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Syracuse Player Quotes
Canisius at Syracuse
Dec. 30, 2002
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Freshman forward Carmelo Anthony
On overcoming a difficult shooting game:
“You think about making every shot that you put up and then I started forcing a couple shots. I just tried to settle down at the end of the game and do other things besides score.”
On the key to SU’s second-half performance:
“We got out on their shooters. They hit a couple open three’s because we didn’t get out on them, but the last 10 or 12 minutes we got out on them every time.”
Sophomore forward Hakim Warrick
On his offensive performance:
“I saw in the beginning of the game that Carmelo and Gerry weren’t really shooting the ball like they have been -- they were struggling a little bit. So, I just tried to take over the scoring until they hit their shots, and they did in the second half.”
Senior forward Kueth Duany
On the play of Hakim Warrick:
“He kept us alive early -- kept us in the game -- and he was carrying us for the most part. He’s going to be a great player and right now he’s just at the tip of the iceberg of how good he can be.”
On the game: “You’re going to have games like this against teams like this – team’s that are smart and play well together and make you work. If you don’t shoot well, you end up in a dogfight and you have to buckle down and start making plays -- every possession is important. Any play early in the game could have meant the difference.”
On Carmelo Anthony:
“He didn’t shoot well, but he made other things happen. He crashed the boards and got on the offensive glass. He made a lot of free throws and that’s what you have to do when you don’t have a good shooting night. You have to make other things happen and that’s what he did.”
On getting ready for Seton Hall:
“We have to go back and refocus. We’ve had a few pretty easy games and we’ve learned a substantial amount, but now it’s the BIG EAST regular season. We have to buckle down. Our goal is to win the BIG EAST and it starts with Seton Hall in eight days.”
Freshman guard Gerry McNamara
On not missing a free throw:
“I expect that out of myself. I shot 90 percent in high school and didn’t start out the year very well, but I expect that out of myself and my teammates. When the game gets tight we have to knock them down.”
On Canisius guard Brian Dux:
“He’s a good player – a good guard. He’s quick and he’s strong. He’s as tough as any we’ve faced this year. I think he’ll do very well."
