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Quotes: Duke 92, N.C. State 72
1/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening Statement:
“This was a tale of two different halves, obviously. They outplayed us in the first half and we outplayed them in the second half. I think they're a good team. (Javier) Gonzalez did a good job for them, especially in the first half not turning it over and getting them into sets. (Gavin) Grant gave them such a verve early, and then (Brandon) Costner did too and we were just knocked back. We couldn't turn them over and then we started fouling. We didn't play a very intelligent first half and they took advantage. Then our kids played a great second half. You can't play too much better than we did in the second half. We were down to 10 in rebounding in the first half and then we ended up outrebounding them. Our three-point shooting was sensational in the first half, but it's because we really shared the ball. There were some really beautiful connecting plays. Our defense was outstanding. We played so well in the second half and I thought we were deserving of the win.”
On the play of Greg Paulus, who had 22 points, six assists and no turnovers:
“Paulus put us on his back to get us back in the game and get us that little lead. It seemed like everybody then just picked up. DeMarcus has been the guy that's been doing that for us, but I thought Greg did that tonight. DeMarcus played real well, but it was Greg tonight hitting the shots and putting pressure on the ball. He had six assists and no turnovers, so it was one of his best games here at Duke.”
On what the discussion at halftime was like:
“We were real disappointed. Our thing is to play hard, play smart and play together, and we were 0-for-3. The ACC has been such a great conference and the games are so hard. The win at Maryland was a huge win ? we have a young team ? and that was a huge win. I'm not sure I prepared them that well to get back into this. I think we were ready to play, but not as ready to compete as we normally are and there's a big difference there.”
On the fight that N.C. State put up:
“They were 2-3 coming in here. When I'm 2-3, I'm fighting for everything I can get. That's the way this league has always been, and I'm not sure I portrayed that to my team well enough. I can tell them that Grant does this and (Courtney) Fells does that, but in our league teams respond to a sense of urgency. Some of the best basketball that teams play are when they feel that. Our three best games of the year last year were when we were 5-6. Against Boston College, Clemson and Georgia Tech, those were three of the biggest wins we had. I didn't get that across to my team as well.”
Sophomore Gerald Henderson
“We weren't contesting in the first half. We got out-rebounded by like 10. We weren't playing smart also. We fouled on something like six or seven straight possessions in a row. We got lucky because they weren't all that great from the foul line. We just pulled ourselves together. We knew that the first half wasn't us. That's not how we've been playing all year. [The second half] was probably our best half of the whole season, and the first half was probably our worst half of the whole season. We just need to get our heads on straight and start thinking the game and start playing with some pride.”
On Greg Paulus:
“He was unbelievable. That was his best game that I've seen his play as his teammate, especially in the second half coming out and hitting those three or four threes in a row. He played pretty good defensively in the second half, but he was leading us definitely offensively.”
On the quick turnaround to play Miami on Saturday:
“I don't know what Miami's schedule is like, but I'm sure at some point during the season they'll have the same kind of turnaround that we do. There are no excuses. We'll go out and prepare for the game tomorrow and play it on Saturday. We'll be ready. It's just like the NCAA Tournament ? you might play a night game and then two days later you're playing another game during the day. That's how it is and this might be good preparation for that. We're looking forward to it.”
Junior Greg Paulus
“We needed a little emotion, so I tried to give a little emotion. The competitive side of me just comes out a little bit. We just needed it. We were down nine at halftime and just needed everybody to make plays and that's what happened. Everybody stepped up in the second half.”
“We got off to a good start ? I think we were up 10-4 ? and we didn't push the lead. They got a couple of threes and did a good job of hanging around. They did a really good job defensively of getting back in transition. In the second half we got a few more cracks and seams to hit with the ball, but they did a good job in the first half of making us work in the half court.”
“Getting that lead after being down nine, it gave us more momentum and we just tried to keep building from that lead once we got it. They're a really good team. When they do what they did the first half, they can beat anybody in the country. They did a great job of controlling tempo. They're big and physical inside and hit some outside shots. They're a really good team, and that's what happens in this league if you don't show up to play.”
Freshman Kyle Singler
On the difference between the first half and the second half:
“We just came out with a different mindset. We played a little stronger. We knew what we needed to get done. We kind of came out strong but then faded throughout the first half. Definitely in the second half we just turned it around. This team is special. We just have something that we can't really explain and it's just something special that makes this team good. We don't really panic, but we just needed to change a few things and make a few adjustments defensively.”
N.C. State Head Coach Sidney Lowe
Opening Statement:
“It was a very tough ball game but our guys came out in the first half and did a pretty nice job of answering the call. I thought the second half they [Duke] came out and they kept the intensity up and their toughness both physically and mentally and we sort of broke down in some areas especially on the defensive end and against a team like this you can't do that. They scored 55 points in that second half and we have to be solid all the way around for 40 minutes against a team like this.”
On the aggressiveness of the game and doing a lot of talking from the sideline:
“Oh I was talking, absolutely. Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] and I were both fighting for our teams. There were some things that were going on out there and obviously I had to voice my opinion and what I thought. A couple of times I thought things got a little bit out of hand and so I had to be let it known that's how I felt.”
On Duke doing a better job rebounding and with their effort in the second half:
“They stayed tough. They knew they had to come out and make a run in the first five minutes of the second half. We talked about trying to make a run ourselves and trying to increase that lead and we knew they were going to make a run and I thought they were tougher. Both mentally and physically they stayed with it and we relaxed a little, especially on the defensive end as I said. The game plan that we had, several times we broke down and didn't do what we're supposed to do and they took advantage of it.”
On why Duke was more successful from three-point range in the second half:
“Mistakes?we made mistakes. Not to take anything [away from Duke]?they executed their plays and they read the defense but we had several mistakes defensively because we certainly wouldn't leave those three-point shooters. I mean [Greg] Paulus came out and got going and we went under the ball screens on him and went under on screen aways on him and that wasn't the game plan.”
On whether it's more difficult to be a player or a coach in Cameron Indoor Stadium:
“Coaching?coaching is much tougher. Playing I can do something about it. I can actually be out there and handle the ball and do things. Coaching you just hope that your guys do what you ask them to do so coaching is much tougher.”
Players Mentioned
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