Post-Game Quotesheet
12/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2006
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POST-GAME QUOTESHEET
Pitt vs. Duquesne, December 6, 2006
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Jamie Dixon
Opening Statement:
"This was a very good win for us. We played really well in all facets of the game, particularly in executing our offense and passing the ball throughout, even when we had a big lead. That's a trademark of our team and of our program and something we have to do if we're going to be successful. I thought Duquesne battled hard the whole way as they always do and already have this year with the adversity they faced."
On the play of Tyrell Biggs:
"He really played well tonight. He played for 20 minutes which was key for us tonight given that we had a few guys under the weather. Tyrell's defense continues to get better and better and he keeps battling on the boards and knocking down shots. We're happy that we continue to see improvement with him."
On Sam Young's sore knee:
"It might have been hard to spot, but Sam was hobbling a bit tonight. It something that comes and goes and unfortunately you're unable to plan for it. It's gone on for a little longer than we'd like, but Sam's had a great attitude about playing at less than 100 percent. No one practices or works harder than he does."
On playing against Duquesne:
"We have a lot of respect for their program. It wasn't that long ago that we lost two out of three games to them, which is something I reminded the team of tonight. They're a team that plays hard and battles throughout, regardless of the situation. Right now, they have a very young team though, and they're going to get better. Part of building a program is playing young kids, taking your lumps and hoping that they improve."
Quoting Pitt's Aaron Gray
On Pitt's fast start:
"Right at the start we did a great job. We moved the ball well and were executing our sets on offense. On defense we got down the floor quickly and forced them into tough shots. It's a model for how we want to come out for every game."
On Duquesne's second-half run:
"We got a little loose there for a stretch in the second-half, and they picked up the energy. I think we were trying to make the highlight reel play rather than the smart one. We need to get better at closing games, but we got the win and that's what's important."
Quoting Pitt's Tyrell Biggs
On his play tonight:
"Our guys did a great job finding me with the ball in the right place. When I'm open and they get it to me like that, the easy part is to knock down the shot."
Quoting Pitt's Levon Kendall
On playing against an under-sized lineup:
"It's not too different that what we've been seeing, because a lot of out of conference teams play a smaller, quicker line-up. We just try to do our best and take advantage of our post guys in those types of situations. There are some in-game adjustments that we make, but in terms of the preparation it's not that different."
On Duquesne's second-half run:
"We relaxed a little bit too much and got caught on our heels. They also started playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder and giving it there all, hustling and chasing down loose balls. They work hard, so I give them a lot of credit for making that run happen."
Quoting Duquesne Head Coach Ron Everhart
Opening statement:
"Obviously (the
On the beginning part of the game:
"The thing that hurt us the most was we were timid defensively. We were trying to hard to focus on containing instead of being aggressive. We didn't get bodies on guys and struggled with being aggressive. I think part of that game from a young team, the environment and our team sort of coming out in awe of the whole night."
On keeping the Pitt-Duquesne game tradition:
"I would love to keep it going. There's a lot of history. It's great competition for our program. Watching a team like Pitt makes us see what it takes to get to the next level. To get better we need to play teams that are better than us. It is nice to win but better to become a better team.
On keeping motivated after five losses:
"My number one concern is for the team to get better. We need to execute in order to become better. With the way our schedule is, there were a few games that I thought this could happen but a few got away from us. We made some late errors against Robert Morris. So now we just need to go back to work and practice hard to get better."
On positive things at the end of the game:
"I feel all year long our guys have fought hard, we just need our execution to get better. We didn't execute down the stretch and a team like Pitt really makes you pay for it when you make mistakes. We did keep fighting though and I'm proud of that."
Quoting Duquesne's Kieron Achara
On the status of his health:
"Deciding to play was a last minute decision. I've been feeling good in practice - better and better each day so I was hoping to get some time in tonight. I'm trying to stay healthy for the entire season so I'll just take it as it comes. If I feel good, I'll play. If not, I'll sit out. Coming back this early, for tonight's game was an added bonus. So I just need to be patient and go from here."
Quoting Duquesne's Stephen Wood
On playing Pitt:
"It was a great experience. Playing tonight was a great opportunity and a great learning experience. I learned some defensive things. We'll just keep fighting."
