University of North Carolina Athletics
Doherty Comments on Exhibition Win Over Yakima
November 6, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 6, 2000
UNC coach Matt Doherty had the following to say after Carolina's 96-87 win over the Yakima Sun Kings Monday evening at the Smith Center:
It's probably a great game for us to play because I think back a few years ago and you would play somebody that you would beat by 40 (points) and you don't learn anything. I think that we learned a lot tonight. I think we showed some really good signs. We did some nice things, especially in the first half.
Their quickness hurt us. They were smaller and quicker. They got to the seams and got us in foul trouble, and they got second shots. In the end it got to look a little bit like a circus because I was trying to match up with their short lineup and Kris (Lang) was in foul trouble and I didn't want to just sit in the zone and let them shoot threes. But I think we learned something, and it's nice to learn something and still win a ball game.
rendan (Haywood) only had eight points but he was very unselfish in kicking the ball back outside.
On the point guards:
I wanted to rotate them. I ideally wanted to give Adam (Boone) five
minutes, Brian (Morrison) five minutes, Jon (Holmes) five minutes and
rotate like that through the first half. Late in the game we had that
lineup in there (with Boone at point guard) and Yakima was challenging
us, and I just felt comfortable with that five so I went that way.
On the defense:
In the first half it was great. I loved it. Diving on loose balls and
we really got the help side. I thought we were really doing a good job
attempting to draw charges. We were there getting in good position.
On coaching his first game at UNC:
It is a relief. I was anxious to get on the sidelines and coach a
game. It was neat to be on the sidelines in the Smith Center.
On the pace of the game:
I was happy with the pace. I think late when we had a 10-point
cushion with four minutes to go I wanted to burn a little clock. We
did a couple of times successfully and got the ball in Joe's (Forte's)
hands and he made something happen. But in the end we had a couple of
turnovers. But we'll take care of it through our press offense. It1s
something that we need to continue to work on.
