USC Looks to Stay Perfect, Hosts Lipscomb

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — South Carolina returns home to host Lipscomb on Friday following three neutral site contests at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas last weekend. The Gamecocks own a 1-0 all-time record vs. Lipscomb. GAME STORYLINES – South Carolina is in its 108th season of varsity basketball in 2015-16. – Carolina is led by fourth-year head coach Frank Martin. Alongside him are associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Lamont Evans and director of men‘s hoops operations, Andy Assaley. – The Gamecocks captured the 2015 Paradise Jam championship on Monday after defeating Tulsa 83-75 in the finale. For the second straight game, five Gamecocks registered double-figures, led by senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius‘ game-best 17. Fellow senior forward Michael Carrera was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards. – South Carolina‘s 5-0 start to the season is the best start since the 2003-04 Gamecocks began the year 8-0. – South Carolina hit 50% from the floor vs. the Golden Hurricane, the second-straight game where Carolina hit at least 50% from the floor (54.4% vs. Hofstra). – South Carolina senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas and junior guard Sindarius Thornwell were both named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team. Thornwell was named the event‘s MPV after averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and just 1.7 turnovers per game. Thornwell also collected 2.3 steals per outing, including a season high five vs. Tulsa. – Friday‘s game vs. Lipscomb marks the fifth game in 14 days for the Gamecocks. – Did you know? South Carolina has led all five of its games this season at halftime by an average of of nearly seven points. – Led by senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas‘ 18 points, all five Gamecock starters scored in double figures, and Carolina posted a 94-84 victory over a previously undefeated Hofstra squad, in the semi-final round of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas on Nov. 22. The game, which didn‘t end until past 12:30 AM local time, saw both team‘s shoot above 50 percent from both the floor and 3-point range. Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell dished a team best six assists, and rookie point guard PJ Dozier put together the best game of his young career with a 12-point, nine-rebound effort in the win. SCOUTING LIPSCOMB Lipscomb enters Friday‘s contest having already played seven games on the year, owning a 3-4 mark in those contests. The Bisons were picked to finish third in the Atlantic Sun this season. Most recently the Bisons played at the Men Against Breast Cancer Challenge, dropping two contests, but winning their finale against Florida Atlantic. Three Lipscomb players average double-figures entering the game vs. Carolina, led by J.C. Hampton‘s 14.9 points per game. Josh Williams (11.3) and Nathan Moran (11.0) also contribute double-digits. The Bisons lead the NCAA with 185 3-point attempts per game, which is 26.4 attempts per outing. They connect on 34.4 percent of thos attempts. They also rank among the nation‘s best with 17.6 assists per outing, thanks to 5.0 helpers per game from Moran. Lipscomb is led by head coach Casey Alexander in his third season.