University of Connecticut Athletics
Post Game Quotes
1/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2010
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Connecticut Men's Basketball
Connecticut v. Marquette
January 30, 2010
We really shouldn't have been in that position at the end. Gavin played great defense on him (Butler) and he made a tough shot. They played hard the whole game and we only played hard in parts of the game.
That's something we're struggling with right now, trying to play full games. We can't find a way to put it together. It seems like we wait for something to spark us to get us going and by that time sometimes it's too late.
I've been trying to do whatever I can. In the first half I was scoring a lot of baskets and then the defense clamped down on my so it made it easy for me to get assists.
This one was especially tough for us to lose because being at home we let the fans down. They were trying to help us out as much as possible and we couldn't really put it together. You're always supposed to protect your home. We just didn't really play well at all in the first half. It was kind of tough for us to make a comeback and then when we did we couldn't really close the game out.
About the Marquette's last shot?
He kind of took a running fade-away shot going out of bounds and he hit it.
On UConn's last 2.4 seconds
He was a little open but they knew it was going to one of the two, so when I got it they tried to deny everyone else the ball.
We, as a team, have to find a way so that everyone can get going and we can all start the game ready to go, versus playing 10 minutes and then everybody getting ready to go.
It's been the story the whole season where everybody doesn't come out to play at the start of the game. And we always get ourselves in a hole and then we have to play the rest of the game trying to get out of it.
Are you almost happier to have another game on Monday night?
I'm ready to play another game. I want to get this taste out of my mouth as quick as possible.
On his last shot attempt
I was trying to score, of course, but I thought I would get fouled.
Was that your play the whole time?
Yes, I was going to go, but I went a little too early.
On Jerome's 3 pointer
That was a big shot by Jerome. That was a big momentum play too. But after that Odom came down and made a smart play and got three shots (on the foul).
On Louisville
We need to get our confidence back again, so it's definitely a big game for us.
We need to get this together, but we'll be okay. I believe in the team. I believe in Coach Blaney. I believe in the coaching staff.
On the big men scoring more today
It wasn't enough because we lost the game. Nothing is good enough if you lose the game. It's all about winning.
Connecticut Associate Head Coach George Blaney
We continue to put ourselves in a position where things like what happened, happened. To me, it's the result of not playing as well as we should play in the first half, and allowing nine and 10 point leads in the second half...and then have to play our guts to get where we get the lead and have an opportunity to win the game. To me, that's full possessions, full games. And that continues to be something that we're not doing very well.
Obviously, we had some trouble with the five-out offense that they run, especially with Hayward stepping back out of screens. We kept switching guys and finally got Jerome to play him a little while, and did a better job with that. And then got him to foul out of the game, and that should have been the big play for us.
We got the lead, and then made two mistakes down the stretch. It's a really tough loss for all of us.
On Walker's shot near the end of the game.
We thought he went a little bit early. We would have liked for it to be a little bit later, but I like to score in that situation. I like to be up. And we've been having really good luck with the down play - they were having a lot of trouble guarding that with both Jerome and Kemba. He got to eight feet, and I don't if he got hit or what, but it came up short.
We still needed to defend at the other end and not give up a runner. It was a tough shot - he made a really tough shot. And we still had time at the end and we throw the end, not executing a play that gets us a shot at the basket. We threw the ball away.
On first half
I did everything that I could call back on to get them motivated and get them to be playing the type of basketball that we played for most of the second half. It's been a case of that all year with this team. They seem to play moments, they don't seem to play full possessions. It's the hardest this to understand. It's something that we have not had an answer for.
Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams
Our margin is so slim that our games turn into a tractor pull. We don't ever think that we're going to blow anybody out. We don't ever think that anybody is going to blow us out. And we prepare and we practice as if it's going to be a one or two possession game. Where I grew up, that's like watching the monster truck show. That's what is was. We're thankful for the victory.
UConn is extremely well-coached. I think they have three or four NBA players on their team. They've had an up and down week, as have we so, we're thankful for the victory.
On end of game
Our guys expect it. That's what we do in practice every day. Every breakdown drill that we have there's a winner and there's a loser. And then in order to confirm the win, whichever team had won the breakdown drill, we do a special situation - whether it's a side-out, whether it's a length of the floor, whether it's baseline, whether it's just a half-court set. And the play that we ran when DJO got fouled was a play that we often work on in practice. And the sideline out of bounds play that we ran when Jimmy made the shot is a play that we work on in practice. So, I would say that the close losses have helped, without my voice, explain the importance of every possession.
On turnover advantage
We're not good enough to turn it over.
