Feb. 3, 2002

Recap| Box Score| Notes

Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
Opening statement:
"NC State is a very good team, a NCAA caliber team. They did a great job out there. I expected a very tough game, especially after Thursday night. I thought our guys gradually got to the point where we had enough energy to play a team with the same energy as NC State. In the second half we matched their intensity level -- once we did that we were O.K."

On the play of Ryan Randle:
"Ryan Randle really helped when we were in some foul trouble with Lonny [Baxter] and Chris [Wilcox]. In the second half he was quick getting to balls which really helped us. He's a physical presence [every day] in practice and he makes our guys better. "

On Maryland's second-half charge:
"Juan [Dixon] really stepped it up. I thought Steve [Blake] did a great job directing the offense. Byron [Mouton] has been a solid force for us all year. We have a good combination going out with those eight guys including Tahj Holden."

On the challenge of today's game following Thursday's comeback win over Virginia:
"It's tough when you play an emotional game Thursday night. Your [team] is going to enjoy that win, and I know I enjoyed it. But you have to come back down as quickly as you got up and get ready to play. That's easy for me as a coach to say that, but the kids have to get ready to play. I really admire our players for doing what they did. A lot of teams wouldn't have gotten back up to play in this game."

NC State Head Coach Herb Sendek
Opening statement:
"A couple of things stand out. We knew we had to come in and take better care of the basketball. Maryland forced us into 21 turnovers. Our goal was to play with 10 or fewer. That's a number that is hard to overcome. The other thing that stands out is the differential on the backboard."

On the play of Juan Dixon:
"Juan Dixon is a great, great player. He's lights out. He's uncanny."

On NC State's performance:
"Our guys did some good things. We shot 50 percent from the field ourselves. We had some nice offensive possessions but your margin for error playing against a team with the caliber of Maryland is not very large and you don't have a very big window. When you turn the ball over like we did, that window gets [even smaller]."

On the difficulty of playing at Cole Field House:
"We don't stand alone in our inability to get a 'W' here. Maryland has had a great team in the last few years. They've had a great run here, have some tremendous players, and Coach Williams has done a great job."

On Maryland's press at the end of the first half:
"[Our play against the press] was disappointing. We've done so great against pressure. We came unraveled and there was no need to do that. That was uncharacteristic of this team."