NC State guards Alyn Breed and Paul McNeil met with the media to discuss the 76-61 loss to No. 21 Virginia.
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A little slow degree, but cut the lead to eight in the second half. Talk about kind of what happened after that, and how you guys were able to push the lead back.
MCNEIL: I can say we lost a little focus, they were on the run, hit shots. No, that's definitely devastating when you're trying to come back and the other team hit shots, and we just couldn't get together. But we definitely had our mindset that we'll come back and win this game.
BREED: Yeah, what Paul said, yeah, it was an eight point game. I'm not sure where we kind of like lost that, the road we was on, but I don't know. I guess we'll just learn from this and just be better the next game.
What in the first half led to that 20 point deficit at halftime? What was Virginia doing specifically in order to extend their lead?
MCNEIL: We were just in the open shots. We hit shots, the lead would grow, but it came out to a fast start. We just came out to a slow start, and teams like them, they're great, great teams. So can't come out slow against them teams, and we did, and we see the results.
BREED: Yeah, like Paul said, teams like that, you gotta hop on them first. You gotta punch first. Can't let them get it early, see the rim get bigger early like that. We was definitely supposed to punch first against them, and yeah.
Do you feel like you weren't closing out on defense? You guys weren't getting hands in face? What led to the open looks?
MCNEIL: Just a great, great shooters. Obviously, I feel like they put the work in for it. And sometimes you have to end there and still don't contest. We just hit shots, hit great shooters, and made them, and we missed ours.
Paul, how prominent was Sam Lewis in your scouting report and game plan for today?
MCNEIL: He just was one of the ones we could buy out on. He's scouting everybody the same. It's just about who really got more heart, who really wanna win more.
What was Coach Wade's post-game thoughts to you guys?
MCNEIL: Just be tougher, win the race, start off fast, and finish strong. He understand what we gotta do, and we understand what we gotta do too, so.
