Postgame Quotes
February 24, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2010
Mack McCarthy Post-Game Press Conference 
| Brock Young and Jamar Abrams Post-Game Comments
ECU Head Coach Mack McCarthy
On The Loss
"This one was really tough on the kids. They're a hurting bunch right now. I thought we played really hard.
"We did a lot of the things we needed to do to win the basketball game. We rebounded the ball fairly well, but gave up some key ones late, especially the one that led to a 3-pointer. We also did a pretty good job on Derek Williams, their point guard, who is a really good player. We played well enough defensively in the first half and in the last eight minutes or so to win the game."
On His Team's Offense
"Other than the long drought in the first half, offensively, we were able to do some things. We didn't get to the free-throw line nearly enough and we didn't hit enough threes.
"We didn't finish a lot of shots. We got a lot of balls close to the basket that we weren't able to finish. You have to give them credit because they're long and athletic on the defensive end. They get some of the credit, but we get some of the blame for not being able to finish at the rim better than we did.
"Ten turnovers and shooting the ball poorly in the first half, combined with giving up a few second-chance points late in the second half are probably the things that stand out the most in my mind."
On His Team's Preparation
"It's really hard. The team prepared well and did most of the things we asked them to do. We don't have much time to recoup and get ready for Tulsa Saturday.
"We knew a lot about this team, even though we only play them once a year. I thought the team was in a really good place mentally to go win this basketball game."
SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty
On The Win
"It wasn't a pretty game. I thought our defense in the first half was pretty darn good for the most part. We had a run in the first half to give us an 11-point lead. That opened the door for us and we kept it open for most of the rest of the game.
"East Carolina made a run in the second half, and we didn't help ourselves by taking some bad shots and turning the ball over. We're lucky and thrilled to come away with the win."
On East Carolina's Team
"With Brock Young having the ball in his hands and two shooters on the wing, the team is dangerous. Darrius Morrow is a load down in the post. It is tough to focus on any one person in particular. This is a talented team. Fortunately, we held Young scoreless in the first half. I was thankful that we were able to keep guys under their percentages."
On His Team's Development
"Last year we wouldn't have won a game like this. I think there's a confidence about our guys now. They feel like they can win any game. They feel like we'll make a shot or some free throws to win games. It's a case of maturity and confidence."
ECU junior Brock Young
On The Second Half
"We just came out with more energy than we did in the first half. We didn't let missed shots effect us; we took care of the ball and were patient on offense."
ECU junior Jamar Abrams
On Making The Comeback But Falling Short
"We just didn't execute down the stretch. I didn't make open shots that I was
supposed to make. It was the execution. We missed a couple open layups, too.
"The comeback lets us know that we can do that when we do what we're supposed to do and get defensive stops. When we were coming back, we pressured the ball and had a few good traps. We rattled them a little bit, got some steals and finished near the basket."
