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Syracuse Player Quotes
Georgetown at Syracuse
January 18, 2005
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Junior Guard Gerry McNamara
On the challenge of playing the Hoyas:
“We knew we were going to play a tough team, especially a team that won at Pittsburgh and won at Villanova. They’re a team that’s experienced on the road and proved they can win on the road. We knew they wouldn’t go down easy and they’re a tough team. You saw that when they got loose balls and turned them into three-pointers and three-point plays. It’s about winning games and if you can win games even when it’s ugly then that’s a sign of a really good team.”
On Georgetown’s hustle:
“I wouldn’t say they out-hustled us. Maybe in some situations they did but in some situations we out-hustled them. I got to a loose ball, tipped it, hit a questionable shot, and it turned out to be a three-pointer. That’s the way the game goes. Not every ball is going to go your way and not every play is going to go your way. They did a good job of taking advantage of that.”
On Louis McCroskey making team plays in the second half:
“That’s what he’s in there for. He’s in there being active and making plays. That’s why coach put him in the starting line up. He has to continue to make this team better. If he can do that then we think we can go pretty far.”
On the confidence of the team when the game was close:
“We’re experienced and we should know how to handle certain situations, especially late in the game. The four of us (Pace, Forth, and Warrick), have been in theses cases so many times, it just seems like every time we play a Big East game, it’s the same thing. It’s the same situation. We know what to do down on the stretch, who to get the ball to. We’re going to have the confidence in Louis (McCroskey) to take the shot, for Josh (Pace) and Craig (Forth) to take the shot. In certain situations, every one of those guys touched the ball down the stretch and at some point one of them had to make a key play.”
Senior Forward Hakim Warrick
On Georgetown’s performance:
“Georgetown is definitely an up-and-coming program. I think they are one of the best teams we’ve played so far. They’re 5-1 so it’s good to go out there and get a win against them. We know that no matter what, with all the tradition behind this game, we’re going to get a good game out of Georgetown. They really came out tonight.”
On Gerry’s confidence in shooting:
“He definitely goes out there and doesn’t worry about his last shot. He only looks for the shot that he’s shooting. He doesn’t have a memory when it comes to stuff like that. Whenever you see him, you want to give him the ball and figure he has an open look.”
Junior Guard Josh Pace
On his role in bringing the ball up the court:
“I think it’s something that we need to get someone else some shots. It’s not necessarily me being point guard, but there are just some situations they need me to bring up the ball and others I’m not. It’s just being able to contribute to the game.”
On how the experience of the team has grown:
“We have a lot of veteran guys and other players who have stepped their game up. When the opportunity comes we need someone to step up. We had that today and we’ve had that in the past and we believe in the future it’ll work.”
