COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Alaina Coates thinks she and post partner Aja Wilson have picked up right where they left off -- and thats a bad sign for No. 3 South Carolinas opponents.I pretty much feel like were back to where we were, Coates said.Theyd get no arguments from Maine after the Gamecocks ran off to a 79-42 victory on Monday night in the Basketball Hall of Fame Womens Challenge.The 6-foot-5 Wilson had 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting while 6-4 Coates had 12 points and 14 rebounds. The two did about whatever they wanted most of the way against the undersized, young Black Bears (2-3).Theyre good, Maine coach Richard Barron said. What else can you say?The Gamecocks (3-0) used their defense to make quick work of Maine, starting on a 15-0 run, then outscoring their opponents 13-0 to open the third quarter. South Carolina eventually grew the lead to 41 points in the final period.Freshman Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, at 6-2 the primary post backup for Wilson and Coates, added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and picked up eight boards.South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said when Coates and Wilson play with efficiency and speed, it helps in teaching Herbert Harrigan the right way to play.When she sees our two bigs clicking like that, it kind of becomes contagious, Staley said. She had a pretty good basketball game.The Gamecocks outrebounded Maine 42-27 while Wilson had four of their five blocked shots. Coates swatted away the other.South Carolinas two high-profile transfers, Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray, also finished in double figures with 10 points each. Julie Brosseau had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Black Bears.BIG PICTUREMaine: The Black Bears opened with a surprise win at Purdue, but lost for the third time in the past four games. They dont have the size to match up with teams like No. 7 Mississippi State (a 44-point loss on Nov. 12) or the third-ranked Gamecocks. But Maine, which starts four freshmen, showed off some shooting touch in a 59-43 win over St. Peters on Sunday night. Laia Sole, who scored 16 points in the St. Peters win, was named the American East rookie of the week for the second straight time this season.Whats it like starting four freshmen? Its a little bit better than starting five, Maines Barron said.South Carolina: The Gamecocks wont go wrong going inside this season to Wilson and Coates. Coates had 10 points and 12 rebounds by halftime to collect her second double-double of the season and 44th of her career.POLL IMPLICATIONSSouth Carolina will have one more tune up on Tuesday night before things get serious when it faces No. 4 Louisville on Sunday. Lose that one and count on the Gamecocks to tumble from the top five.YOUNG GAMECOCKSAfter taking its big lead, South Carolina played several young players in the final quarter like Herbert Harrigan, Victoria Patrick, Araion Bradshaw and Tyasha Harris, all freshmen. Staley said the group has to get experience because the Gamecocks have only four juniors or seniors returning with significant experience Wilson, Coates, point guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore and guard Tiffany Davis.We may need the young players at some point this season, Staley said.STREAK ENDERWilson set a school record on Sunday night, going 14 of 14 from the foul line in defeating Hampton 92-38. Could Wilson keep it going? No as she missed her first free throw against Maine and finished 0-2 at the line.UP NEXTMaine takes on Hampton here at the Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday night as part of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Challenge.South Carolina finishes a three-game homestand on Tuesday, facing St. Peters as part of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Challenge.Nike Air Max 97 Ultra Pas Cher Vente . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Air Max 90 Femme Pas Cher . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. http://www.outletairmaxpascher.fr/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Air Max 270 Homme Pas Cher Acheter .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Nike Air Max 97 Ultra Femme Pas Cher . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off.SYDNEY -- Royal Sydney was there for the taking on Thursday morning, yet star international attraction Jordan Spieth was more than content with his three-under round and place in the Australian Open field.Sunny skies and next to no wind made for a perfect scoring environment early on at Royal Sydney -- located just five minutes drive from the famed Bondi Beach -- with Australian amateur Curtis Luck taking advantage of the benign conditions to grab a share of the lead at five-under after the morning wave.Playing his first competitive round at Royal Sydney after winning at The Australian in 2014 and finishing runner-up to Matt Jones at The Lakes last year, Spieth struggled off the tee at times but also showed touches of the class that has taken him to two major triumphs and a stretch as world No. 1.After putting in the deep greenside bunker on the par-three 17th, Spieth dug himself out of trouble in sensational style by stiffing it to a foot to save par, a feat he repeated on 18, before he began the front nine with back-to-back birdies.A birdie on the par-five seventh following a superb second shot saw him momentarily grab a share of the lead, but the good work was undone a hole later when he duffed a flop shot having driven through the green, which resulted in a bogey.Still, the American was more than content with his efforts on day one and predicted conditions to toughen into Friday and across the weekend.I think if I can shoot three-under each day, given the course is going to play harder the next three, shoot three-under each day, then Ill be in good shape, Spieth said.I would certainly like to have gotten off and made a few more putts, but at the same time I was in trouble off the tee a few times and salvaged par. So I feel like Im in good shape to contend at this event, just would like to post the same score three more times.ddddddddddddSpieths next assignment will be to negotiate a sticky afternoon tee time on Friday with the temperature in Sydney set to climb to 30 degrees Celsius.The hot conditions are unlikely to serve as a deterrent to the crowds, with Spieths gallery growing throughout the opening round -- culminating on the ninth green where there was next to no viewing spots when the American finished up.Kids were out on course early to watch Spieth in action, some making their way to lessons after just a few holes while others took the opportunity to watch the world No.5 cut his way through all 18.Those a little older would have enjoyed the performance of young Aussie amateur Luck who took the marquee pairing in his stride -- Geoff Ogilvy rounding out the trio -- the 20-year-old west Australian earning high praise from former Masters champion Spieth.Really, really impressive player, Curtis, real simple golf swing, Spieth said of Luck.Just kind of understands where hes at and how to play different shots, and then around the greens he was spectacular, which is something you certainly need to take with you up to the next level. So hes certainly got all the tools.He could have shot even par for the day, instead he turned that into five-under in the middle of the roundSo thats the kind of stuff that is unteachable, and he has that.Spieth, too, has proven he has those unteachable qualities and armed with a few local lessons from Thursday, its little wonder he was happy with his opening-round return. ' ' '