Postgame Quotes
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Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett
– “Hard-fought game, certainly, the effort was there. We put ourselves in a position to be successful, being up three towards the end, but then it came down to an and-one that [Jeff] Allen made. I thought we were in a position to take a charge, but we kind of turned sideways and gave them that and then Allen hit a big three. Calvin’s [Baker] look was good. I thought we left some points on the board, whether it was at the free throw line or missing some chippies, but a very hard-fought game. When you shoot, you’ve gotta be able to stick some shots. We had Mike [Scott] and Sylven [Landesberg] give us two scorers, but that third scorer is important. I look down at their stat sheet and see three guys in double figures. Their hearts were there. Obviously a rivalry game with a great atmosphere, but tough. I thought our kids laid it out there.”
– “We’re more of a mid-range shooting team, that’s our strength. I know we shot good percentages from three early, but they [Virginia Tech] do a good job in man-to-man defense. They take that lane and they load it up so you’ve got to draw and kick. Our guys had some really good looks but we needed that third guy to step up and make some.”
– “I think we stopped ourselves and just missed some good looks. We couldn’t get stuff in the lane, so we had to stick a mid-range or three and we didn’t do that. They’re (Virginia Tech) an athletic bunch, they’ll challenge you, and we just couldn’t come away with it. I’ll look at the tape but I want our guys to be confident when the shot’s there. Physically I think we’ll be alright, but mentally, can we handle it? Maryland is coming off a disappointing loss and it will be a gut check. We’ll give our guys the best chance to be physically fresh for the games. ”
Virginia Tech Head Coach Seth Greenberg
“Either way, that was just a hard-fought basketball game. Both teams mirror each other so much, struggle at times to shoot it straight and score. Both teams pride themselves on contesting shots and keeping people out of the lane. Our resiliency is almost mind-boggling to me. The consistency at the end of the game for our guys was great. Jeff’s dunk was ridiculous. For Jeff to have the composure to pick up two fouls in the first two minutes and come back in the second half with great confidence speaks volumes about him and our team. And then we have unsung heroes like Terrell Bell and Dorenzo Hudson.”
– “I couldn’t be more proud of how we’re winning. The season is a process of learning each other’s trust, learning roles and developing an identity. I think we’re developing an identity and it’s fun to watch our guys mature as a team. I think we’re poised. Down the stretch, I’m impressed with our poise. We’re not a great team, but we’re resilient, we’re tough and we’re competitive. “
– “They’re (UVa) a good defensive team. They play hard, they’re well coached, they’re competitive. We’re very fortunate to win these two games. I’m proud that we won them, and we won them in a way that it’s who we are. I don’t want to take anything away from them. They had some opportunities but our guys went after it. We believe we’re a good defensive team, it’s something we take pride in. ”