9 Quotes by Phil Carlson

Friday night in Sauk Centre was a rough night. We started off playing tough but did not convert on key free throws once we were in the bonus. This led to some momentum for Sauk, and they capitalized.

Melrose had a great first half, and we did not. We settled down in the second half and played better, but it was too late.

We came out strong in Albany, building a 21-7 lead at one time and forcing some turnovers and rushed shots with our press. They came back with their own pressure and closed the gap. The difference in the game was our steady and consistent defensive pressure and strong rebounding.

We made a strong run to get within 13 in the second half. Our team kept playing hard.

We came out and played a strong game from the start. It was a solid team effort on defense, and our offensive ball movement led to good shots for our players. Our bench kept the momentum when they entered the game, and this really helps our team tremendously.

The second half saw both teams make runs, and Cathedral hit key threes to extend the lead enough to stay ahead. It was a strong battle, and our team has nothing but these type of games left. We have struggled to get a win lately, but we have battled sickness and injury. We are looking to get to full strength soon and to keep playing exciting basketball.

The biggest thing is trying to create a critical mass of activity downtown, and when it's broken up with half a block of parking, that activity is really disturbed. It's what we call missing teeth. And you don't want those gaps to be very wide.

The second half was different for both teams. They scored 21 points, but we only managed 10 going three for 18 from the field. The game was tight throughout the second half until they hit some key free throws and shots to seal it. We were disappointed to let this game get away, but we will come back strong from this.

Howard Lake pressed hard and shot well. We have to improve on handling pressure up front.