University of North Carolina Athletics
Post-Game Quotes
March 10, 2003 | Men's Basketball
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Matt Doherty Quotes
"I'm really proud - to say the least - of our team. We've been taking punches to the face all year and they've come off the mat each time. They came off the mat today and played great game against a great opponent. They kept their poise throughout. I'm just really proud of them. It was a gutsy effort. The crowd was awesome. It was one of those classic Carolina/Duke games, I'm fortunate that we were on the winning side. It was kind of crazy that Dahntay's (Jones) shot went in it was just a half a second late."
"Things got a little heated there and I thought Coach Krzyzewski handled it great. I thought that as crazy as things got, both teams settled down and Coach Krzyzewski handled it with a lot of class."
On Rashad McCants ...
"I really felt that he was ready to do that against Wake Forest, but he got in foul trouble and that prevented him from doing what he is capable of doing. I think tonight he was back to Rashad McCants of old, his defense has gotten better and he was in the flow."
On the free throw shooting ...
"Obviously, it's still not great ... but it's much better. Guys are making big foul shots. ... We worked on them, concentrated on them and it is neat to see how that pays off."
On Duke's second half run ...
"We talked about it at halftime. I said, 'They're going to be fired up coming out in the second half and we need to come out with a great deal of aggression.' I didn't think we did that. I think our defense was a little soft at the start of the second half, but we managed to make some baskets that kept us with a little bit of a lead. I thought we were fortunate. So many games we've had to rely on defense and our offense hasn't been productive, but tonight our offense was pretty productive scoring 82 points."
On the team playing with adversity ...
"I think the most important thing with this win is that we now are guaranteed a winning season. At the beginning of the year ... I didn't know how many games we would be capable of winning with such a young team or even a healthy team. To double the win total from last year, I think that shows a lot about this team. This schedule is one of the toughest schedules in the country so I'm proud of them."
"They'll remember this game forever. As a part of athletics, you remember the great wins and you remember the gut-wrenching defeats."
On the scuffle in front of the Duke bench ...
"I don't know if anybody shoved me, we'll have to look at the tape. I was checking on Raymond, but at the same time talking about how he got cut. Someone from their staff made a comment and things got a little heated. I respect their staff. ... They're competitive, but they are good guys."
Rashad McCants
On being active throughout the night ...
"That's what I had to do. In the Wake Forest game I had to do a little more than I did tonight, but I got in foul trouble, so my objective was to go out and play solid defense and try to protect the middle."
Jonathan Holmes
On the win ...
"Being a young team, it was a big step for us going in a well coached team like Duke with a couple of seniors and it was a great win."
"We have to be ready. Unfortunately you can't enjoy this too much. We have to put it behind us and get back to work because we know that if we do play them they are going to come back strong and be ready to play so we have to get back to work next week and move on as we approach the ACC tournament. "
Last game ...
"It went by pretty quick to be honest with you. It was very exciting to have my family here and a lot of my friends. Just to be recognized and the support from all the fans was phenomenal. To get the chance to start in a Carolina/Duke game that will probably be an instant classic. It's just a remarkable feeling to come out with a win in my last home game here to come out with a victory.
Jawad Williams
On beatng Duke ...
"It was a big win for us. It helped us gain momentum and now we just have to build on that."
On playing a team game ...
"I just wanted to get my teammates involved. Rashad was hot, so I figured get him the ball and let him do his thing."
On possibly playing Duke again in the ACC Tournament ...
"It would be another instant classic."
