Nov. 18, 2014

Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery

South Carolina Head Coach Frank Martin
Opening statement…
We will be better because of this game. It’s a shame we let a great opportunity for our program kind of escape because you always want to win. For this team, this is good. Losing, not losing is good. This game is good. Losing is never good. I never understand how losing helps your team. But playing this kind of game is good for a team especially this early. You play real good games and it makes everyone look in the mirror and make sure they are doing their part and that’s what this kind of game does for us.

South Carolina Sophomore Guard Sindarius Thornwell
On struggling against the Baylor zone…
It was kind of frustrating because the way they play their zone was kind of different than a regular 2-3 zone where they deny and push the wings up. It was kind of different. They stopped our inside passes and our driving lanes.

Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew
Opening Statement…
Having to play Coach Martin’s team this early in the year is always tough. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for him and his staff from the Big 12 days. The tenacity in which they rebound and how they defend. We knew coming in that whether win or lose, we would be a better team after this game. I believe that we are because that is the type of intensity it takes to win big games. I know we have a lot of inexperienced players and it’s their first time playing college basketball. It really makes it easy when you have a senior point guard like Kenny Chery controlling the tempo and controlling everyone else out there. In a game like this, if you don’t have good point guard play, you’re not going to be successful. I think that South Carolina is going to have a very good season this year. We’re going to get better every game and I’m pleased with the way we played down the stretch.

On the difference from this year’s South Carolina team and last year’s South Carolina team…
Experience and defensively they are much better than a year ago because they know exactly what Coach Martin and his staff want. They make it really tough to get into your offense. They make it tough to make entry passes and do anything without pressure. Offensively, they are going to be better. They are tough to guard with the line-ups and rotations Coach Martin is using. There is no doubt from their scrimmage, exhibition, and their first game because North Florida is a good team. They were picked second in their league. No doubt that (South Carolina) is going to be better.

Senior Point Guard Kenny Chery
On getting going in the second half after a slow start…
I did get off to a slow start, but my teammates kept my head up. Sometimes I get my head down, but they keep encouraging me. They tell me to keep shooting it and make the right decisions. It’s always a plus to have great teammates like that.