Feb. 21, 2015

Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery

Head Coach Frank Martin
Opening Statement
I’m proud of our guys, but I’m just disappointed. We didn’t fight in the first half, but I felt like we fought in the second half. When you make 27-percent of your shots, it’s hard to win games. Especially, when you’re playing one of the top two or three teams in your league. They have Danuel House, who is a difference maker. We were undermanned, so we have to play real well. We can’t have guys getting into foul trouble and my biggest fear was Sindarius [Thornwell] picking up fouls and it happened right there to start the game.

On Michael Carrera’s performance today
The one thing about Mike is that he is always going to give you that toughness at the rim. He is missing too many chippies around the basket and is consumed about getting fouled instead of scoring the ball. Mike is going to give you toughness at the rim and that hasn’t changed in his three years here. He has been playing better as of late and that obviously continued today with the grit and desire that he played with at the rim.

Junior Forward Laimonas Chatkevicius
How Texas A&M guarded him on defense
Every time the strong-side guard would come and double me. I just had to kick it out and it got me out of my momentum. It made me play fast when I got the ball inside, so the two shots that I took were really rushed. Then, when I kicked the ball out, we weren’t making the plays we were supposed to.

Junior Forward Michael Carrera
On his performance today
I think it was because my mom was here and I was really excited about it. It’s just how the game is. Sometimes you have bad days and sometime you have good days. That’s just how the game of basketball is.

Texas A&M Head Coach Billy Kennedy
Opening Statement
I really thought we played about as well as could play in the first half. Defensively, we held them to 21 points. Offensively, obviously, [Danuel House] got us going. Danuel was tremendous. Our guys followed him. I really like the way we moved the ball. We shared the ball. I knew South Carolina would come back because Frank’s [Martin] teams always play with great energy. I just thought we wore them down.

On team’s defensive performance
They missed some shots but we had guys flying around at them. I thought our guys did a good job of helping each other and stunting at them, faking at them, keeping them out of the lane. They’re a good driving team. We wanted to make them shoot 3s with a hand out. I thought we did a pretty good job of that, especially in the first half.

Texas A&M Junior Guard Danuel House
On his offensive performance
I credit my teammates. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have been able to get open. I credit everyone from the person that sets the screen, Tony Trocha, Kourtney [Roberson], and from Jordan [Green] and [Alex] Caruso passing me the ball.