Dec. 13, 2011

Recap | Final Stats

South Carolina Head Coach Darrin Horn
Opening Statement…
I don’t think that there was any question that the difference in tonight’s game was our defense and our pressure. In the first half, we got off to another slow start, mainly because we missed shots right at the basket. We have to make those; there is no excuse for that. In the second half we got some easy ones to go in (by) creating turnovers and getting out in transition. For whatever reason with this team, now all of the sudden everything is okay. We start executing the exact same stuff that we are doing in the first half, but running it well and moving the basketball, going strong to the basket, finishing off those same plays. I think it is going to be part of the continual growth process, the maturing of this team. The good news is we guarded well enough in the first half that they only put up 25 points so our defense was able to keep us in it. That was the difference I think in the second half, creating turnovers and easy baskets. Also good I think to see a lot of guys in double figure minutes, to see a total team effort, see positive signs from a lot of different guys. (Damontre) Harris I didn’t think was outstanding tonight but he still produced some good things. He still ended up with nine points and three boards, and five blocks which was huge. Those kind of things we will take as positives. It was nice to see Damien Leonard get on track and do it within the flow of things. Obviously, I think Bruce Ellington looks a little more comfortable every time out, he is playing and adjusting to things. We will take the positives from it, but understand too that we’ve got to keep getting better.

On what he said to the team after the first half…
It is Division I basketball, make a layup. We only took 11 3s (in the game), I think that is our season low for attempts and it is also our highest percentage as a team. It wasn’t shot selection, it was make a layup. I think it is part rushing and some of those things. Again, with a young team and a few of them don’t go down it seems like some type of domino effect with it. It wasn’t really anything magical. We told them if you have a layup you have to make it.

Presbyterian Head Coach Gregg Nibert
On the difference between the first and second halves…
Well, we held them to 19 points in the first half, really pressuring them and denying. I don’t know if we just got tired, but I think they really picked up their offensive execution. They screened better and got (Damien) Leonard open and drove it around us a couple times and got some easy baskets. Coach Horn did a really good job of running their offense in the second half.

On the problems with the South Carolina full court pressure…
That really did hurt us, we probably didn’t respect it and we kind of had self-made turnovers, trying to bring it up one-on-two and probably should’ve thrown it back to the other guard. Their pressure and their press really did bother us.

On the late comeback and the fight of the team…
Well, we have a really good team, we have some seniors and juniors and they played the game to win. They’re not going to quit and I knew we were going to make some kind of run at it. But my hat’s off to Coach Horn and their players and staff, they made plays when they needed to.