March 9, 2007
– Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt
A very disappointing loss for us. We obviously had several opportunities to put the game away, as they did as well. We didn’t get it done and they did.
Any explanation for the loss? Free throw shooting hurt us. 23 of 35. This time of the year you’ve got to convert higher than that.
On WFU’s big shots at the end: I thought Hale stepped up and made some big shots. The two he made at the end, Anthony Morrow played a terrific game. He made some big shots. But we had a defensive sub at the table. Obviously if Anthony makes the second one, it’s a four-point game. We get Mario (West) in the game, and we felt like that matchup would have been a little bit better. He was scoring when Mario wasn’t in the game. And that last shot was just a breakdown defensively. But give Wake Forest credit for executing the play. They forced us to communicate, and we didn’t. And Hale got the three at the top of the key.
On four first-round upsets: Not that I recall. I’m sure it’s probably happened, but I don’t pay much attention to the seedings. I know that all the teams this time of the year are well-coached and improving. I thought Wake Forest and us had similarities coming into the tournament. They are a young team, we are a young team, both on the rise and both improving. We’ve both won some big games at home. So, the seedings, I just don’t pay a whole lot of attention to them.
On appreciation of a great game: Oh yeah, it was a great game, no question about it. But it’s tough when you come out on this end of it.
