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Men's Basketball
vs Nevada [Exh]
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Postgame Quotes: Utah vs. BYU
3/12/2004 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 12, 2004
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery
Utah Head Coach Kerry Rupp
Thoughts on the game:
"It was a tremendous game for us against a very, very good team. We did a good job of really coming back, pressuring and hitting big shots. I thought our guys did the things that are the key to us being successful. Those things were coming out in the great defensive effort, and really defending the half court. We also did a good job of blocking out their second shot opportunities. The other key thing was taking care of the basketball, and really executing our offense. It was a hard fought win, and they came back like a good championship team does. We were just glad that our kids stayed strong, and believed in themselves. We have great leadership in Jacobson and Frost. It's just fun to see those guys battle, and find a way to get the win."
On the other team's missed fouling opportunities:
"We were expecting the fouls because they had some to use. Fortunately enough, they might have been trying, but we have to be strong with the ball no matter what. We have to make sure we're strong with the ball, and get a foul out of it. That's what we told our guys. Let's just make sure we finish this thing strong, and be strong with the ball. I was a little bit surprised because we were prepared to take care of the ball ourselves, no matter what they did."
On the game plan:
"Our biggest goal was not to give them points by turning the ball over. We felt with our defense that we could really get into them defensively, and really pressure the ball. We hoped we could take advantage, and get some easy scores. The kids just competed, and we got our hands on a lot of loose balls. Our big guys did a great job of competing. We were proud of the way we took care of the basketball. That was a key for us, and we're excited that as a result of that we were able to get some points. When we take care of the basketball and execute our offense, I think we're a pretty good team."
BYU Head Coach Steve Cleveland
Thoughts on tonight's game
"It was the kind of game we expected, very half court oriented."
"I think the first half we struggled offensively, we could never get into any kind of rhythm and we didn't shoot the ball real well."
"In the second half we flattened the floor and the numbers were much better."
"We put ourselves in a position to win the game and it was another bizarre ending. We indicated to the officials we were going to foul and we tried to foul but it didn't get called."
"I am certainly not disappointed in the way my team competed. They battled right to the end like they have done for the last six weeks. I am really proud of this group and what they have done."
"I don't think in my 27 years of coaching that I have coached a team that has been this focused and disciplined."
"The game was pretty close statistically. It wasn't as if we didn't defend we did an outstanding job defending and we had a good aggression level the last 20 minutes."
"We figured this game would come down to a possession or two and that is exactly what happened."
"They made some big shots but so did we and we put ourselves in a good position to win. We just didn't get the big stop when we needed it."
On the last 30 seconds of the game
"We thought we were going to get a stop, there was a five or six second difference between the shot clock and the game clock."
"We knew they would wait to the very last second to take a shot, so we put ourselves in a position to make a stop."
"We figured if we got a stop we would at least have five or six seconds left to win the game."
"We were not trying to foul and what happened was unfortunate."
On receiving a bid to the NCAA tournament
"It's hard for me to determine what the NCAA is thinking, but I do know that we are 9-1 in our last 10 games and we have an RPI of 27 and our strength of schedule is in the twenties and thirties."
"I think our credentials are really solid in every criteria. We have played 15 games away from the Marriott Center and we are 8-7 and if you go through the rest of the criteria and compare it with most other teams in the western half of the United States I think we are among the top."
"I think this conference (MWC) should get a minimum of three bids."
UTAH player Nick Jacobson
On tomorrow's game
"I think it's a great opportunity. It was a hard fought win tonight and it doesn't mean anything if we lose tomorrow. Everyone is excited, as they should be, but I think we are going to regain our focus here quickly because we really want to get that win tomorrow. We want to do something that Utah hasn't done in the history of the Mountain West Tournament, win the championship."
On backdoor plays
"Yes, it was part of our plan. BYU defends a lot like we do. We knew they would be playing on top of me a lot and we tried to backdoor them to relieve some pressure off of me so I wasn't always trying to fight them over the top. We started making back door cuts, giving us some good looks and good opportunities and exploited their defense a little bit."
UTAH player Tim Frost
On last inbounds pass
"We were just trying to get a catch. I caught the ball and Drisdom just locked it up. We dribbled it around a few times to pass out the clock."
On tomorrow's game
"We are just focused. It was a great win tonight and we have another one tomorrow, so we need to get ready."
BYU Player Forward/Guard Mark Bigelow
On the First Half of the Game
"Watching us you could see that everyone was on the backs of their heels. We were not aggressive and no one could hit a shot. You score 20 points in a half and you're in trouble in any game. Luckily we were only down by six, but it was a tough first half."
BYU Player Guard Kevin Woodberry
On the Foul at the End of the Game
"I saw him dribbling with the ball and I had been watching him all game. I thought I could get a steal, but when I reacted he fell forward and I feel forward. I really didn't even bump into him, but the ref called a foul and there was nothing I could do about it. I think he should have just let it go, because he still had the ball and I was just on the ground. It was unfortunate that he called a foul."
On Deserving an NCAA Bid
"Most definitely, we have won 9 of our last 10 games. There aren't many teams in the country who have done that. Our strength of schedule and everything plays a big part of it. I think we are a strong team and we deserve to go."
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