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On the late rally:

"We have a resilient group. We have a bunch of tough-nose kids that will fight. I was proud of their effort, overcoming an incredible atmosphere against a really good team. They continued to fight and give themselves a chance to be a part of it at the end."

On the atmosphere:

"We were all excited. The staff was just as excited as the players. It started yesterday just coming in here to practice. I hated that the North Carolina Central women had to get on and practice because we were hoping that slot would be open so we could have a staff pickup game."

On the impact of the atmosphere during the game:

"More than anything I think it was just something these guys will always remember. Starting with the staff, we have all watched Syracuse basketball games on ESPN in the Carrier Dome since we were born. I remember as a little kid watching these games. It was equally as exciting for our players."

On defensive preparation after tying the game:

"We came down and almost got a great stop. Then there was one of those 50-50 balls that if it goes off of them, maybe we give ourselves a chance to get a really good look and win the game. We did not finish the stop with a defensive rebound as was the case for a lot of the game. They got 20 offensive rebounds led by Roberson's 11 offensive rebounds which is unheard of. It is our biggest deficiency and quite possibly their biggest strength. They dominated the offensive glass. [On their last possession], we were honed in on [Trevor] Cooney more than anything. Their big fellow is really good and hit a big-time shot."

On the takeaway from the game:

"We have not been playing really well lately. We got better today. I am positive about the fight that we played with, the unselfishness that we played with. Syracuse made a bunch of mistakes I am sure and we think we made some mistakes so we think there is a lot to learn from and a lot of improvement to be made. I do not care if they are not the No. 1 team in the country, they are still Syracuse on its home floor. Being this competitive is positive."