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March 17, 2004

Recap?|?Box Score |? Video Highlights

Virginia Coach Pete Gillen

I want to congratulate Karl Hobbs and his George Washington team. I thoughtthey had a great year and he did a tremendous job and that team is going to beeven stronger next year. I want to congratulate them on a great season.

I am very proud of our team and thrilled with the victory. I thought weplayed a very athletic and talented team tonight. We beat a very good team tonight.We shot the ball very well tonight. And we beat a very athletic well-coachedteam.

At the start of the second half I think our guys stopped playing. They aren’tused to having such a lead at the half. They didn’t know how to handle thistype of lead.

On the 20-5 run in the second half: We weren’t playing. I kept telling them,that only one team was playing and it wasn’t us. We weren’t rebounding ortaking care of the ball. I told them that they weren’t spectators, and that theyneeded to compete. Then we got hot and started playing.

Our bench won the game tonight.

Jason Clark was great tonight. He came out of nowhere a few times and madesome great plays.

I was not able to get comfortable with our lead at any point because theyare aggressive. The uglier the game the better for them. They like playing thatway because they have a lot of great athletes and they are quick and great offthe dribble. That’s their style and they are good at it.

George Washington Coach Karl Hobbs

I told the team to play hard. That was the only halftime adjustment. Therewas nothing technical, just play harder. The guys responded, but unfortunatelywe could not finish a couple of plays. And all the credit to Virginia, theymade some terrific shots. They are very difficult to defend because they weremaking the threes off transition.

On being down 15 points at the halftime: I felt pretty good about that, butnot too good about it. I knew we could play better. I knew we could play alittle more aggressively, but we need to relax a bit and try to finish up someplays.

I though Coach Gillen did an excellent job of getting his team mentally andphysically ready for this game. I liked the fact that the senior (Todd Billet)stepped up and was a senior tonight. I thought Virginia played with a greatdeal of discipline and everyone that came off the bench for them was able tocontribute. I give them a great deal of credit.

On the mood of the George Washington team tonight: This is the first gamethat we’ve played all year, that I did not have a feel for my team. I didn’t knowif we were excited. I could not get a real sense of the team. Mainly becausewe’ve never been in this situation before. This is our first winning season inthree years and playing a tough team like Virginia. But I was happy with howwe responded. I’m very proud of my basketball team and we accomplished a lotthis year and I think the future is very bright.

On Jason Clark’s three blocked shots: I thought he was magnificent. In someways he was the difference in the ballgame. If they didn’t have 13 blocks, wewould have 10 more points. It looked like he fully understood what his role wastonight.

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