St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 94, Franklin Pierce 81
11/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Head Coach Steve Lavin
Opening statement:
"We were disappointed with our first-half performance defensively. We made adjustments in the second half and as a result we pulled away for a win. I really credit Franklin Pierce for coming in for their third game in three nights. They had a spirited and cohesive approach so hats off to them. We have to continue to improve in all of our areas as we move forward this season."
On Christian Jones:
"Christian is going to be critical for our team to have success because when he plays well it builds our depth. He can rebound the ball with proficiency, hit his mid-ranged shots and drive the ball against bigger defenders. I think tonight was a step in the right direction."​
Senior Guard D'Angelo Harrison
On the 21-0 run to open the second half:
"That's St. John's basketball right there. Defense, execution and rebounding led up to a lot of run outs. When we are in transition, it is hard to guard us."
On the team's halftime adjustment:
"We came together as a group and said that [Vilmont] will not score. It got really simple. He had 21 in the first half and we slowed him down. We fixed it and we won the game."
Senior Forward Sir'Dominic Pointer
On Ryen Vilmont's performance:
"He came out early and made a few 3-pointers. I give it up to him for coming out hard like that, but I can't let that happen."
On the team's first-half defense:
"They were driving in the lane early, we were letting off the ball and they were getting right by us. Once they got hot in the first half, they stayed hot. In the second half, we were able to keep them in front of us and didn't give them any open shots. We shut it down and kept it moving."
Franklin Pierce Head Coach David Chadbourne
On the game:
"If you told me this was going to be the type of game where we would be leading at the half, I would have taken that. St. John's is really good. We don't really play teams like that. I was very proud of the way we played."
On leading at the half:
"The team was excited. We had a half where we made a lot of shots but then we missed a lot of the same shots in the second half. They wore us down and picked up their intensity. We didn't get quite the same looks. It's a credit to [St. John's], they played really well in the second half."
On playing in the Preseason NIT:
"It's great for us. This was an unbelievable opportunity. I've seen alumni today at the game that I haven't seen in 15 years. It is a great experience for us and it is great exposure for our program and the University."
