University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes
March 05, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2003
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Mississippi State vs. Tennessee
Thompson-Boling Arena
Knoxville, Tenn.
TENNESSEE HEAD COACH BUZZ PETERSON
"First thing I want to say is how proud I am of these seniors for the great efforts they've given during the two years I have coached here. I'm happy to see them go out of here with a victory. I always try to come up with some motivational words as we come out of the locker room, but this time, I just wrote upon the board the word, `seniors.'
"It's been overwhelming, the support of the students and the fans. I know that we've increased the attendance for this year, and I am happy about that. Now, getting back to tonight's game.
"The big keys for this game: we did a good job on Mario Austin, we only had eight turnovers, and we got to the free-throw line. We were like the team of old. It starts with the intensity level, and our guys came with that tonight. Our defense was very impressive in the first half. Mississippi State comes with so many weapons, and Mario Austin is one of the best post players in the country. Oh, there was one other key - it was our transition defense, it much better in this game, and largely the result of good shot selection."
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH RICK STANSBURY
"I have no answer for the slow start.
"Tennessee had a lot of emotion, and got it going tonight. We missed some shots, they made some shots, and we dug a hole for ourselves. Having to fight from behind on the road is tough.
"We never could get a stop when we needed it. There were three possessions where the clock was running down, and we gave up a three-point play to Brandon Crump, a two-point bucket to Brandon Crump, and fouled C.J. Watson. Those were huge plays. When you don't convert your opportunities on the road, it is tough to win.
"We fought back with our defense in the second half. We shot 50% from the floor that half, and did a good job defensively. We missed some 3-pointers early, and maybe attempted too many. We'll keep seeing the zone defense until we make some shots. They zoned us for 40 minutes. We haven't scored a lot against the zone on the road this year. We have the opportunity to play for the Western Division championship this weekend."
