Feb. 27, 2005

Recap | Box Score | Notes

Post Game Coaches Quotes, South Carolina vs. Florida (2/27/05)

Dave Odom, South Carolina — “It certainly was a disappointing finish for our team. At about the 11 minute mark, we went dry for about nine minutes. A number of missed free throws, the technical foul at about the nine minute mark, questionable decisions on our part down the stretch — all this adds up to a one point loss. Down the stretch, we quit rebounding defensively. David Lee got to the offensive glass almost at will. For whatever reason, at this time of the year, we don’t have a wealth of confidence. Missed free throws have a way of chipping away at your confidence. Florida did not quit; they brought their team back and they did a nice job with their substitutions. It was a ball game we felt we should have won. Now, the challenge will be getting this game behind us and get ready for Vanderbilt. We will be ready; that’s my job and it will get done. (last possession): I waved Tre’ (Kelley) on. I’m sure, given the opportunity to do it over, Tre’ would have tried to probe the ball inside. You would think that by this time of the year, one of his teammates would have set a ball screen or we would have worked the ball inside. Our lack of offensive rebounding and our inability to get the loose balls really hurt us.”

Billy Donovan, Florida — “I thought that we were very fortunate to win today. When you look at the capsule of the whole game, South Carolina came out with energy, intensity and they were active to loose balls. They took it to us. Toward the end of the half, everything was not good. We weren’t rebounding, we weren’t defending and we weren’t shooting well. South Carolina comes out in the second half and makes six of their first seven shots. We had to change our mentality. We started defending and rebounding and gave ourselves a chance to win. Last year, if we’re shooting like this, we’re not going to win. Dave (Odom) had his team ready to play. They have a great home court and have been a great home court team this year.

They missed enough free throws to give us a chance to hang around. I’m proud of how my team competed and of the resiliency they showed. As a coach, when your kids play that hard and leave it all out on the floor, that’s all you can ask for.