Postgame Quotes - UCLA 82, Oregon 79
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 82, Oregon 79
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
February 9, 2017
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
“We’ve had some games between us. [Oregon head coach] Dana [Altman] probably isn’t happy but I wasn’t very happy a couple months ago. We joked over the summer that the games we’ve coaches against each other have been just like this. I told him before the game that I like watching his team more than I like playing them. That’s how much respect I have for him. To get a win this way, I’m just so proud of my team. We’ve talked about trust all year and we just continue to trust our guys. We didn’t get into a great flow in the first half. Arguably Lonzo’s [Ball] toughest 20 minutes to start the game and then maybe one of his better 20 minutes to end the game. That’s how special he is. We fought down 19 to an elite team and to come back and find a way to win is a pretty special night.”
on Lonzo Ball’s performance
“Lonzo is extremely impressive but this is a team where we feed off of everybody. Thomas Welsh with 12 points and eight rebounds, Ike [Anigbogu] came off the bench and was huge for us. What Aaron [Holiday] did throughtout the game and then to make the big free throws to get us to that point. Bryce [Alford] really kept us within striking distance with what he did in the first half. TJ [Leaf] missed some shots he normally makes but did a tremendous job. The thing with Lonzo that I’m most proud of is his defense. When we made the switch and put Lonzo on [Aaron] Brooks we made it a little bit harder for Brooks in the second half. Some guys get a lot of attention, but a game like this when you’re down by 19, and Lonzo will be the first to tell you, that you got to have help, Our guys did a great job of helping each other tonight.”
on defensive adjustments
“We’ve made that defensive switch with Lonzo [Ball] periodically in the first game. It was something we were thinking about doing in this game. [Aaron] Brooks is an elite player and he made some phenomenal plays. Pretty much after the first four minutes of the second half we made that switch and Lonzo was on him for most of the second half. We always talk about confidence. Most players confidence comes from making shots from an offensive standpoint. All we’ve done all year is make shots. This was a very good team with an elite defense as we are in the 80’s again and shoot 51 percent from the field. We’ve done that all year. But I’ve been telling this team that you have to build that same confidence at the defensive end. It’s not easy, especially when they throw 48 at you in the first half and then to start the second half they scored 11 in three minutes. We called timeout and I remember writing on the board that if they kept that pace they’d score 70. For whatever reason we strung together a couple of stops after that. This crowd was tremendous tonight. I thought their fans were behind them last game that helped them when we had our lead in Eugene in late December. Their fans had a lot to do with them getting back into the game and winning it. I thought our fans tonight were terrific. In my four years Pauley has never sounded like that. That’s the best it’s ever sounded since I’ve been here. The students have been terrific all year and they were great again tonight.”
on Lonzo Ball 3-point range
“I’ve recruited him for so long I would have said no to him shooting from that far away three years ago, but I’ve watched him make that and with the timing of when he makes it is big because it’s not like he was making a lot of shots in the first half. That’s just who Lonzo is. He figures out how to win games. That’s what makes him a special point guard. He has size and athleticism but people don’t talk enough about his basketball IQ. That’s a feel for him and I’ve never told him no. Now I don’t want five straight from 35-feet away, but if he makes the first four I might. But he just has that feel and I trust him. That trust started during the Australia trip and it’s grown ever since. There was never any panic on our sideline or huddle. It was just about getting us to do the things that we needed to start doing. Our defense held them to 33 percent in the second half. We rebounded well. I thought we did a lot of really good things defensively in the final 16 minutes.”
