Dec. 20, 2003

Recap | Box Score?|? Notes

– Post Game Coaches Quotes, South Carolina vs. NC State, 12/20/03

Dave Odom, South Carolina: “This is the kind of game we needed now. It’s the kind of game that will help both teams. I appreciate NC State agreeing to this series … Early on, our defense was as good as it possibly could be this time of the year. We played with a lot of energy today … We had the likes of Tre Kelley, Josh Gonner and Brandon Wallace step up today. NC State played with a lot of poise, but so did our team. The key decision may have been to keep Carlos Powell in the game despite himself. He wasn’t playing his best, but he hung in there. We’ve been tested in different ways so far this season. This was a different kind of test today. I don’t think this team has to prove anything except maybe to themselves. Our assistant coaches deserve a world of credit. NC State runs a sophisticated offense that is hard to defend. I thought we did a good job for the most part and only gave up a couple of backdoor layups. I have some fond memories of NC State as a kid growing up in North Carolina. When I was 8 and 9 years old, they were my favorite team; that is until my mom said otherwise. She said I needed to pull for Wake Forest and I started pulling for them. Obviously, now, my team is the Gamecocks and I’m proud of that.”

Herb Sendek, North Carolina State: “I thought it was a hard fought game between two teams that played with intensity and energy. In the first half we didn’t take care of the ball. For the most part of the game I thought our defense was solid. In the end we were just not able to convert. South Carolina has an outstanding team and they are off to a good start this year. They game out of the gate strong, but yet our team had a chance in the end and they also did a good job in between on defense with their man-to-man and zone defenses. When you play good teams on the road, you need to be at your best to win. We’ve proven in the past we can. This year, we haven’t. We have to get better in every way. We’re always playing better at the end of the year.