Dec. 21, 2012
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Postgame quotes following Maryland's 76-69 victory over Stony Brook Friday night.
Head Coach Mark Turgeon
Opening statement:
"I am really pleased with the win; we beat a really good team. I think you guys can see that I am not full of it when I say that it's a good team that we are going to play. They were a good team. To have been up 20 against that team shows that we did a lot right to get there. I thought the game got physical and we didn't handle it well. We couldn't score around the basket, couldn't get second chance points. They started to get confidence and hit some shots. Give them credit they never quit. I thought we were going to pull away and win by double digits and then we missed some free-throws down the stretch. [Anthony] Jackson hit two really big threes for them. Give them credit they are a good team. I think their experience showed when the game was on the line. The local kid, [Tommy] Brenton, is really good. Eight rebounds, nine assists, and nine points is really good. He was a difference out there."
On turnovers and the three-point game:
"We were pretty good. We still shot 52 percent, almost 53 percent. We did a lot of nice things. We shared the ball and adjusted to some of the things that they were doing. Our post defense wasn't any good. To be honest we didn't talk about post defense a lot, we felt like they would struggle scoring over us down there and they were getting us way too deep. That is what we need to work on. I will take a lot of positives out of this game. Sometimes when it starts to go the other way it is tough to stop it, we couldn't stop it for a long time. Give them credit, they are good. They are going to win a lot of games."
On playing in a close game:
"I think we needed a close game to see how we handled it. We missed some free-throws, but we made some free-throws. What I really liked was the last four possessions. I'm not really sure but the kid hit the three on the one but we were right there shaking hands with him on it. The other ones we really locked them up pretty good and rebounded the ball. That was good to see. We haven't been in that situation. There are some things I need to work on with the lead to make us better that I haven't added but I will add going forward. With a young team it is hard to add things. It was good because we are going to have a lot of close games, so it was good."
On what he knows heading towards conference play:
"I think that we have some good chemistry and we share the basketball. We don't take a lot of bad shots, we took a couple. We have a willingness to learn and have some depth. The depth isn't what it needs to be for us to be successful in the league but we have it. We really worked hard on execution and shooting the ball and that showed tonight. There are a lot of positives. Sitting around last summer if you told me that we would be 10-1 at Christmas break I wouldn't believe you. We are 10-1, we are getting better, we are learning while we continue to win. I think we need a break. I have been at them pretty hard. This break will be great for us."
Sophomore Guard Dez Wells
On the competitive game:
"It's always good to be challenged, especially when you're playing a competitive sport like this. We haven't been as challenged as we would have like to have been in the past couple games. They were good teams, but Stony Brook was one of the better teams. It was probably one of the better teams we've played this year. The made some tough shots and executed down the stretch, but luckily for us we locked down a little bit at the end and we got some key rebounds and key tips and were able to get out with a win."
On key possessions:
"You're not always going to put the ball in the basket - that's not how basketball is. No one is like that. Kobe [Bryant] isn't like that, Michael Jordan wasn't like that, but luckily for them, they were on teams and I'm on a team that knows that defense and rebounding can win games. So, we did a really good job of rebounding and defending down the stretch. That's how we won the game today."
Sophomore Guard Nick Faust
On the game:
"We just wanted to play inside-out. Big guys got open and outside guys got open also."
On changes in the second half:
"They were doubling and executing as well. They played solid D [defense]."
On the game:
"It was just us willing to do it and willing to play defense and just wanting it."
On forcing the shot clock down on defense:
"Coach preaches about defense all the time. Defense wins championships, so we try to defend and do what we can to get the win."
Sophomore Center Alex Len
On the close score:
"I think it's good for us because the first game against Kentucky was kind of like this, a close game. I think it's good for us down the stretch."
On the team's improved shooting percentage:
"We worked a lot on execution, so it showed. In the first half we executed really well compared to a couple weeks ago."
On needed improvements before conference play:
"We've got to get more physical and tougher before ACC [play] starts. We've got to prepare for that."
Junior Guard Pe'Shon Howard
On the team's fast start:
"I think it really came from having all those practices and days off. A big emphasis with Coach was starting practices off better. We'd been starting really sluggish, just being young and stuff, and not being really attentive and having fun in practice. I think the last week or so, we've been really good at starting off really well and I think it carried over into the game today."
On Stony Brook's play:
"They were tougher. They played tough in the first half, we kind of expected it. That was a big emphasis, to make sure we were tougher. In the second half they just came out and stepped up the aggression. We didn't really meet it, we kind of backed off. I guess we figured since we were at home, we'd get calls and stuff. But they did a great job being tougher than us and just working hard. You've got to give them credit for that."
On Maryland's first half:
"I thought we did a great job in the first half. We had a few miscues, but they're a great team, so we knew they weren't going to just fold and stop playing. We really focused. I think for us, because we hadn't played in so long, guys were really excited and up to get a game. Maybe we were excited for break, but we really came out and focused."
Stony Brook Coach Steve Pikiell
Opening statement:
"We hadn't given up that many points in the first half all season. We've been up every first half - we've never been behind. [Maryland] was on fire. They haven't shot it like that - they were great. I didn't think our defense was that bad to be honest with you. [Alex Len] hurts you because he's 7'1" and we have nobody that size. But we came back - we were scrappy, we were tough. We made it a game in the second half. [Maryland] is good - well-coached. They've got good players and we don't have 7'1" for sure."
On defending Dez Wells:
"We just wanted to make it difficult for touches in the post for [Alex Len] because he's good. And I saw [Dez] Wells a lot at Xavier and he's terrific. He's tough and he's a good player. We knew we would have matchup problems with both players, so we just kind of tried to mix up our coverage on them. We tried to show them different looks and doubled them sometimes from the guard spots. [Len] got a lot of looks, he really did. He's good."
On the play of freshman Jameel Warney:
"He's a freshman and you can tell, but he's good. He's a good player and I was pleased with the way he battled against those guys in the post. He's certainly a good player."
