BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 4, 1998

John MacLeod

JOHN MacLEOD: Last week when we played Providence, which created all kind of problems for us with their pressure defense. And the same thing applied today; particularly in the first half. We turned it over I think nine or ten times, and I don't know how many turnovers for the game. But the pressure defense and our carelessness with the basketball cost us. We had the ball in the paint on numerous occasions. We just could not get the ball in the basket. Give them credit for having their hands up in doing a good job defensively. In the first half we had some -- Jamel under control and Farley under control, and both of them in the second half got away from us. So it was -- we were behind after -- I think it was 4 to 4, then it was 10 to 4 and 12 to 6. We were behind the rest of the game. So it was a 33 or 34-minute game of trying to catch up and get back into it to the point where they had to play with not a great deal of comfort, which they were playing very, very comfortably. We got it within five and could not get it any closer. So, give Providence credit, they did a great job. They have got excellent quickness in the back. Jamel Thomas was superb, as was Farley. Farley made every big backbreaking shot with about 7, 8, 9 minutes to go and played superbly for them. They have had 2 big wins and they did a great job.