Postgame Quotes - Syracuse 67, Wake Forest 57
1/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2014
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Opening statement...
"Our inability to rebound simply killed any kind of momentum that we were working hard to gain. We would play pretty good defense but we never finished the defensive possession. They had 19 offensive rebounds as we all know and out-rebounded us by 20 and it just killed our momentum. Our inability to finish off defensive possessions. We did a good job for the most part attacking their zone. We had some good looks. We only turned the ball over eight times. We just couldn't make a timely shot and of course couldn't finish off our defensive possessions."
On the impact of fouls...
"Big impact, no question. 90% of fouls are defensive mistakes. We have got to learn to be aggressive defensively without fouling."
On the play of Tyler Ennis...
"We started off in the zone ... to try to protect guys from the foul situation and in the corner he (Ennis) was too comfortable. We had to get into him. He had a mid-range shot and a three, that's five points there. Codi (Miller-McIntyre) being in the foul trouble that he was, Ennis pretty much had his way."
On Syracuse dominating the boards...
"It's a combination of both. They are long and athletic they are undefeated for a reason. But we also have to carve out space and block people off and we didn't do that so we participated in that too."
On the lack of rebounding contributing to lack of fast break shots...
"We held them to 26% in the first half and for the game 36% so that's pretty good. They shot 3-for-14, 21% from the arc. We are number one in the ACC in three point defensive field goal percentage so we do a pretty good job there but we just didn't finish those possessions. The end result of defense is a defensive rebound. And yes, in order to get out and run and beat that zone down the court we needed to finish off those possessions. When we did get out in the open court and beat it down there, we were able to get a couple of easy baskets, but you got to rebound the ball first before you can run. "
On the game Saturday...
"Understand why we didn't have success in this game. You can't get beat by minus 20 on the boards and yield 19 offensive rebounds. Guys, it isn't going to work. We did some good things. We had some good looks. All we needed was one or two threes to go down there in a timely way. We had some good looks it wasn't like we were trying really hard to be aggressive going inside out. I told them this, this game is over with. Learn from why we lost this game. The most important thing is, everyone is going to take hits. Probably Syracuse is going to take a hit here at some point. It's how you handle adversity that ultimately determines your destiny. What we have to do is. When that ball is thrown up Saturday at noon, we better be ready to play because that is our Super Bowl on Saturday. We really need to refocus. This game is over with, let it go. Learn from it. Saturday is the most important thing."
Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Opening statement...
"It was a game where both teams struggled shooting the ball on the perimeter. I thought we did a pretty good job on the perimeter. They got into the post a little bit early but I thought that both teams had some pretty good looks. Tyler Ennis played the game like a freshman in the first half but in the second half he played like a senior that he is. When he got going that was the difference in the game. Our rebounding was good but it was probably good because both teams kept missing. It was one of those games you just try to struggle through defensively but we did just a good enough job defensively to be able to get the win. It was a very struggling game on the offensive end of the court but that happens. We have had a couple of good offensive games but tonight we couldn't get anything going rhythm wise. You have to find a way to win these games and this team has been able to do that."
On the defensive play...
"We are more concerned about the shooters when we play. We were much more concerned where (Coron) Williams was and we did a pretty good job finding him. He got a couple of looks but for the most part we did a good job on their shooters. When they got an open look they just didn't make them but it was the same for us. We got some open looks and just didn't make them. It was really the same for both teams shooting wise as well as with free-throws. It was a struggle offensively tonight for both teams."
On the recent play of Syracuse...
"Our two guards are the key to where we are and why we are here. We have a freshman (Tyler Ennis) and sophomore (Trevor Cooney) guard that have played great basketball. If they played this year as they did tonight then we would be struggling this year. We would be about 14-6. They play way above the level that anyone could have possibly expected. Ennis had 16 points in the second half. It was a struggling game and he just took it over. That's why we are where we are because of the two guards that play great for us. You can't really say enough about how they have played this year. They have been really spectacular."
Senior Forward Travis McKie
On facing No. 2 Syracuse...
"We wanted to win. The way we lost was disappointing. I mean to get out rebounded by 20, that is definitely not something to be proud of. We finally lost one at home and the streak is broken, so now it is time to start another one on Saturday."
On the Syracuse's defense...
"Their zone was pretty active, but we had a lot of open looks as well. I think both teams did not shoot well from the field."
On rebounding...
"You cannot get out rebounded by 20 and then expect to win. They had 10 extra possessions."
On Saturday's game against Georgia Tech ...
"The focal point is Saturday. At the end of the day, this game is over with, and we are focusing on Saturday."
On the mood going into tonight's game...
"We were feeling pretty good. We won both of our games last week so we were riding on momentum. We just have to put this behind us and respond to this loss."
