Mike McAfee Kids Quotations

I was pleased with the way our kids kept playing defense. I'm proud of the way our kids played all four quarters.

I can't say enough about how hard they played in that second half. If we could have done any of that in the first half, I think we could have turned the game around. In the second half there were so many places we could have turned it around, too. I can't say enough about the effort that the kids put out. It was amazing, it really was.

From the first quarter, right on through the fourth, I feel our kids played a good game. It's always our hope that everyone will get involved and it was great to see Kyle Morrow come in and play well. I'm hopeful that Kyle can continue to come in and contribute.

Michael always comes in and gives it 100 percent. He's another one of the quiet kids on the team. He's always thinking, 'What's going to happen here?' He's a player's player. He's ready for what's going to happen and he plays good defense and he came in and gave us a big spark because of his energy. And one of the things we talked about was that we had to play with intensity and Michael came in and took that to heart. He played with intensity and it was evident that it gave us a pickup.

Spencer is our most improved player. He just turned up the dial this year. He got more confident in his ball handling ability. He got more confident in his shooting ability. He's a smart kid. He works hard. He's one of those kids that always asks how he can improve certain aspects of his game and then he's out there working on it.

That fourth quarter was like a game within a game. Jackson was working hard, and knocking down shots, and I felt our kids were working hard too. I was really proud of the way we maintained our composure. We stayed on the attack, on both ends. That made the difference for us. Our guards did a good job of controlling the ball, and getting everyone involved in the game. We finished the night with just nine turnovers, that stat alone is significant in our success. I'd be happy with that just about any night.

We try to approach the end of the quarters on a high note, and that can be a great defensive stand or a good offensive opportunity. I think our kids are understanding the power of momentum more and more and we certainly want the momentum swinging our way, so we'll play good defense or work for the best shot or both. Maintaining our focus was a key to our success.