Dec. 17, 2002
POST-GAME QUOTES Georgia Tech vs. Troy State – December 17, 2002
Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt
“Obviously it’s nice to get back out on the court after how the game ended Sunday, and it’s nice to see us pass the basketball. Twenty five assists on 32 baskets – that’s the way I like to see teams play. Just find the open guy and take good shots. Of course B.J. was hot tonight, Jarrett made three threes, and Marvin shot a very respectable percentage.
“We preach shooting open shoots. We preach move the ball, find open players, and if your feet are set, shoot the ball. That’s what I’ve always preached. It’s my sixth year as a head coach, and I’ve always been a big believer in that. I think it makes you a stronger team when everyone has the confidence to take the open shot. I thought we did a very good job of that tonight.
“I thought we were make too many excuses for what was going on out there in the first half, especially on the defensive end. We were getting beat off the dribble way too much. I just told them at halftime, Quit making excuses and guard. The second half our guys responded very well to that challenge.
“In the last week or so, you could really see B.J. starting to get his rhythm back shooting the ball. He got very good looks tonight because of our passing, and he converted six of eight. He’s getting healthy, that’s probably the biggest thing.
Troy State head coach Dan Maestri On Tech’s opening run in the second half: “I thought that Georgia Tech shot the ball extremely well in the beginning of the second half. But, overall they shot the ball from the outside better than have in the first six games they had played this season. I would venture to guess this is probably their best outside shooting performance of the season it’s just a shame that it had to happen against us.”
On Troy State’s performance in the second half: “They really shot the ball well and then we never were in sync. Some of it had to do with their defense, but we ran some plays tonight where we didn’t even cut to the right side of the court. It was a night where things weren’t going well. Georgia Tech was playing a very good game offensively and defensively and we hung in their for a half. We told them with about 9 or 10 minutes left in the game to challenge ourselves to try and win the last 10 minutes because we just weren’t playing good basketball and I felt like at some point we just had to start working on playing better basketball to help carry us into our next game.”
NOTING GEORGIA TECH B.J. Elder equaled his career high with 25 points. He previously scored 25 points last season in Tech’s win over Wake Forest . . . Tech hit a season-high 14 three-pointers on a season-high 24 attempts . . . The Jackets converted a season-best 55.2 percent from the field . . . Tech’s 11 blocked are its most since the Jackets blocked 13 vs. Georgia Southern in 1997-98.
