Syracuse vs. Manhattan Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Keith Cieplicki
Opening Statement:
“I’m happy with the win. We did a good job on the boards today. The players did a nice job executing the game plan. It’s a good win for us. Overall, I think we got a lot of the looks we wanted to get. As a team, we’re doing a lot of nice things.”
On going inside a lot offensively:
“At times it seemed forced, and maybe we threw it away a couple of times, but the bottom line is the end result is usually pretty good for us.”
On whether or not going inside will continue:
“To some degree we’re going to have to play against the competition, but to be successful there has to be a balance. We have to establish an inside presence. It’s great to have the opportunity to do it against some teams where we have size advantage, but we’re trying to develop our posts every day so they can score one-on-one against whoever they’re playing.”
On playing 11 people:
“It adds a tremendous amount to the team. I think everybody’s more interested day-to-day. Everybody’s a little bit more competitive because to some degree you have to produce because we have some other choices. I think that keeps everybody playing at a higher level. Obviously, it allows us some flexibility. We can go real big, we can go average, we can go quicker. I’ve always loved just having different kinds of players on the team, and I think we have a great mix here. Everybody brings a little something different to the table.”
Senior Rochelle Coleman
On coming off the bench:
“I think anybody that comes off the bench wants to come in and provide a spark to the team. We want to be a defensive presence and play well on offense.”
On the defensive effort against the three:
“We focus on the people we know want to shoot the threes. The people who aren’t supposed to be shooting the threes are the ones we want to force to take them. That’s what we did today.”
Senior Chineze Nwagbo
On SU’s deep frontcourt:
“I have a lot of confidence in my teammates. I’m very excited about this team. When you have confidence in your team, everything comes much easier and you feel more comfortable. That’s how I feel every time I step out on the floor. Everybody contributes, and I’m really excited about that.”
On forcing Manhattan to shoot 21 three-pointers:
“You have to give credit to the guards. Our guards and wings did a really good job defending the three. I don’t think it was necessarily because we packed it in, I think it was that everybody did their job in terms of playing the defense the we wanted to play the defense.”
On the Orange’s defensive effort:
“I think we did fairly well, but I know we can do better. We take the specifics we go over in practice, and that’s what we apply to the game. In terms of the defense today, we did okay, but we’re better as a team than what we showed today.”
On what she enjoys about this team:
“Everything. On and off the floor we get along and hang out. We’re funny. I like the fact that in practice we have an idea of what it takes to win. We try to go hard every single time. We’re very competitive. The youth on this team brings a lot of energy to the game. A lot of times when I don’t have energy I look to them. All of them could play basketball around the clock. I enjoy being around that and I admire them for it.”
