Gamecocks Host Mississippi State Saturday Night

GAME INFORMATION Game Date: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 Game Time: 6 p.m. ET Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Broadcast: SEC Network/WatchESPN Talent: Tom Hart (pxp), Jon Sundvold (analyst), Maria Taylor (sideline) Radio: Gamecock Radio Network Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst) Sirius: 93; XM: 190 Series: Mississippi State leads 18-10 Last Meeting: 74-62 Carolina win, March 8, 2014, in Starkville, Miss. GAME STORYLINES – South Carolina is in its 107th season of varsity basketball in 2014-15. – The Gamecocks are led by third-year head coach Frank Martin. His associate head coach is Matt Figger, his assistant coaches are Perry Clark and Lamont Evans, and his director of operations is Andy Assaley. – South Carolina suffered a 59-51 loss on the road at Alabama on Tuesday, despite a career high 18 points and nine rebounds from junior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius. Sophomore guard Duane Notice added 16 points, including four 3s, but a late 10-3 run from the Crimson Tide secured the Alabama victory. – Freshman guard Marcus Stroman returned for the Gamecocks at Alabama after missing the previous four games due to a throat infection. Stroman saw 14 minutes of action vs. the Crimson Tide, dishing two assists and collecting one steal. – Over the course of the last three games, South Carolina has collected an assist on 62% of its made baskets, 35 assists on 56 field goals. – Following Saturday’s contest, South Carolina welcomes No. 18/16 Arkansas to Colonial Life Arena on March 5 for Senior Night. That contest will be broadcast on ESPN2/WatchESPN. – Texas A&M led wire-to-wire in a 62-52 win over the Gamecocks in Columbia on Feb. 21. South Carolina hit just 27.1 percent (16-59) from the field in the contest. Junior forward Michael Carrera posted his highest scoring output of the season with 17 points, while he also collected nine rebounds. Notice dished a team high five assists, also collecting three steals in a career high 40 minutes played. – South Carolina used stellar shooting and nine made 3s in the contest, to post a 64-58 road win at Georgia on Feb. 17. It was Carolina’s first SEC road win of the season. Notice and senior guard Tyrone Johnson led the Gamecocks with 17 points each, with Johnson posting four 3s and Notice three. South Carolina hit 58.3 percent in the opening half to hold a 41-23 lead at halftime. – South Carolina’s nine made 3s at Georgia marked a season high in the category. – South Carolina has four victories this season over teams in the top 30 of the RPI (Feb. 27) in Iowa State (12), Oklahoma State (27) and Georgia (29, twice). – The Gamecocks are in their 24th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference in 2015. Carolina owns a 142-245 (.366) all-time record in SEC play. – Frank Martin owns a 63-70 (.473) all-time record in conference games.