UCLA Sophomore Guard Aaron Holiday
on Lonzo Ball’s late game offense
“He has a lot of confidence because he knows he can score. That just opens the game up for us when he’s in attack mode. Their defense is going to shrink and we can kick out the ball for some open threes. It’s good when he does that.”
on Lonzo Ball’s late game defense
“He’s a great defender. We knew he was going to stop [Dillon Brooks] once he got on him. We just had to help as much as we can to guard our guys. And also helping [Lonzo] out because we know how good Dillon Brooks is. It just helped the whole team all around.”
on his late game free throw
“I know I can make free throws. I’m a good free throw shooter. It really didn’t matter that I missed [an earlier attempt]. I can knock them down.”
on the home crowd
“Shout out to the fans. They came out and supported us today. It was crazy. It was rocking. Once we got going, it got really loud and that forced them to call a timeout. We appreciate the fans coming out.”
on second half adjustments
“He just told us to be tough. We know we can score with the best teams in the country. It’s really just being tough on the defensive end. That’s all he really said after the first half so we just came out and did what we had to do.”
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on the gut check win
“It feels good. That was a good win tonight. Our team started really slow. The team came together. I want to thank the fans. They were cheering when we were down and it really got loud when we got back in it.”
on his late game performance
“It’s my time to do what I got to do. We were trying to take the lead and I recognized the situation and I had the ball the first time and second time.”
on difference in second half
“In the second half we guarded a lot better than the first half. They had 50 points and ended up with something like 80. It helps a lot when we get out in transition and not have to go against their press every single play. The whole team stepped up.”
on guarding Dillon Brooks
“That was an adjustment we made. We thought we had a better defense like that. Coach Alford put me on him and it helped our team win. I knew it was going to come down to that pre-game. It was hard because they were scoring every time so we couldn’t really get into a set defense. We tried different thing but when they changed their set, that’s when I stepped on to him. And from there I stuck with him the whole game.”
on his long shot
“The step back is one of my favorite shots. I knew the time was winding down and I got it off because of [the step back].”
on confidence from this win
“It helps a lot. We know March is going to be tough. Games like this get us ready for it. February sets up March, it’s perfect for it.”
on getting nervous
“I don’t get nervous. It’s a game of basketball. It’s been something I’ve been working for my whole life. I have to credit my dad. He raised me up young to know that the pressure is not on the basketball court. There are bigger things in life. Honestly, I was struggling the whole game but the last five minutes I knew I had to step up.”
UCLA Center Ike Anigbogu
on mindset during the game
“I just felt like I needed to come in and really motivate my team. Hold the rim down, that pushed me. I wanted to get revenge, too, so that pushed me.”
on team’s defensive performance
“That was the best defense we played. It really came down to pride and we delivered.”
Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman
overall statement
“Our execution was just not good in the second half. It really started at the beginning of the game. They had ten second chance points in the first half, so if you couple that with eleven second chance points in the second half its hard to win. We just didn’t have good offensive rebounds and also we weren’t that great on defense. We had some good looks, but they didn’t go down.”
on lack of energy
“It looked like we didn’t have it at the ten minute mark, it was really unfortunate. It seemed like were really gassed out there. Also our rebounding was not good. If it wasn’t for Jordan Bell we would have been in trouble. We weren’t sharp, our cuts weren’t sharp, and our ball movement wasn’t sharp.”
on second half performance
“We were ahead in all categories that we were supposed to be in the first half, but the second half it was different. It’s like at the ten-minute mark we were stuck in the mud.
on the lack of time-outs
“Sure you want a time-out at that point, but we knew what play we wanted to run. It was just unfortunate we had to use them to stop their run.”
on the next opponent, USC
“USC is awfully talented, they’re a good team and they play really well at home. We have to bounce back; our game is on 7:30 PM on Saturday. We expended a lot of energy tonight, but we’ll be ready on Saturday.”
Oregon Sophomore Guard Tyler Dorsey
on what went wrong
“It’s not really what we did at the end of the game; it was that we just gave up too many second chance points. We just have to let this one go. It’s all about the ball-movement; we didn’t get that done in the second half. We got the lead and we got too confident. After that we really didn’t get that many good shots.
on their identity
“We know our identity, we just have to limit stops and we didn’t do that.
on the final possesion
“We had no more timeouts but we had a play already called, we just didn’t execute it. We just have to bounce back and regroup and not linger on this one, we know we just have to play defense and rebound.”
