March 12, 2008

Game 3 - La Salle 82, Duquesne 79

La Salle Head Coach Dr. John Giannini

On the win:
"I thought it was a great game from a competitive point of view...the intensity of the game and the dramatic plays that were made on both sides were really exciting...we beat a very good team, a very talented team, and we're thrilled to get not only a win, but a dramatic win where we had to get a couple big stops at the end."

On Darnell Harris' range:
"He shoots it from deep, he shoots it with people running at him, he shoots it sprinting off of screens with the other team's best defender chasing him. I've never seen a guy shoot as consistently as he has all year under such tough circumstances. For all the good players I've coached, I've never had a player make so many tough shots...we're not surprised, which is maybe the ultimate compliment."

On playing Temple after last weekend's loss to end the regular season:
"I've been with these guys for two years; we've had our share of losses. We know how to deal with it. That's never an issue for us ever. That was as devastating a loss as you could have. It was Senior Day, it was for a share of the Big 5 championship, and we got destroyed. It was a quick death. That was as hard a loss as you could have...now, we're excited to advance. We're not excited to play Temple from the standpoint of 'they're an outstanding team.' But we are excited just to give ourselves another chance after we played so poorly and got beat so badly this last weekend."

On whether there is a "big-picture" importance to tonight's win:
"I think there is...it's emotional for the players, and it does give you some kind of carry-over I think into your off-season. I think to win a tournament game with a group that is, in spite of Darnell's brilliance, still extremely young with a lot of returning players is a great emotional lead-in to an off-season, and a season next year where we think we have a chance to be pretty good."

Darnell Harris

On his deep game-tying three-pointer:
"Coach drew up a play...I wasn't open and I felt as though, as a senior, I had to step up and make a big shot, so I got the ball from Yves [Mekongo Mbala] and they went under the switch so I just shot it and it went in...I practice those shots a lot."

On the prospect of tonight being his final game:
"I definitely don't want it to be over. It's been a long career, I'm playing with a lot of good guys, a lot of great people on my team. I love being around them, so I definitely didn't want it to be over."

On putting their recent losing streak behind them:
"That's the best thing about playing college basketball: you always get that next opportunity. After those losses we had late in the season, we put them behind us. We knew we had another chance in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. We got a big win, and now it's time for Temple."

Rodney Green

On what it means to face Temple so soon after losing to them to close the regular season:
"It means a lot to us as a team. We knew if we were to beat Duquesne, we could get payback on Temple."