Syracuse vs. Marquette Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Marquette
January 7, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Brandon Triche, Junior Guard
That was a fast paced win considering how hard it looked out there…
“I believe so. Any BIG EAST game is going to be tough for us because everybody is so strong. Getting up so much of the first half, we pretty much did the opposite in the second half on defense, and we allowed a lot of drives. Offensively, I think we were probably our worst.”
What about the poise of the team down the stretch?
“I think that we need to work on that a little bit. We should have never of gotten it down under 10 points, but we stuck it out. We hit a couple shots. Dion was big for us defensively. He made us a lot of free buckets and ultimately helped us win.”
You sound upset the lead was decreased to what it was?
“Yes, because we want to be better. You want to play 40 minutes of defense. Offense will eventually work, but defensively you play a good 20 minutes and maybe the last few minutes of the game.”
If defense steps up and makes that play, a lot of pride is involved when the defense digs in like that?
“Yes, anyway to get a win, but you would rather be defensive than offensive because defense is more of it. Even though offense is good, we are more of a defensive team and everything works off our defense.
Dion Waiters, Sophomore Guard
Can you talk about keeping your composure?
“We knew they were going to make a run. Marquette is a good team. They went all the way out to the last second, so we came out lackadaisical and not really playing defense and it hurt us. We turned it into a ball game. We talked to each other and we had to keep our composure. Things like that can help us become a better team -- facing adversity. We came out, ran the offense, and made plays.”
I get the sense that the block in the lane was the nail in the coffin. Talk about how big that play was?
“It was big. The momentum changed and it got the crowd involved. I always look forward to the crowd pumping me up and that’s what I try to do. I made the play and told the crowd to get loud.”
Talk about the crowd today. Not a lot of students were here, but they were loud.
“Unbelievable. The floor was shaking. It doesn’t get any better than that in ‘Cuse Nation.”
C.J . Fair, Sophomore Forward
There is something to be said about having a big lead, losing a big lead, and still coming back, having this game in hand down the stretch…
“Yes, that shows the character and heart we have. Marquette’s confidence was sky high after they made a big run, and put themselves back in the game. They got our lead down to two and then Brandon Triche hit a big three and then we kept scoring. Dion got a big block on Odom on the three-point line. I knew when he got that we had them.”
Jim Boeheim said something along the lines of losing a big lead at home makes a team worry or wonder what’s happening. Do you have any sense of that? You or this team?
“Of course you worry about the lead and such. You don’t want a part two to happen from the NCAA Tournament. We just tried and not let it distract us. Once they got it down to two we just tried to take good shots and not shoot ourselves in the foot. Just make good inside plays and play solid defense.”
January 7, 2012
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Brandon Triche, Junior Guard
That was a fast paced win considering how hard it looked out there…
“I believe so. Any BIG EAST game is going to be tough for us because everybody is so strong. Getting up so much of the first half, we pretty much did the opposite in the second half on defense, and we allowed a lot of drives. Offensively, I think we were probably our worst.”
What about the poise of the team down the stretch?
“I think that we need to work on that a little bit. We should have never of gotten it down under 10 points, but we stuck it out. We hit a couple shots. Dion was big for us defensively. He made us a lot of free buckets and ultimately helped us win.”
You sound upset the lead was decreased to what it was?
“Yes, because we want to be better. You want to play 40 minutes of defense. Offense will eventually work, but defensively you play a good 20 minutes and maybe the last few minutes of the game.”
If defense steps up and makes that play, a lot of pride is involved when the defense digs in like that?
“Yes, anyway to get a win, but you would rather be defensive than offensive because defense is more of it. Even though offense is good, we are more of a defensive team and everything works off our defense.
Dion Waiters, Sophomore Guard
Can you talk about keeping your composure?
“We knew they were going to make a run. Marquette is a good team. They went all the way out to the last second, so we came out lackadaisical and not really playing defense and it hurt us. We turned it into a ball game. We talked to each other and we had to keep our composure. Things like that can help us become a better team -- facing adversity. We came out, ran the offense, and made plays.”
I get the sense that the block in the lane was the nail in the coffin. Talk about how big that play was?
“It was big. The momentum changed and it got the crowd involved. I always look forward to the crowd pumping me up and that’s what I try to do. I made the play and told the crowd to get loud.”
Talk about the crowd today. Not a lot of students were here, but they were loud.
“Unbelievable. The floor was shaking. It doesn’t get any better than that in ‘Cuse Nation.”
C.J . Fair, Sophomore Forward
There is something to be said about having a big lead, losing a big lead, and still coming back, having this game in hand down the stretch…
“Yes, that shows the character and heart we have. Marquette’s confidence was sky high after they made a big run, and put themselves back in the game. They got our lead down to two and then Brandon Triche hit a big three and then we kept scoring. Dion got a big block on Odom on the three-point line. I knew when he got that we had them.”
Jim Boeheim said something along the lines of losing a big lead at home makes a team worry or wonder what’s happening. Do you have any sense of that? You or this team?
“Of course you worry about the lead and such. You don’t want a part two to happen from the NCAA Tournament. We just tried and not let it distract us. Once they got it down to two we just tried to take good shots and not shoot ourselves in the foot. Just make good inside plays and play solid defense.”
