Dec. 27, 2000

Recap| Box Score| Notes

Maryland Coach Gary Williams
(on the game, in general)
"We're doing a lot of work in practice -- trying to get good, trying to get better. We talk about the importance of being intense for 40 minutes, regardless of who you play. We have to be able to do that the rest of the way now.

"I thought tonight we came out with good defensive intensity. We obviously shot the ball very well early and we were unselfish - that's why we got the points that we did in the first half....Hopefully we're getting to a point where we can put a certain level out there every night and play up to that level. That becomes very important as we move into January."

(on Juan Dixon)
"I think that Juan Dixon is playing at a tremendous level right now. He struggled a little bit early but he's a competitor. He did the same thing last year. He went through a stretch where he didn't shoot the ball very well but he got that back for the rest of the year. He seems like he's on his game."

(on Mike Mardesich)
"Mike's been improving this year with his consistency. He's had flashes of that throughout his career and I think the difference this year is that he's a lot more consistent in making good plays. I don't just mean the points but with the help on defense, the rebounds, deflecting a ball that we pick up -- he's much more active out there on the court which I think comes from the confidence he has there and the fact that the other players enjoy having Mike out there. They know what he gives us."

Chicago State Coach Bo Ellis
(on tonight's game)
"It was a tough game for a young team like ours. I look at a game like this as an education and hopefully we can build on this. We still have another game this week at Hampton and Maryland showed us tonight how hard you have to play at this level to win."

(on the Terps' 22-0 run to open the contest)
"When I told our players that Maryland would come at us, I don't think they understood what we really meant. Maryland was like a piranha and I knew they would come right at us. I played at this level for years and I coached at this level for 10 years at Marquette. Getting ready for the ACC and having a few days off, I knew that Maryland would come after us early and our team did not handle it well."

(on the play of Terrapin point guard Steve Blake)
"He is an excellent point guard and he does exactly what he needs to do for a team like this. When you are at this level and you have a Terence Morris or Juan Dixon, you need a kid to do the little things. He is an excellent floor general and he did a phenomenal job leading his team tonight. If he can do that, when it is all said and done, Maryland will be right there in the end."