Semifinal Game 2: NC State vs. Clemson

March 4, 2001

Clemson head coach Jim Davis: “I want to congratulate NC State. I thought they whipped us. I thought they were a little more motivated than we were for whatever reason. And I thought they simply played harder than we did. It was a very physical game and they were more physical than we were. I thought we did a great job yesterday of boxing out and limiting second-chance opportunities. But today NC State got a lot of their baskets off second-chance points. And that’s not supposed to happen to a Clemson team. That’s not supposed to happen to a well-coached team. We didn’t get it done today for whatever reason. We simply didn’t seem to be in synch today offensively and you have to credit NC State’s defense for that. We didn’t do a good job on the basket cuts. We didn’t do a good job screening. Once again, hopefully we’ll live to play again. I feel sure we’ll get a bid. We were hoping to get a home first and second round game in Tigertown, but I don’t know about that now. This hurt us on that. We’ll see. You never know what’s going to happen with that.”

Clemson guard Chrissy Floyd: “From yesterday’s game, I think everybody came out ready to play and ready to win and went out and played hard. Today, I think we learned that we not only have to be mentally tough, but we have to be physically tough while we’re playing out there. And we have to execute on both ends of the floor.”

NC State head coach Kay Yow: “That’s one of the hardest-fought battles we’ve been in this year. It was a really physical game. In the paint, everybody trying to post on their team and everybody trying to post on our team made it very physical.”

“Just their perseverance and their togetherness really meant so much to us in this particular game. Defense has been our thing all year. We gave another great defensive effort.”

On Moody’s 21-point, 13-rebound game: “Carisse really has struggled against Clemson. It seems like the first two times we played them she might have had a total of about eight points. This time she really hung in there. It’s a credit to them (teammates). They looked for her more. They got the ball to her better. We looked more at the right times.

(On getting back to the title game): “(Pause) That chokes me up. It’s something I got used to and it hasn’t been here for a while. To be in the championship game with this team is really special. They believed as we believed that together we can do above and beyond. So it’s a real thrill for me to be back in the championship game. I love tournaments. I love this time of the year. The Lord must have known. My birthday comes in March. That’s like an indication. March madness, that just fits me perfectly.”

NC State sophomore Ivy Gardner: “It’s just a great place to be right now. I think we stayed true to our word in being a team and having chemistry and not letting up when we were ahead and not giving up when we got behind.”

NC State senior Tynesha Lewis: “I just feel honored to be on the team with a great group of girls that pulled together toward the end of the season. We never did not believe that this was not our year to be here in the championship game.”