Dec. 1, 2002
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POST-GAME QUOTES
Georgia Tech vs. Gardner-Webb, December 1, 2002
Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt
“It’s a win. We didn’t play particularly well offensively. One of our main concerns was Gardner-Webb’s ability to make threes, so we knew we needed to get out and guard them. I thought we did a good job – they were 3-for-13 in the first half, 4fo-16 in the second half. Despite missing what seemed like a boat-load of layups, we were able to stay focused defensively. Rick’s team kept playing, though. They kept coming up at us. When we had that little run in the first half, I think some of our guys thought they would go away. In the second half we really stayed on them defensively and did a better job. Now we just have to get ready for Minnesota.
[Said at halftime?] “I tried to remain positive. We’ve got to learn to pass the ball a little more and take better shots. I don’t think we have selfish players by any stretch, but we can rely on each other a little more on the offensive end, and I talked about that. We’ve just got to have a better understanding passing and screening in order to set up scoring opportunities for yourself and your teammates.
[In the second half] “We started passing the ball. We got it inside instead of just passing it around the perimeter and jacking up shots or taking double-teamed shots in the low post. It help when you get on the boards – we had 18 offensive rebounds. A lot of them were the Moses Malone-variety-miss your own layup and get it back-but nonetheless, we were giving a great effort on the offensive glass.
[On Bosh] “He’s a terrific offensive rebounder, but as he matures as a player, he’s going to learn he has to give that same type of effort on the defensive end. The carrot is right there when you get an offensive rebound, but he’s got to understand that defensive rebounds are just as important. He understands, but he just has to channel that. He can play, and I still think there’s a lot more he’s capable of doing. Offensively he’s ahead of where he is defensively. ON the ball he’s very good, but off the ball, he can be a little bit better. He’s a much better shot-blocker than he’s shown.
Gardner-Webb’s Rick Scruggs
“I thought that Georgia Tech had a huge advantage on the boards today. We’ve been able to neutralize people in that statistic this year, which is why we were able to stay in games like we did against Tennessee. We had a lot of open shots that we missed tonight. We felt like we had a chance to be in the lead at half-time if we’d had made the shots that we normally have been making.”
“In the second half, they came out and their intensity was just a little bit higher and they started hurting us on the boards. They got the easy shots and made them. Against a team like Tech, if you’ve got the open shot, you need to hit it, because there may not be many like that in the game.”
“I was proud of the way we played for about 30 minutes. The other 10 minutes I thought they dominated us pretty good. That’s an ACC team, and it’s the first time we’ve seen one this year, and our first time on national TV, so I think all in all, our kids handled the pressure pretty well and came out and did a good job.”
NOTING GEORGIA TECH
Tech improved to 123-8 against non-conference teams at Alexander Memorial Coliseum since 1981-82 . . . Freshman Chris Bosh recorded his third straight double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds
