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Men's Basketball
vs Grand Canyon
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The University of Utah Athletics
Post Game Quotes
2/18/2006 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Utah Head Coach Ray Giacoletti
"We need to learn how to get stops down the stretch. It wasn't the missed free throw or not making the extra pass at the last possession, it was being able to get stops and we didn't do that tonight. We were unable to rely on our defense."
"They are a difficult defensive team. The last play, we tried to set a highball screen and get penetration. (John) Frye hit a couple threes and he is difficult to defend when he is shooting like that."
"We did a good job penetrating and passing tonight compared to last time we played them. We need to find a better way to get stops. We have focused on not giving up threes and this is the second night we have done that."
"Air Force definitely deserves a bid into the NCAAs. With the schedule they played early and with 21 wins, they are very deserving."
"Johnnie (Bryant) was put in a tough spot down the stretch. We made him come off a ball-screen and read the defense, which is about the only way to beat Air Force's defense. Tim (Drisdom) was started in the second-half to provide a spark."
"Andrew Bogut talked to the team before the game and I think that really helped us get fired up for the game."
Utah Freshman Center Luke Nevill
"It wasn't getting stops that hurt us, we just got behind and played catch-up the entire game. That is a difficult position to be in and there was nothing we could do."
"We were all really excited to have Andrew in the gym tonight. It is always a good experience. It was disappointment that we didn't play our best game while he was here. He gave us a speech before the game and motivated us to continue to work hard."
"I would have liked to have the ball at the end of the game, but the play was a team decision. It was difficult to get me the ball early and that was frustrating."
Utah Sophomore Guard Johnnie Bryant
"Air Force ran their offense very well and we weren't as focused as we needed to be tonight. As a player, you want to be the guy to make a play. I tried to make a play at the end and was unsuccessful. I'm going to learn from this mistake and move on. It doesn't matter about how he last play went, it comes down to us allowing them to hit bucket after bucket."
Air Force Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
"This was a huge win for our basketball team. It was a hard fought game and fortunately we made a timely shot at the end."
Air Force Guard Antoine Hood
"Utah is a great team. They are well coached. It was a great atmosphere and they had a great crowd tonight. Bogut got his jersey retired and he deserves every bit of credit. He's a great player."
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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