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NCAA MEN'S FIRST FOUR: DAYTON

March 20, 2019

Dayton, Ohio

North Dakota State - 78, NC Central - 74

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the head coach of NC Central, LeVelle Moton, and student-athletes Larry McKnight and Raasean Davis. Coach, an opening statement.

COACH MOTON: Obviously didn't end the way we wanted it to. Extremely proud of our guys. Thought we got into some adverse situations. And we showed our toughness. We fought and we fought and we fought some more. Unfortunately, with two minutes left, we just didn't make the plays that were required to win a basketball game of this magnitude. And that has nothing to do with them. It's everything to do with me.

And I told them that. But hats off to North Dakota State. They made significant plays at significant times. And we just came up short.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Larry and Raasean only.

Q. What do you take away from the final stretch there, making that last run? And how do you kind of reflect back on the season now that it's over?
LARRY MCKNIGHT: All I have to say, that final stretch, it came down to the wire. Margin of error is supposed to be limited, and we made a couple of errors at the end that put us in the back end.

But reflecting on the season, it was a really good season. We've been talked about all season. People doubted us. We stuck together. We got everything we accomplished. And I think it was a great season.

RAASEAN DAVIS: I just want to say that I enjoyed this year. I will never forget my brothers. And I really can't say too much right now, but it's been a wonderful year.

Q. Larry, you make the 3, you guys go up 66-61. How did you feel at that moment, things were going in your guys' favor? Did you feel like you had them where you wanted them?
LARRY MCKNIGHT: I did. I thought we had the game, to be honest. When those 3s were going in, everything felt good. I felt like we had them right where we needed to be, but it just came up short at the end.

Q. The foul call there at the end on the defensive end, they called it on you. Did they say anything to you? Did you ask them what did they see, the referee after he blew the whistle?
LARRY MCKNIGHT: He didn't really say anything to me.

Q. [Inaudible]?
LARRY MCKNIGHT: I think I was in the right position at the right time. It was, he just made the right call, I guess.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions for Coach.

Q. When I asked Larry about the call there, I saw you shake your head a little bit. Did the ref say anything to you? Did you ask him what he saw on that play?
COACH MOTON: No, we don't get explanations, man. Want me to be completely honest with you, I tell our team every game, we're down 10, especially in games of this magnitude, it doesn't seem as if we're accustomed to getting the whistle or anything. So we just play through it.

Our practices, I don't even call fouls in practices for this reason whatsoever. I would like for the game to be decided by the players, and we don't have to ask questions concerning referees. But they're human, too. And even though we didn't agree with it, such is life. We've been here before so many times.

I guess -- these kids fight their heart out. You just want them to decide the game, I guess. That's pretty much it.

Q. This one seems like to you it stinks more than the previous two. Is it because in the last few minutes you guys seemed to have your foot on the pedal and were in control?
COACH MOTON: All of them hurt. I just hurt for the kids, man. You all see the basketball, but it's 22 hours of life that we're responsible for as coaches. And these two kids, man, along with the rest of my seniors, they're incredible kids. And they become your children.

And you love them. And just like anything for your kids you don't want to see them hurting. And just the mere fact that it's their last game and I had the opportunity to help them through that -- and I don't know if I did my very best. And they're questioning if they did their very best. You just don't want them to hurt.

And these kids are incredible students. They're going to graduate. They come to my house. They steal my kids' fruit snacks. And they're part of our family, man. For it to be over with, it hurts, it stings. And that's a harsh reality we never wanted to embrace. But here it is and I'm extremely proud of them for the year they had.

Q. What did you tell them at halftime? I know you're good for motivating your team and making adjustments, but they came out clicking after being down in the second half. What did you tell them to get them fired up and get them going?
COACH MOTON: They were different than normal. That team is somewhat of an anomaly than what you normally see. What I mean by that is they have a stretch five. Most teams have a stretch four. And they have incredible shooters surrounding the perimeter.

So the paint is always going to be open. And we drill, shell drill every single day. For this game, you just had to detox everything that you've learned in your North Carolina Central career and stick to the scouting report. I don't think we did a good job of doing that.

I think they had seven 3s in the first 11 minutes. I said, listen, the scouting report is don't help off these kids. And we calmed it down. I think what really hurt us in the first half, Sean got two. And we didn't finish the half well. I think they went on a 6-0 run. Took most of the half, and they went up 40-34 and that gave them a little bit of breathing room and cushion.

In the second half, we didn't start the half the way we're capable of. And I think we got down 10 or 12. And I told them don't look at the score anymore, let's do what we do, let's just fight, let's fight for your teammate, fight for your brother, fight for your last name. Have pride in what you do. And just fight and great things will happen.

But it had to come with stops on the defensive end. And once we got some stops on the defensive end, we were able to manufacture some points in transition and get ourselves back in the game.

Q. The emotion you were showing earlier, does it ever get easier as a head coach? How do you kind of deal with that on a night like this?
COACH MOTON: No, it sucks, man. My grandmother told me something when I was young and I'll never forget it. And it's the realist thing I've ever heard in my life. She always told me: the same thing that makes you laugh will make you cry. The exact same thing. And last week we were crying tears of joy, but this week we're crying tears of sorrow. And not because we didn't perform our best, but because it's over. And I've got a locker room full of seniors that I feel for. It's really like a funeral home in there right now.

And as a coach you think you have all these clichÃ©s and you can find the right words to touch them and lift their spirits, but there was nothing I could say in that moment. And that's the harsh reality that you've got to deal with.

And unfortunately, in this tournament, 64 more other teams is going to feel that exact way. So it's no fun. Everyone is going to end their season with a loss except for one team and that's the harsh reality. And no one wants to feel that.

But we win with class and we lose with class. And we can accept it. And hats off to North Dakota State. That's a damn good basketball team.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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