St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 85, Seton Hall 72
2/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Head Coach Steve Lavin
On playing in a sold-out Carnesecca Arena:
"It was a great atmosphere today. I thought our fans were outstanding and when we have that type of electric energy in Carnesecca [Arena], it's as special a venue as there is in the BIG EAST or in college basketball for that matter.
On responding back against Seton Hall:
"For the first 26 minutes of the game, we didn't have an answer for Seton Hall. Then we went to our 2-3 zone and it shifted momentum in our favor. When we play defense and put together a string of stops it generates our transition game, hence we were able to get out in transition for easy buckets. Also, the extra pass led to get good looks for us from long range."
On coaching a group of seniors:
"It's critical. Seniors in college basketball have great value. Looking back on my career, the five best seasons we've had are when we had kids that matriculated over four or five years and that's when you make your runs."
On playing the five seniors to end the game:
"I put the five of them in together so they could share the moment. The on court huddle they shared was special. They've been through so much, each with different journeys and unique challenges, but all of them have been exemplary in the way they represent this school. I thought it was appropriate that they went out at Carnesecca [Arena] as a group because they arrived at St John's together." ​
Senior Guard D'Angelo Harrison
On spending the final minutes with the other seniors:
"Coach [Lavin] does a great job with us. I've been with these guys for four years now. I love these guys and I'm just glad to get a win."
On the last time playing in Carnesecca Arena:
"I'm just glad we won. I'm thankful for everyone supporting us. Everyone has been great."
Senior Guard Jamal Branch
On how the team's chemistry helped get the win:
"We're on a different level when we share the ball with each other. That gave us the spark and everyone started hitting shots and feeding off of each other."
On the last time playing in Carnesecca Arena:
"We appreciate the fans and all of their support. We [the seniors] love each other and we wanted to finish off with a win."
Senior Forward Sir'Dominic Pointer
On the 18-5 second-half run:
"Seton Hall got a lot of offensive rebounds on us in the beginning. Coach [Lavin] said whoever rebounds and plays defense will win the game. We started rebounding and we played a little defense and we came out with the win."
On the last time playing at Carnesecca Arena:
"Just to get a win in our last time playing at Carnesecca Arena feels good."
Senior Guard Phil Greene IV
On what it feels like to play in a sold-out arena:
"It feels great. We appreciate all the support that we've gotten throughout our four years. We're just happy to get a win in our last game."
Senior Forward Khadim Ndiaye
On the difference between a young Seton Hall team and the senior-laden St. John's team:
"The four years of experience that we have and the preparation made a big difference. We just want to go to the tournament, that's what made us more mature and ready for the moment."
On the last time playing in Carnesecca Arena:
"I'm just glad we won. It's the last time we're playing here, so that's all I'm happy about."
Seton Hall Head Coach Kevin Willard
On Isaiah Whitehead:
"When a guy hasn't played in six weeks, you're going to have some good stretches and bad stretches. Although he got off to a tough start, I thought he did a good job staying with it and battling through it. I thought he did some good things in the second half by staying aggressive."
On the group of St. John's seniors:
"You have to give [the St. John's seniors] a tremendous amount of credit. They've gone through some good times and some bad times but they come out and ball every time. I give them credit for battling and staying in it."
Seton Hall Senior Forward Brandon Mobley
On what to do moving forward:
"We just have to find a way to win. We lost focus on defense. We are at our best when we can get stops."
On playing against a senior-led team:
"At one point we had four freshmen on the court and they had a lot of seniors that have played together for four years. It's tough playing on the road in this league."
