Jan. 17, 2007

Recap |  Box Score

Stokes Postgame Press Conference (Audio Quotes)

ECU Coach Ricky Stokes
"We don't want to make any excuses. We can be successful, but we have to work at it and continue to get better. We thought we needed a little more balance, and we thought that driving would help us get the ball inside a little bit. I think our young guys are starting to grow and develop."

"We got off to a good start, but it was a disappointing loss. I thought we didn't do some things necessary to win games. We knew it was going to be a physical game, and we felt they were going to push it inside to Gomez and Louisme. Gomez had 12, Louisme had 4, so I think we did a good job. We also wanted to limit the other guys' points, but we weren't able to do that. Donnie Stith had a great night rebounding and shooting."

"We had a couple of bright spots. One of the things we want to continue to do is establish an inside presence. We tried to put some plays in, and I'm glad to see John score. We were able to get the ball into him. Brandon Evans gave us a nice spark. I liked his defensive play. We're glad that Courtney was able to come back after the spill he took. We don't need to lose anybody else."

Freshman Forward John Fields
"[Coach Stokes] emphasized post play this week. He put in two new plays to get open looks for me."

"We really did not execute at times. We were also a little careless with the basketball, especially at the end of the shot clock."

"It is hard losing. In high school I maybe lost four or five games in two years. I think with our coaching staff and our young guys, we can take this program to new heights."

Freshman Guard Brandon Evans
"Getting to the basket is part of my game. If a shot is open, I will take it. [Coach Stokes] told to me take what the defense gave me."

"It is kind of hard right now because I am used to winning championships as I did in high school."

"We have to have faith in our coaching staff like they have faith in us. Our coaches emphasize having a positive mindset."