Jan. 10, 2012

Recap | Final Stats

South Carolina Head Coach Darrin Horn
Opening Statement
We felt like coming into the game that the key to the game was their ability to shoot the three point shot and the number of guys that they had to do it. Obviously, with that many guys who can shoot it that well, you try to focus in on a few. In the first half, I thought we did a pretty good job. They were 4-for-7. (John) Jenkins had none. Jenkins and (Jeffery) Taylor had five points and they had 22 overall for a team that was averaging 80 points a game and is just outstanding offensively. The bottom line is, in the second half they made a ton of threes. You have to credit them for that. They were open because we didn’t defend as well as we needed to on several of them. Of course, they still have to make them. When a team makes 13 threes, I don’t think there’s a whole lot you can do. They’re a terrific offensive team and they showed that tonight. Obviously, we didn’t guard the way we need to. They did get too many open ones. Again, the first half, we didn’t finish some layups, missed some easy ones. For whatever reason, the guys come out and score 45 points. We’ve got to continue to find a way to put all those good things together over the course of 40 minutes. It’s going to continue to be a challenge to have guys step up and do what they’re capable of doing, night in, night out.

On the game plan
The game plan was with the way they play defensively, you’ve got to get open looks, you’ve got to get inside, you’ve got to attack and drive the basketball. So many times, when we didn’t have something initially, we just stood around and held the ball. We didn’t do that in the second half; we continued to reverse it. We continued to drive the basketball and get it in the paint. We did some good things; we didn’t do that in the first half.

On his feelings going into half time
I thought we were in really good shape. Obviously, we had a 10-point deficit. We held their top two scorers to five points. We had the game in the kind of game that we needed it to be to give ourselves the chance to win the basketball game. In the second half they scored way to easy early in the half. Against a team like this of this caliber, that’s a huge deficit to overcome. Especially when they’re making shots and we could have defended better. We’ll have to watch the film and see why that’s the case. They still have to make them though. When a team makes 13 threes, that’s pretty impressive.

Sophomore Forward Damontre Harris
On his first career double-double
Just trying to distribute and do what I can do to help my team win basketball games. Try to crash the glass as much as I can, and when I get opportunities to score, just try to score the basketball.

On the team’s missed close range shots
It’s kind of frustrating. But I just try to put it behind me, and when I get the next opportunity, just try to score the next one. Just the next play. Like Coach always says, focus on the next play. Don’t worry about the play behind you because that’s when you start messing up.

Senior Forward Malik Cooke
On offense affecting defense
It always makes it easier when the ball is going in, I guess. I can’t let that happen – let the offense affect my defense.

Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings
Opening Statement
I really liked how our team played. Obviously, some things in the game I didn’t like so much. Our second half defense, along with the game, (got worse). I thought our ball care was not very good, but we shot it well and we executed well when we did take care of it. It’s nice to go on the road and not have a situation in the second half to where you really, really feel threatened, and we were able to extend the lead right after half time; I thought our defense in the first half was really outstanding. Obviously, we shot it well and that was a big difference.

On second SEC win
We would have felt a little better if we could have finished this game off a little better. But at the same time, any road win in this league is a good win, and South Carolina obviously will beat people here. It’s good to get in here and get out and have a win behind you because road wins are hard to come by in this league. We are happy with our start but, it’s two of 16 and we’ve got a lot more to play.

Junior Guard John Jenkins
On second half
I just think Brad (Tinsley) found me a good spot, got rebounds and pushed the ball up the court and got transitions going, and we’re really good at transition offense. We got a couple three’s from Brad and then everybody else started in so it was good.