Jan. 30, 2008

Recap | Final Stats | Notes | AP Action Photos

Head Coach Dave Odom

“Certainly very pleased with the win. I thought our team for the most part played very well. Defensively we kept them off stride. Georgia’s a team that on certain nights has had trouble scoring. Tonight was one of those nights. Billy Humphrey going 2-for-12, you have a chance.

“When you look at the game as a whole, the game was won on the defensive end. We made just enough baskets, some of the backdoor variety which is so different for us. Our plan is to play with our smaller lineup.

“The last two years we tried beat them at their own game. This game tonight was more in line of what we need to be doing against teams like that. Truly it was a game of runs. We’d make a run and they’d make a run back. The last minute of the first half I had nightmares again. Here we are with a nice margin and (had) turnover and fouls. We just seem to go to pieces like that. We’re our own worst enemy at times.

“The game as it gets into the last five minutes should have been easier to win. We just missed free throws…I think down the stretch we missed five free throws in a row. That gives you cause for concern.

“Perhaps the biggest shot of the game occurred just in side of one minute with Zam Fredrick’s baseline drive, double-clutch power layup. He made that shot when we were up four at the time. That gave us a six point margin. It was a huge, huge shot for us because we were struggling to make a basket at that time.

Devan Downey

“This win lets me know that when we need a better offense, everyone can step up. Tonight was really a team effort.”

“I told the team before the game, we all just need to do a little more and that’s what we did; everybody gave a little extra effort. We can control the game if we play hard. Just cause I didn’t scored doesn’t mean I can’t have an effect on the game. If I only get 9 points a game and we can win, I will take that all year.”

“In the huddle towards the end of the game I just kept saying `not tonight fellas, and we held on through the end’.”

“Tonight was definitely a sense of relief. We needed a win and now we can build on this one. Whatever I need to do for the team to win, that is what I’ll do.”

Zam Fredrick

“I see every game as one we are supposed to win. The last couple weeks we’ve been playing good basketball, we could just never hold on. The way we won tonight gives us more confidence.”

“Down the stretch the last few weeks I was disappointed in my play. I told myself I needed to do better in the last 3 minutes of the game. I don’t like going home and thinking that I didn’t help my team out at all towards the end so tonight I felt like I had to attack.”

“It’s a good thing to say we didn’t play our best game tonight and we still won. Now we know we can do what needs to be done to win.”

“Georgia plays a physical game and to beat them it came down to us playing physical and playing smart. We came in with a good strategy and we stuck to that and in the end, came out with the win.”

“With Devan on the floor, it creates opportunities for the rest of us. We like when he scores 20 or 25 like he usually does, but it feels good to be able to make the shots that he gives us a chance to take.”

Dwayne Day

“I feel blessed right now. It means a lot that the coaches have faith in me on defense. They have told me to focus on defense and that’s what I have been doing. I just wanted to come out and do whatever we could do to win. It’s not good to lose. I have to go home tonight and get a good night’s sleep, come back tomorrow and practice hard and try and win at Mississippi. We showed we could come out tonight and have the maturity to finish games. (on his intensity): I just wanted to come out and show that we could win the game tonight. We have to take it game by game.”