MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont hits the road for its seventh game away from Patrick Gym on Thursday (Dec. 1) with a trip to 20th-ranked South Carolina. The action gets underway at 6:30 p.m. on the hardwood of Colonial Life Arena. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call. Fans can watch the game on watchESPN.com via SEC Network+ by signing in with their television provider. 
 
RELATED LINKS
South Carolina: Video | Live Stats | Audio | Tickets
Polls: Associated Press (AP) | MidMajorMadness.com  
Game Notes: Vermont (.pdf) | South Carolina (.pdf)
 
SETTING THE SCENE
UVM is eyeing its first upset over a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 14 Boston College on November 13, 2007 with a 77-63 win. The Cats roll into Thursday night as one of the top statistical teams in the country. Vermont has dished away 117 assists this season which sits 20th in the nation. On the glass, the Catamounts have pulled down 285 rebounds – good enough for 21st in the country. From long distance, UVM has sank a total of 62 shots from beyond the arc to rank 24th in the land. As a defensive unit, the green and gold have recorded the 25th-most steals with 55 takeaways.
 
LAST TIME OUT | Yale Highlights
Redshirt sophomore Ernie Duncan banked in the game-winning shot with one second left on the clock to give the Catamounts a 67-65 win over Yale on Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gym. Duncan's decisive shot marked the third time in the last four games where the outcome was decided on the last possession for UVM. The Evansville, Ind. native finished the game with nine points and a team-high six rebounds. Anthony Lamb led the Catamounts with 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, and set a new career-high with three blocks.  

POLL POSITION
The Gamecocks come into Thursday night ranked No. 20 in the country according to the Associated Press (AP) Poll. USC is ranked in the top 25 for the second straight season after climbing as high No. 19 last season. The Catamounts received their own poll recognition this week by landing at No. 18 in week two of the MidMajorMadness.com Power Rankings.
 
FOR THE WIN!
Trae Bell-Haynes and Duncan have dropped last second game-winning shots for Vermont in the last week. UVM went four seasons without a last second game-winner when Matt Glass tipped in a missed jump shot on November 26, 2011 to give UVM a 64-62 win over Siena.
 
CRACKING THE TOP 10
In last Saturday's win over Yale, senior Kurt Steidl made his 180th career shot from beyond the three-point arc and moved into the top 10 on the all-time list. Steidl has averaged just under two three-pointers made per game this season and is on pace to climb as high as sixth on the list.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina has one of the top defenses in the country. The Gamecocks rank fifth in the nation by holding their opponents to only 32.3% from the floor and sit sixth after surrendering 56.7 points per game this season. USC has the 17th-best scoring margin at +18.8. Sindari Thornwell is the team's premiere player and leads the squad in points per game (20.0), field-goal percentage (48.7%), rebounds per game (7.0), three-pointers made (13), and free throws made. PJ Dozier leads the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in steals (2.00) and positioned second in steals (12).

SERIES HISTORY
The only meeting between South Carolina and Vermont took place back on December 29, 1979. The Gamecocks pulled off a 66-65 win over the Catamounts in the Iron Duke Classic, hosted at Duke. Steven Thode led the Cats with 18 points on 9-of-15 shooting and was one of three UVM players with six rebounds. Mike Evelti added 15 points, six rebounds, and made five of six attempts to the line. UVM led 33-31 at the break, but USC's Zam Frederick sank both ends of a 1-and-1 with two ticks on the clock to hand UVM the defeat.
  
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont returns home for a three-game home stand, starting with Dartmouth on Wednesday (Dec. 7) at 7 p.m. Single game tickets can be purchased at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call. The game can be seen live for free in HD via AmericaEast.TV.