Chattanooga Basketball Postgame Quotes
Mercer at Chattanooga
McKenzie Arena – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday – Feb. 25, 2017

Head Coach Matt McCall
What do you think some of the issues were tonight?
"Obviously not the way I think anyone envisioned closing out the season at home tonight. When you walk into the locker room and you look at certain guys' faces you know certain guys really, really care. And I think one of our biggest issues as a team this year is our response when things don't go well, and I think that was the biggest issue again tonight.
 
"We're not a good shooting team and that's something that really needs to be addressed, in recruiting. The nights when the ball is going into the basket, we are pretty good on offense, and on the nights that it's not we get to consumed with it. It affects us, it really, really affects us. Because that's two out of the last three games that we played where there's little in the basket.
 
"Well that's the issue. But again for me as a coach, the response for the team when things don't go well. You know there are some guys I feel really bad for, because they put their heart and soul into it, and you can see on their faces even when they are playing,"
 
What do you think it was about Mercer that was giving you trouble?"
"Coach [Bob] Hoffman is a good coach. He's been doing this for years. Defensively, I thought we did pretty well. They throw different defensives out there try and keep you off balance offensively, I thought we got good looks, but little went in the basket, and that's an issue. We don't have enough of it we need to get more of it."

Greg Pryor – Sr.-G
Thoughts on the defense playing well, but the shots not falling:
"Defense has never been a major issue this year. We've been a pretty good defensive team, it's just our offensive is iffy. Some nights it's good, some nights it's not. We don't have a consistent identity on offense, as we do on defense. You have to find it, or you're just playing games hoping that your offense comes into play."

Do feel that this league has improved since last year?
"All of this is a reflection of last year. We're going to get every team's best game, no matter who we play. Whether it is an SEC, SoCon or Division II school, were going to get their best game. We just have to have that mindset, that we have to go play our best game. We can't go in half-stepping, thinking that we're going to win because we're talented. It is just something we have to adapt to. It has been a problem for us."

Do you feel like the final chapter has been written for this team, as to what could happen for the season?
"The final chapter is not written until the end of the last game. You never know what happens. You can never call it. We're a really talented team, if we just find the heart in each other to be a team and not just basketball players, playing basketball, there's no telling where we could go."

Bob Hoffman, Mercer Head Coach
On second half play:
"This was an amazing second half for our guys after being shut down in the first half. We couldn't get a basket, we were back and forth with defensive struggle for sure in the first half. The second half we sure made some tremendous hustle plays. I thought the energy and desperation, we were able to get the win...just fantastic team win tonight. It was fun to see J.J. [N'Ganga] jump up in a few plays, hoping he would be there at the right time."

On the play of Jordan Strawberry: 
"Jordan's been so solid all year. He doesn't shy away, but he defiantly steps into the moment. You got to be able to do that if you want big games. You got to have someone to be there, but it was great to see him finish his plays the way he did tonight."