Post-Game Quotes
Dec. 22, 2004
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New Mexico Head Coach Ritchie McKay:
“We weren’t patient. You have to be patient against a good team and you have to be able to execute, and we didn’t do that in the second half.
On Eric Williams picking up his fourth foul early in the second half:
“I actually think it helped [guards Chris Paul and Justin Gray]. When Williams is in the game, their whole focus is to get the ball inside. With one less scorer out there Paul and Gray had a green light and felt real comfortable and real easy. There is a reason why one is a first team All-American and one is a first team all ACC. You’re a pretty good player if you achieve those honors.”
On the Lobos’ three point shooting:
“We are a good three point shooting team but that was not evident tonight. We did not execute. We are typically a team that gets around 17 assists per game and to get nine, with just three in one half, I would just say that we shot it too quickly. I think we panicked a little pick because we haven’t been behind by that many points.”
On the value of tonight’s game:
“We are 10-2. We are off to a good start. This would’ve been a chance for us to turn the corner and probably get nationally ranked, and we missed out on that opportunity. I think to play a team like Wake Forest, when we get another opponent of their caliber, certainly we wont be afraid of anyone.”
“I’m not going to say the effort wasn’t there, but I wish we could’ve executed a little better. It was mostly offensive execution, it wasn’t on the defensive end. They hit some threes, but if we could’ve executed our offense a little better, I think it would’ve been a different outcome. The lack of execution, that’s really uncharacteristic of us.”
“I think its good to play a top-5 team. It’s good experience for us and going into the Mountain West Conference schedule we are going to play some tough teams. I still think we are a top-25 team. I watch so much college basketball and we have a really good team. We were so close to beating Wake Forest tonight, but we just had a lack of execution in the end.”
Wake Forest Head Coach Skip Prosser:
“First of all, we beat a good team, certainly a postseason team in New Mexico. They have a lot of weapons. That’s the first thing I want to acknowledge.
“Secondarily, I thought we guarded them very, very well. New Mexico is a team that averages in the mid-80’s, and to hold them to 33 percent shooting, 19 percent from 3, and despite the fact that they missed some shots, to beat them by 13 on the glass I think is a reflection of the good effort by our kids. I was also proud of the fact that we had different people step up that may have not started the game, but I thought played significant roles in beating a team of this caliber away from home. Thank goodness we did. Like Thomas Paine said, the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. This was a hard, hard conflict, and I think a glorious night for our kids. We’re looking forward in going home and having a good Christmas, and then getting back to work.”
When Eric Williams picked up his fourth foul, did it open up things offensively?
“I think Eric Williams is a very valuable part to what we want to do offensively. Not that our other forwards can’t score, but not with the efficiency that Eric can. We felt that at that point in time, even though it’s something we rather not do, we had to rely on the guards to score more offensively, and they did.”