UT Martin at Chattanooga
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Chattanooga, Tenn. - McKenzie Arena
Postgame Quotes

Lamont Paris, Head Coach
On grinding out a close win over UT Martin.
"This is the kind of scenario that in reality you want to draw it up and it would be like this. A win like this yields so much more about your team and so much more growth than when you come out and coast to a 22 point win. The problem with playing a game like this, you could also lose. I was proud of them in finding a way to make a stop when we needed to, grab a rebound, stuff like that because those plays are critical. Making free throws were big. These guys haven't had to knock down big free throws yet. If you don't make those, everything could change including the result."

On scoring in the paint.
"We're going to be a team that throws the ball and gets the ball around the basket. They were doing things to discourage that. In the first half we weren't catching and scoring quickly. We weren't going strong when we did get the ball around the basket. We were consistent on trying to get the ball down there and I think the second half we did a better job of doing that and being able to score."

On what sparked the turn around.
"We got some stops and made some shots. They play in a fashion where you're going to have some looks. I thought in the first half a good majority of our three point attempts were acceptable. We just didn't make them. We made some shots and did a good job defensively during that stretch in the second half."

On the play from Makale Foreman.
"He struggled to shoot. He made a couple when we needed, especially the big one late in the game. He's a good shooter and he'll make shots. The shots that he got in this game he'll make more times than not. In my mind, I always feel like he's going to make it."

Rodney Chatman, So.-G
On flipping the deficit into a lead.
"It was defense and making shots. We did it for a certain amount of time and the other part of time we kind of let up. We couldn't get stops and they came back. Coach tells us we play good in stretches, but we need to do it for the full game. It's a hard thing to do but we need to mature and be able to do it. We got the lead by getting stops and making baskets."

On high number of three-point attempts.
"We had a lot of open looks. We kept trusting in our shots and all the work we've put in all season. We made them when they counted."

On stepping up in bigger roles.
"We knew if we didn't step up into those roles it was going to be a long season. We did a good job of that tonight. We had to figure out a way to communicate and lead as a unit and we did that."

Makale Foreman, So.-G
On knocking down late shot to stretch the lead.
"It feels pretty good after being off the last couple games. My teammates were able to find me and I was able to hit the open shots. You have to step up and hit those big shots. It feels pretty good to step up and hit that kind of shot."

On handling lead down the stretch.
"That's coming from handling pressure at the end opf the game. Our last game was a learning experience for our young team. Getting this one is good for us and the young guys."

On second half adjustments.
"Coach [Paris] was telling us to be more aggressive in the second half because we were being a little tentative and not trying to attack the gaps that were open. So he kept telling us to be more aggressive."