2016-17 Chattanooga Mocs Basketball
Post-Game Quotes vs. Furman
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Jan. 7 – McKenzie Arena

Matt McCall, Head Coach
Opening statement after 80-64 win over Furman.
"Anytime you play Furman, they are so physical and tough, you have to hang your hat on defense. I thought we were able to do that and get some stops that allowed us to get out on the break. We got a little stagnant on offense; credit Furman's defense for that. We had a desire to get stops on defense and we used that to build a lead. I thought our guys did a great job of staying connected and playing the game. I was really proud of them."

On keys to defeating Furman.
"(Kris) Acox is one of the most physical players in our league. He's so good at finishing around the basket with his size and he's great with the ball in his hands. They made only six three's and that's big to hold teams like Furman to that many points from the outside. We also out-rebounded them which I thought was huge in this type of game."

On second half adjustments.
"We had much better ball movement in the second half than we did in the first. We talked about that a lot at halftime. The floor moved a bit more in the second half and that was what we wanted. We played a really good game. A lot of guys stepped up tonight, every time our guys step on the floor they face a spirited team that wants to be where they have been. They are coming with the right focus and mindset night in and night out. I'm really proud of them for that."

On balance of offense.
"I think there is a lot of firepower on this team offensively. A lot of guys that can put their heads down and get to the rim. Tonight that was (Johnathan) Burroughs-Cook, he made two ridiculous shots in the first half to really keep us in it, and he had it going tonight."

Justin Tuoyo, Sr.-F
On importance of today's game.
"It was a very important game. It's a tough team. Number one team in our conference with great players and great coaches. To come out there and play like we did tonight it's a good win for us."

On rebounding after slow start.
"We have veteran leaders. Coach McCall called a timeout and we all got together and we all leaned on each other. We know if we just stay with it it's all going to work in our favor. The whole time we played our game the right way and it worked in our favor."

On why Furman is a good team.
"They have veteran guys; guys that have been there for a while. They stayed together too and played the right way. If we're on edge, we feel like we can beat anybody. Even though we got the lead early and lost it, we stayed together. That's a tough team to beat and they're going to be very tough in the conference down the road."

Greg Pryor, Sr.-G
On playing four conference games in a week.
"We knew what our schedule was going to be coming into the season. We prepared to be in this position. In the off season, we scheduled our workouts, practices and preparing our days for back-to-back games. We learned how to go into practice with the mentality to get better even when we're not taxing our bodies."

On position at this point of the season.
"I feel like we're in a good position but we have a lot to work on. We're not near where we can be or where we will be. We have time. We have a couple of days. It's a long conference season so we have a little while to keep improving."

On confidence shooting.
"I was just shooting the ball. I didn't focus on if I made one or not. I play the game and let the game come to me and tonight I was able to knock down some shots. I definitely don't have the mentality to throw something up there just because I made a couple of shots. I always try to play within the offense, play for my teammates and be a point guard first."