Thousands pack arena for Gamecock celebration, parade scheduled

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - About 14,000 people gathered at the Colonial Life Arena in downtown Columbia Wednesday afternoon to welcome the national champion USC Gamecock baseball team home from the College World Series in Omaha.

This was the first time a men's athletic team has won a national title and Gamecock fans were ready to party. Many tailgated in parking lots outside Colonial Life Arena and most dressed in South Carolina shirts and hats. An arena scoreboard replayed the baseball clincher from the night before.

Gates opened at the Colonial Life Arena at 3:30p.m., and fans began pouring in to watch a replay of Tuesday night's title game. The team walked in just before 5:30pm to raucous "Game-Cocks" cheers, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Queen's "We Are the Champions."

The first 5,000 fans in attendance received a commemorative print. Due to the venue change and expected large crowd, there was not an autograph session to conclude the event as was previously planned.

Coach Ray Tanner thanked the fans for their support during the season. Instead of referring to the championship as belonging to the team, Tanner said it was fans' championship title.

Tanner also thanked three people who couldn't be at the celebration: Sarge Frye, Tom Price, and Bayler Teal.

Teal was the 7-year-old cancer-stricken child who died last weeks just as the Gamecocks defeated the Oklahoma Sooners. The boy was a fan of the team and the team quickly adopted him as one of their own.

"Last I'd like to recognize Bayler Teal," said Tanner to a standing crowd chanting the boy's name. "There was once a time in Bayler's life that many of our guys were his heroes, but soon, he became our hero. He inspired us, and he was watching over us. He was the angel on our wing. Thank you, Bayler."

The celebration doesn't end for at least until the end of the week. The City of Columbia says they'll be holding a parade on Friday at noon on Main Street to commemorate the team's historic title. The parade will begin at the corner of Main and Laurel streets, travel down Main Street and end at the corner of Main and Gervais streets.

Immediately after the parade, a brief ceremony will be held to honor Coach Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Governor Mark Sanford announced Wednesday afternoon that the USC baseball flag will fly over the State House on Thursday to honor the Gamecocks, much like after Clemson's 1981 football championship. Sanford is also designating Thursday, July 1 as Gamecocks Baseball National Champions Day.

"Given last night's classic come-from-behind victory by the South Carolina Gamecocks in Omaha, I'd congratulate Coach Tanner and the entire baseball team for their relentless spirit, superior skill, and ongoing success both on and off the field in representing South Carolina," said Sanford.

In addition, Sanford will award Coach Tanner with the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian award. "For his years of success on the ball field, his work with the Ray Tanner Foundation, and his dedicated service to the university and community at large, Coach Tanner is deserving of this recognition and I'd wish him and the Gamecocks all the best as they take a well-deserved victory lap," said Sanford.

Copyright 2010 WIS. All rights reserved.

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Gamecocks catch the Gators

USC rallies as Raley-Ross heats up in the second half
By SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com

Early in the second half, Darrin Horn gave Brandis Raley-Ross a warning: either start shooting the ball or have a seat on the bench.

Raley-Ross took it to heart, and the result was an impressive rally for the South Carolina men's basketball team.

The senior guard's second-half flurry of 3-pointers propelled the Gamecocks to a 77-71 victory against Florida on Wednesday night. The win kept USC (14-9, 5-4 SEC) alive in the Eastern Division. Florida (17-7, 6-4) entered having won six of its past seven.

"This one was huge for a lot of reasons," Horn said.

This rivalry has seen some classic moments lately. Last month, Florida won on a last-second 3-pointer by Chandler Parsons. And last year at Colonial Life Arena, Zam Fredrick beat the Gators on a buzzer-beating layup after a full-court pass from Mike Holmes.

There was no last-second drama this time.

Florida led most of the game and by as many as eight in the second half. But the Gators missed numerous chances to put USC away.

And then the Gamecocks pounced.

USC went on a 21-7 run to shift momentum. Raley-Ross was key, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half.

During the first media timeout of the second half, Horn pulled Raley-Ross aside.

"He was leading the nation in shot-fakes," Horn said. "I told him if he passed up another 3 he was coming out. To his credit, he stepped up and took - and made - a lot of big shots for us."

The Gamecocks needed that kind of production from their second-leading scorer. Devan Downey rolled his ankle in Monday's practice, and though he finished with 24 points, that was his SEC low this season.

Raley-Ross hit his first 3-pointer shortly after the talk with Horn -- and didn't let up. His third 3 cut Florida's lead to one with 9:22 left.

A minute later, Downey's jumper gave USC its first lead since early in the first half.

From there, the Gamecocks gradually pulled away. A 3-pointer by Ramon Galloway as the shot clock expired gave USC a four-point lead. Another 3 by Raley-Ross extend the advantage to 61-54 with 4:07 left.

Raley-Ross seemed surprised he had been so bashful in shooting.

"It hasn't happened in a while. Not since high school, I think," he said. "But it felt good, and I just made them down the stretch."

It also helped that the Gators foundered, hitting one field goal during one six-minute stretch. They struggled the whole game on offense, committing 20 turnovers and going 10-for-23 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks hit their free throws, with Downey sinking 11 of 12.

Downey said he "definitely wasn't 100" percent and was in a walking boot after the game. The team said Downey will continue to wear the boot for precautionary reasons.

"My team carried me tonight," Downey said. "A whole lot of times people talk about what I do for this team. You know, tomorrow's headline should be what my team did for me tonight."