Jan. 11, 2003
POST-GAME QUOTES
Georgia Tech vs. NC State – January 11, 2003
Final Score: Georgia Tech 81, NC State 65
Georgia Tech Coach Paul Hewitt “Obviously I’m very pleased to see our guys come out and play like that and really enjoy themselves on the court. Our halfcourt execution and our offense in general has been the thing that’s made us stub our toe a little bit and get off to a little bit of a bumpy start. Watching our halfcourt execution and our offensive execution in general is what made the difference today. I thought we did a very good job defensively on Julius Hodge and Marcus Melvin, but more than anything else it was our offensive execution. Twenty assists on 30 baskets, shot 70 percent from the foul line, turnovers were down, assists were up. Those are the things we really have to watch because I think our defense has been good enough to win most of the games, but our offense has really been hurting us. Today it certainly didn’t hurt us at all.
“I said back at ACC Media Day that we would have some adversity in December. I knew we would because of our youth, freshmen point guard, depending on a freshman big man. My next statement was, How we respond to that is going to determine what kind of season we have. I think we’re responding well. I just expect us to start playing more consistent basketball.
“We feel like we have a good defensive basketball team and we take a lot of pride in our defense. The games that we’ve won have been primarily because of our defense. Now if we can start to add some offensive efficiency to our solid defense, we have a chance to have a very good season.
[Getting the ball inside ] “That was a point of emphasis for us coming into the game. We feel like we’ve got a good core of big men. Early in the game, I thought they did a good job of battling our big guys for post position, but we just kept at it and that’s probably why they picked up some fouls. We kept trying to punch the ball inside.
“B.J.’s been an outstanding player of the second half of last year and this year. When he’s healthy, and right now he’s getting healthy, he’s pretty good.
NOTING GEORGIA TECH: Tech’s win was its fourth straight over NC State in Atlanta . . . Tech shot a season high .579 from the field and equaled its season low for turnovers (12 vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff) . . . Tech’s field goal percentage was its highest since shooting .628 in a 75-69 loss at NC State on Jan. 2, 1999 . . . Tech shot .645 in the second half with just three turnovers . . . With 24 points, B.J. Elder was one away from his career high.
NC State Coach Herb Sendek
On Julius Hodge’s fourth foul being a turning point in the game: “It certainly was a contributing factor, but I’m not sure you could pinpoint that as the only reason. There were several factors that led to our poor play in the second half.”
“I give Georgia Tech credit. I thought that they did an outstanding job of getting to the basket in the second half. We did not play very well at all in the second half and have several things that we need to work on. We are a young team and are learning, but have several players who can step up at any time to help us. Today, it just didn’t happen.”
