Dec. 23, 2006

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
Opening Statement:
"This American team reminded me of a lot of the teams I coached when I was there. They have no fear. They come to play, and they play their style. We stretched it out a little there in the second half, but they came after us and they did a good job. I think they have a great shot of going far into their conference finals and a chance to make the NCAA tournament this year."

On Maryland's play:
"Will Bowers and Eric Hayes did a great job coming in at the end of the first half. We played with more energy for the first time that half, which made all the difference. We came out and played OK in the second half; nothing great, but enough to win the game. I don't measure the team that much by this game because of the timing of the game. The next couple of games will show a little more, and we will see where we are going into the ACC season. We still have work to do, but that's a good thing at this time of year because we have a lot of time to get things done."

On Maryland's 20 turnovers:
"We had places where the ball should go, and we had trouble getting it there. It always concerns me. We scored 101 points and had very few turnovers last game. If you're scoring 90 points in a game and you're being aggressive, you're going to have 15 turnovers. We're playing really hard. If we're trying to make plays and we turn the ball over, that's one thing. If we turn the ball over because we're playing sloppy, that's different."

On D.J. Strawberry:
"He's very explosive. He's shooting the ball better this year, and he's more of a complete player. D.J. is a tough match-up for most teams we play because he has a lot of guard qualities, but he still looks at the game a lot like an inside player. It's difficult to put somebody big enough on him, or somebody quick enough. He usually has a chance to take advantage of the situation."

On James Gist:
"James has been playing really well. We need him. As a junior, he has really stepped up his game. At the end of the season, hopefully he will be looked at as one of the better forwards around. He has to prove that. He has become a much better shooter. He still has to do some things inside, like working on a stronger move. He had a couple chances where he had the angle and he let the defense recover, and then the shot wasn't there. He's worked hard. I'm proud of James."

Senior Guard D.J. Strawberry
On his play:
"I was just trying to pick us up. We were flat out there at the start, and as a senior, I just wanted to pick us up so we could have a good holiday."

On defending American's Andre Ingram:
"Once you get it going as a shooter, it's hard to stop you. Your teammates know to get you the ball, and that's what they were able to do with Ingram today. He hit some shots early and his teammates were setting him up well with good screens. They were looking for him, and he played well today."

On interior play:
"James [Gist] has been playing well for us. He stepped his game up, and that is what we needed. We need Ekene [Ibekwe] to step up and hit shots and rebound like he did today. Add [Bambale Osby] and Will [Bowers], who played well today, and we have a lot of options inside."

Freshman Guard Eric Hayes
On returning after a long break:
"It's definitely a difficult situation to come back after exams and right before Christmas with family around, but we just have to get ready for every single game. Those sorts of things can't be an excuse."

On the play of the bench:
"It got us going. We needed a shot in the arm like that. In the second half we came out with that energy and got a big lead, so that was definitely something we needed."

On D.J. Strawberry:
"He was all over the place today. He was making shots and forcing turnovers, and he really gave us a lift going into the second half."

Junior Forward James Gist
On the game:
"One thing that we stress is that we have to play every game like it is our last. We have to play hard every game. We can't take any game lightly. We have to play the American game the same way that we play the Duke game. Any win is a good win. We're 11-2 now and in a great situation, so we just have to get ready for our next game."

On posting three consecutive double-doubles:
"I just am trying to do my part for the team. I want to do as much as I can by running the floor and rebounding and making the shots that I can make. That helps out the team. As long as everyone does their part, we're going to be OK."

Senior Guard Mike Jones
On the game:
"American worked very hard today. They gave us a challenge. We were a little careless at first, but we stuck it out and stayed strong, though, so that was important for us."

On playing after a long break:
"It's just a matter of staying mentally tough and being ready to play. There were some periods today where we lacked that intensity, but we picked it up in the second half. We just went out there and played hard in the second half, and we got a good win."

American Head Coach Jeff Jones
Opening Statement:
"It was key for us not to get blitzed right from the beginning, and in the first half I think we made some good shots. If not pretty, we were at least opportunistic. I think the key to the game was when Will Bowers came in during the second half. It kind of coincided with Gary changing the pressure and they got us out of rhythm a little bit, Bowers hit some key shots and they stretched things out a little bit. I don't think it was a matter of us playing particularly poorly, I think that Maryland came out in the second half and just did a really great job."

On American's play:
"I think that Andre Ingram really stood out today, but from an effort standpoint, I thought we got contributions from a number of different guys at different times. We certainly can't fault our players' effort. There are times when you don't execute, but I thought that our kids played hard."

On what he hopes to take away from the game:
"From my perspective there are a lot of things that we need to improve on, fortunately for us we will probably not be facing this sort of athleticism a whole lot. There is a lot we need to work on, but I definitely feel that this is a game we can grow from; we can build on the positives and learn from the negatives."

On the Maryland team:
"In a lot of ways this is a typical Gary team, very aggressive, very athletic. They play with a lot of intensity and a lot of passion. They have a nice blend of maturity and youth. Gary is a good friend, so we watch them, we follow their season and we know they are off to a good start. I think he has a team that if they continue to progress as they have, has a chance to achieve a lot of their goals this year."