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VIRGINIA BASKETBALL
Postgame Quotes
Maryland 85, Virginia 75
Virginia Head Coach Dave Leitao
Opening Statement:
“It was another game today when we didn’t play well enough. I thought particularly in the first 35 minutes of the game we played back on our heels. When you give a team at home confidence it’s a very difficult situation to get yourself out of. We put ourselves in a deep hole.”
On his decision to play zone defense:
“We have not been good at protecting the paint, so I thought that was a better way to protect the paint.”
On senior guard Sean Singletary:
“The way he played defense and didn’t turn the ball over [was great]. He continues to amaze me. I can’t come close to naming somebody that I’ve ever been around that has the kind of heart he does. This program or this league might not see the likes of someone that has the heart that Sean does [for a long time].”
On team’s play:
“We got down early and we were fighting from behind. We didn’t do our job in the beginning of the second half, so we were forced to make plays. That’s not any way to live, especially on the road.”
On Maryland senior forwards Bambale Osby and James Gist:
“When you go up against Osby, who’s 6-8, 250 pounds, [you can’t make mistakes.] He’s been around the block and has had his share of ups and downs and Gist is one of the best big men in the country. He’s as athletic as anybody.”
Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams
On tonight’s game:
“James Gist played 40 minutes and Greivis Vasquez played 39 minutes, so that’s really a great effort against a team like that. I like the way we scored having five guys in double figures and early in the game we did a great job against the zone. We did a really good job running our offense and getting open looks as well. As a team we really struggled against the zone early in the year so it was very gratifying tonight.”
On inside game helping out the outside game:
“I think as a team if you can get good inside play it can really help stretch the floor and get guys open for outside shots. The past few games we have been playing well on the blocks against man defense, but we did a good job against the Virginia zone inside and that really helped us get open shots early. We also did a good job of passing the ball around the perimeter which helps get open looks.”
On the recent success of Landon Milbourne:
“He is going to be a great rebounding player because he plays that three spot so well. He has a height advantage in the spot against most teams, especially tonight. Their three man wasn’t quite as big as Landon so he did a great job on the boards.”
On the play of Bambale Osby:
“What Bambale does really well is give us energy. When he is on his game he is a very enthusiastic, energy-driven player and he does a great job of keeping the rest of the team in the game. Boom is also gaining confidence in his offense which has been a big help because it gives us another threat besides James Gist on the blocks.”
Quotes Courtesy of Maryland Sports Information