Jan. 30, 2008

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Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
On tonight's game:
"James Gist played 40 minutes and Greivis Vasquez played 39 minutes, so that's really a great effort against a team like that. I like the way we scored having five guys in double figures and early in the game we did a great job against the zone. We did a really good job running our offense and getting open looks as well. As a team we really struggled against the zone early in the year so it was very gratifying tonight."

On inside game helping out the outside game:
"I think as a team if you can get good inside play it can really help stretch the floor and get guys open for outside shots. The past few games we have been playing well on the blocks against man defense, but we did a good job against the Virginia zone inside and that really helped us get open shots early. We also did a good job of passing the ball around the perimeter which helps get open looks."

On the recent success of Landon Milbourne:
"He is going to be a great rebounding player because he plays that three spot so well. He has a height advantage in the spot against most teams, especially tonight. Their three man wasn't quite as big as Landon so he did a great job on the boards."

On the play of Bambale Osby:
"What Bambale does really well is give us energy. When he is on his game he is a very enthusiastic, energy-driven player and he does a great job of keeping the rest of the team in the game. Boom is also gaining confidence in his offense which has been a big help because it gives us another threat besides James Gist on the blocks."

Maryland Senior James Gist
On the team's potential:
"The thing about this team is that when we believe, we go hard and put it all out there. Not too many teams can play with us. I think we're starting to see that. Even though we lost to Duke, we scored 51 points in the first half. That's big to be putting up points like that on the No. 3 team in the nation. We took some positives from that game, but at the same time we have to continue to work hard. We can't ever lay back. At this point of the season, we have to keep getting wins."

On winning a rivalry game against the Cavaliers:
"It's always big to beat a rival team, especially since they swept us last year. I remember last year we lost both times. Down there, it was a battle and up here, I thought we should have won. To come back this year, work really hard and get a big win, it really helps our confidence going forward."

Maryland Sophomore Greivis Vasquez
On the team's offensive improvement in ACC play:
"For me, it's all about sharing the ball, passing the ball to guys like James Gist, Bambale Osby and Eric Hayes. We had a lot of assists tonight. I don't know the number, but we shared the ball really well. We played as a team and we won as a team."

On bouncing back from the Duke loss:
"It takes a lot of character. You have to grow as a player. You have to grow as a person. I think we did a pretty good job of doing that, coming out and playing really hard, going up by 15 points. That was the game right there."

Maryland Sophomore Eric Hayes
On the Terps' hot 3-point shooting early:
"We didn't expect them to come out in a zone, but when they did, we just ran our offense and shot the ball well. I was able to hit a few early and Greivis [Vasquez] hit a few early. I think that shocked them a little since they were trying to stop our inside game. That brought them out of the zone."

Virginia Head Coach Dave Leitao
Opening Statement:
"It was another game today when we didn't play well enough. I thought particularly in the first 35 minutes of the game we played back on our heels. When you give a team at home confidence it's a very difficult situation to get yourself out of. We put ourselves in a deep hole."

On his decision to play zone defense:
"We have not been good at protecting the paint, so I thought that was a better way to protect the paint."

On senior guard Sean Singletary:
"The way he played defense and didn't turn the ball over [was great]. He continues to amaze me. I can't come close to naming somebody that I've ever been around that has the kind of heart he does. This program or this league might not see the likes of someone that has the heart that Sean does [for a long time]."

On team's play:
"We got down early and we were fighting from behind. We didn't do our job in the beginning of the second half, so we were forced to make plays. That's not any way to live, especially on the road."

On Maryland senior forwards Bambale Osby and James Gist:
"When you go up against Osby, who's 6-8, 250 pounds, [you can't make mistakes.] He's been around the block and has had his share of ups and downs and Gist is one of the best big men in the country. He's athletic as anybody."

Virginia Senior Sean Singletary
On the game:
"It is very frustrating coming out and not having the energy that this program is used to having. We have a long season and fortunately for us we have a friendly schedule. We have a lot of home games against a lot of tough teams and then we have some road games. We just have to put everything together. Sometimes we have some things and then other times we don't have some things. You always have to bring what you are about every night and we didn't bring that."

On tonight's loss:
"It is mental. We have to work on it. You cannot harp on anything because it is the same thing every game. You just have to get in the gym, do it right and develop repetition and just get those things done."

Virginia Junior Mamadi Diane
On the team's dynamic:
"We have to try and put our finger on the problem and work on getting better. It is tough to do it at this time of the year. It is a tough time but we have to figure it out and bring it to the next game."

On the mentality of the team:
"We still have a lot of fight left. I don't think that a lot of people know that. It has been tough but we have to work. We have to play well with a lot of intensity down the stretch."