Nainima seals win for South Carolina

Former national basketball player Valerie Nainima continues to impress for her Gamecocks University team in Alabama in the United States. Nainima was instrumental for the South Carolina based team on Sunday to claim a 80-68 victory over Alabama to claim its first SEC win of the season. The Gamecocks had five players score in double figures, with Nainima leading the way with 21, 14 of which came in the first half. Kelsey Bone finished with a solid double-double, scoring 14 points to go with her 13 rebounds. South Carolina shot a sizzling 59.6 percent from the field, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range to pick up the road victory. In 2009, Nainima was ranked third in the SEC and 30th in the nation in scoring with 18.6 ppg. Last month she was voted AgSouth Athlete of the Week. At the end of last season, Nainima scored a season-high 27 points against NC State to lead team to a 74-71 victory. Her 12 field goals made against NC State were the sixth-most by a women’s basketball player at Colonial Life Arena and her 25 attempts were the fourth-most in arena history. Nainima led the team with 18.3 points per game and 18 3-point field goals. She had been the team’s top scorer five times in eight games last season. Nainima played for the national open team and the U-20 team where she averaged 23 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists at the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games, helping her team to the gold medal. She led Fiji to a gold medal at the 2007 South Pacific Games, averaging 25.7 points per game.

The Fiji Sun Newspaper

12th January, 2010




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