UCLA 82, Oregon 79
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
February 9, 2017
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
“We’ve had some games between us. [Oregon head coach] Dana [Altman] probably isn’t happy but I wasn’t very happy a couple months ago. We joked over the summer that the games we’ve coaches against each other have been just like this. I told him before the game that I like watching his team more than I like playing them. That’s how much respect I have for him. To get a win this way, I’m just so proud of my team. We’ve talked about trust all year and we just continue to trust our guys. We didn’t get into a great flow in the first half. Arguably Lonzo’s [Ball] toughest 20 minutes to start the game and then maybe one of his better 20 minutes to end the game. That’s how special he is. We fought down 19 to an elite team and to come back and find a way to win is a pretty special night.”
on Lonzo Ball’s performance
“Lonzo is extremely impressive but this is a team where we feed off of everybody. Thomas Welsh with 12 points and eight rebounds, Ike [Anigbogu] came off the bench and was huge for us. What Aaron [Holiday] did throughtout the game and then to make the big free throws to get us to that point. Bryce [Alford] really kept us within striking distance with what he did in the first half. TJ [Leaf] missed some shots he normally makes but did a tremendous job. The thing with Lonzo that I’m most proud of is his defense. When we made the switch and put Lonzo on [Aaron] Brooks we made it a little bit harder for Brooks in the second half. Some guys get a lot of attention, but a game like this when you’re down by 19, and Lonzo will be the first to tell you, that you got to have help, Our guys did a great job of helping each other tonight.”
on defensive adjustments
“We’ve made that defensive switch with Lonzo [Ball] periodically in the first game. It was something we were thinking about doing in this game. [Aaron] Brooks is an elite player and he made some phenomenal plays. Pretty much after the first four minutes of the second half we made that switch and Lonzo was on him for most of the second half. We always talk about confidence. Most players confidence comes from making shots from an offensive standpoint. All we’ve done all year is make shots. This was a very good team with an elite defense as we are in the 80’s again and shoot 51 percent from the field. We’ve done that all year. But I’ve been telling this team that you have to build that same confidence at the defensive end. It’s not easy, especially when they throw 48 at you in the first half and then to start the second half they scored 11 in three minutes. We called timeout and I remember writing on the board that if they kept that pace they’d score 70. For whatever reason we strung together a couple of stops after that. This crowd was tremendous tonight. I thought their fans were behind them last game that helped them when we had our lead in Eugene in late December. Their fans had a lot to do with them getting back into the game and winning it. I thought our fans tonight were terrific. In my four years Pauley has never sounded like that. That’s the best it’s ever sounded since I’ve been here. The students have been terrific all year and they were great again tonight.”
on Lonzo Ball 3-point range
“I’ve recruited him for so long I would have said no to him shooting from that far away three years ago, but I’ve watched him make that and with the timing of when he makes it is big because it’s not like he was making a lot of shots in the first half. That’s just who Lonzo is. He figures out how to win games. That’s what makes him a special point guard. He has size and athleticism but people don’t talk enough about his basketball IQ. That’s a feel for him and I’ve never told him no. Now I don’t want five straight from 35-feet away, but if he makes the first four I might. But he just has that feel and I trust him. That trust started during the Australia trip and it’s grown ever since. There was never any panic on our sideline or huddle. It was just about getting us to do the things that we needed to start doing. Our defense held them to 33 percent in the second half. We rebounded well. I thought we did a lot of really good things defensively in the final 16 minutes.”
