Postgame Quotes: vs. Cincinnati

ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley
On the win
"Obviously a really good team win and I think the big thing is the guys believed they could win. When things weren't necessarily going right, we didn't cave in and there were a couple times we were on the ropes and guys sort of dug their heels in. Proud of them."

On the Pirates' shooting
"When you shoot 51 percent, it makes up for a multitude of sins but the big thing was not turning the ball over. We turned the ball over 12 times but there weren't a lot of them that allowed Cincinnati to get out and run and get easy baskets."

On if this win sent a message to the rest of the conference
"We want to have a good program. If I didn't think we could win, I wouldn't be here. The big thing is getting guys to believe."

On what he told the team after he called a timeout, down 9-0
"I asked them, 'What are we scared of?' We weren't playing aggressive. We were passive. We were not doing what we needed to be doing. It was, 'Hey, let's wake up, and let's get going.' We responded pretty well."

Going on the road for the next few games:
"The next challenge is translating games like today to the games on the road. We've been on the road four times, we need to figure out some things but the big thing is just getting more experience and reps for our younger guys."

Freshman Jayden Gardner
On getting a big conference win in front of a big crowd
"This one was big, we just came off a really bad loss to SMU and today was kind of similar because we played a really good first half and the second half we came out flat. But today, I think we learned from it and played a complete game. Coach Dooley had us prepared."

On big second half
"I just had to let the game come to me in the second half, they ran a really good zone and it made it hard to get the ball inside sometimes. I just needed to be patient and aggressive at the same time."

Sophomore K.J. Davis
On performance in today's game
"Just working hard everyday and knowing that my time was going to come eventually. Going into today's game, I was focused and working hard."

On impact entering the game with his team down 9-0
"I saw we were getting down and I just wanted to provide a spark coming off the bench, both defensively and offensively. I knew we needed the energy."

Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin
On today's loss
"I thought the team that deserved to win won today. They (ECU) had humility and we played with a lot of arrogance. We were too good to scrap and fight and when we did, it was too little too late. We got what we deserved. I'm happy for Joe and I thought his kids played well so give them all the credit."

On team's performance
"There's a difference on being on a team that wins and being the reason that the team wins. I thought we were as bad defensively as I have seen since I started coaching here. We missed some open looks but we lost the game because of our arrogance."

Players Mentioned

K.J. Davis

Jayden Gardner

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