Winthrop is currently 2-6. Two of those losses? To nationally-ranked Oklahoma and Duke; however, one of those has been to Charleston Southern, picked to finish last in the league. This team is hurting without their senior forward Schaquilla Nunn (broken foot; out for season), leaving the slack to be picked up by fellow all-Big South first-team pick Erica Williams (team-high 17.9 points per game). Arianne Whitaker is the top rebounder with 8.4 an outing.
- The name Kevin Cook will be very familiar to Dawn Staley: Cook was part of the coaching staff during Staley's two seasons with the WNBA's Houston Comets in 2005 and 2006. While Cook has overcome much in his life - including losing his son 20 years ago to a brain tumor and being diagnosed with Parkinson's, as well as losing his sister in a fire - it's great to see that he is still able to be an inspiration to others.