Chattanooga Mocs Basketball - Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga at Elon
Alumni Gym - Elon, N.C.
Dec. 17, 2010
Head Coach John Shulman
On winning the rebounding battle:
"We were up seven at the half, and the first thing I heard Big D (DeAntre Jefferson) say was we have to keep killing them on the glass. We were down early on the glass and we willed our way to winning by 17 on the glass. I am thrilled with that."
On the Mocs' defensive effort:
"They are unbelievable offensively and to hold them to 39% shooting...I thought as the game went on, we did better, and better, and better. I like what we did defensively. We were down 51-48 for what seemed like a month, but we kept getting stop, after stop, after stop. I am tickled to death to tell you the truth."
On only being down two at the half:
"I was thrilled about that, because I thought they did dominate the first half. They are up 10, 26-16 and we battled and we competed. Sam (Watson) was a calming influence in the post. He does what he is supposed to do and he doesn't go crazy. He calmed us down. We made enough shots and got enough stops. Then all of the sudden you are down two and two is a working margin."
On the road win:
"Winning in here...oh my gosh. Thrilled to get a win in Elon. Always."
Junior Keegan Bell
On being 3-0 in SoCon play:
"I have never been 3-0. This is a hard place to play so to come here and get a W is huge for our program and for our basketball team."
On Elon controlling the first half:
"They did. Sometimes we get in a dead zone and we did tonight. We got down 10 and then to cut it to two before halftime was huge. We just believed in each other and I felt like we grew up a lot down the stretch."
Senior DeAntre Jefferson
Thoughts on the game:
"This was huge for us. Especially after last year when we got maybe one road win. This year, as a team, we are way different coming into conference. We know the importance of getting a road win, so this was big for us."
On shooting 4-4 from the field:
"My teammates really set me up in a position where I really didn't have to make moves. I could go and score the ball. A post player loves to just make an immediate move off the pass."
On playing in the physical atmosphere:
"When you play Elon, they are going to push you mentally and physically. They play physical, but not dirty. They are a tough team and they have great players who are going to go hard all of the time."
On being 3-0 in SoCon play with one non-conference game before the Christmas break:
"I think that it is a good little Christmas present, but once you came back that puts a real big target on you. When have that target, you have to raise your game and you have to play like you are 3-0. We have to maintain that over the break and with the couple of practices we have coming back, get ready to compete again in the SoCon."
Junior Omar Wattad
Thoughts on the game:
"It was a fun time. It is always good to get a win like that. I missed a lot of shots, but I just kept guarding. Kept guarding and made some big ones at the end. Keegan (Bell) played great, Big D played great and the whole team played great. It was awesome. It was fun."
On this being a 'grind-it-out' type of game:
"To come into this environment and get a win is just huge. They are a very, very good team. Well coached and they have a lot of talent on the team. To come in here and get a win is big. They beat us both times last year, so we came in here thinking we need this win."
On the physical play in the game:
"They are so physical. I am hurting right now. My body is hurting. I am kinda tired, but that is what it is about. Grinding it out."
On the first half action:
"We had it in our minds the whole time that we could play with these guys. They started out with a barrage of threes, and we were down two. But we were not pleased being down two at halftime. We should have had the lead. They were hitting a lot of shots, so we picked it up defensively and that gave us the win. I am proud of the team."