UCLA Sophomore Guard Aaron Holiday
on Lonzo Ball’s late game offense
“He has a lot of confidence because he knows he can score. That just opens the game up for us when he’s in attack mode. Their defense is going to shrink and we can kick out the ball for some open threes. It’s good when he does that.”
on Lonzo Ball’s late game defense
“He’s a great defender. We knew he was going to stop [Dillon Brooks] once he got on him. We just had to help as much as we can to guard our guys. And also helping [Lonzo] out because we know how good Dillon Brooks is. It just helped the whole team all around.”
on his late game free throw
“I know I can make free throws. I’m a good free throw shooter. It really didn’t matter that I missed [an earlier attempt]. I can knock them down.”
on the home crowd
“Shout out to the fans. They came out and supported us today. It was crazy. It was rocking. Once we got going, it got really loud and that forced them to call a timeout. We appreciate the fans coming out.”
on second half adjustments
“He just told us to be tough. We know we can score with the best teams in the country. It’s really just being tough on the defensive end. That’s all he really said after the first half so we just came out and did what we had to do.”
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on the gut check win
“It feels good. That was a good win tonight. Our team started really slow. The team came together. I want to thank the fans. They were cheering when we were down and it really got loud when we got back in it.”
on his late game performance
“It’s my time to do what I got to do. We were trying to take the lead and I recognized the situation and I had the ball the first time and second time.”
on difference in second half
“In the second half we guarded a lot better than the first half. They had 50 points and ended up with something like 80. It helps a lot when we get out in transition and not have to go against their press every single play. The whole team stepped up.”
on guarding Dillon Brooks
“That was an adjustment we made. We thought we had a better defense like that. Coach Alford put me on him and it helped our team win. I knew it was going to come down to that pre-game. It was hard because they were scoring every time so we couldn’t really get into a set defense. We tried different thing but when they changed their set, that’s when I stepped on to him. And from there I stuck with him the whole game.”
on his long shot
“The step back is one of my favorite shots. I knew the time was winding down and I got it off because of [the step back].”
on confidence from this win
“It helps a lot. We know March is going to be tough. Games like this get us ready for it. February sets up March, it’s perfect for it.”
on getting nervous
“I don’t get nervous. It’s a game of basketball. It’s been something I’ve been working for my whole life. I have to credit my dad. He raised me up young to know that the pressure is not on the basketball court. There are bigger things in life. Honestly, I was struggling the whole game but the last five minutes I knew I had to step up.”
UCLA Center Ike Anigbogu
on mindset during the game
“I just felt like I needed to come in and really motivate my team. Hold the rim down, that pushed me. I wanted to get revenge, too, so that pushed me.”
on team’s defensive performance
“That was the best defense we played. It really came down to pride and we delivered.”
Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman
overall statement
“Our execution was just not good in the second half. It really started at the beginning of the game. They had ten second chance points in the first half, so if you couple that with eleven second chance points in the second half its hard to win. We just didn’t have good offensive rebounds and also we weren’t that great on defense. We had some good looks, but they didn’t go down.”
on lack of energy
“It looked like we didn’t have it at the ten minute mark, it was really unfortunate. It seemed like were really gassed out there. Also our rebounding was not good. If it wasn’t for Jordan Bell we would have been in trouble. We weren’t sharp, our cuts weren’t sharp, and our ball movement wasn’t sharp.”
on second half performance
“We were ahead in all categories that we were supposed to be in the first half, but the second half it was different. It’s like at the ten-minute mark we were stuck in the mud.
on the lack of time-outs
“Sure you want a time-out at that point, but we knew what play we wanted to run. It was just unfortunate we had to use them to stop their run.”
on the next opponent, USC
“USC is awfully talented, they’re a good team and they play really well at home. We have to bounce back; our game is on 7:30 PM on Saturday. We expended a lot of energy tonight, but we’ll be ready on Saturday.”
Oregon Sophomore Guard Tyler Dorsey
on what went wrong
“It’s not really what we did at the end of the game; it was that we just gave up too many second chance points. We just have to let this one go. It’s all about the ball-movement; we didn’t get that done in the second half. We got the lead and we got too confident. After that we really didn’t get that many good shots.
on their identity
“We know our identity, we just have to limit stops and we didn’t do that.
on the final possesion
“We had no more timeouts but we had a play already called, we just didn’t execute it. We just have to bounce back and regroup and not linger on this one, we know we just have to play defense and rebound.”