Postgame Quotes: Gonzaga 87, UCLA 74
December 14, 2014 | Men's Basketball
Gonzaga 87, UCLA 74
December 13, 2014
UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford
Opening statement ...
“No one hates to lose more than I do, but I actually feel better about this performance than I did on Wednesday. That is the encouraging part. We have had a couple bad starts but I don't think this was a bad start. I just think we didn't make shots. This is in my opinion the best team we have played all year. We got down 10 points early, they made shots and we didn't make shots and this is a hard team to get in that kind of hole against. I think after that we played pretty well. We played pretty steady basketball. We got Isaac and Norman going in the second half which really helped us. I liked our young bench coming in and giving us some effort. They didn't back down going against a very experienced team. Kyle Wiltjer and [Byron] Wesley, two transfers, combined for 44 so they have a lot of experience and are a very good basketball team. It was encouraging. We don't like losing but I am more encouraged after seeing our guys fight and some of the things we did in this game more so than after watching the tape on Riverside.”
On facing such an experienced Gonzaga team ...
“They have composure. They have been there. They have kind of been there and done that. We have a lot of guys going through it for the first time, and they have a lot of guys who have been in this situation in good, tight, physical games. They know where to go with the basketball, and they don't panic, and they play with great poise. Offensively they are really tough to guard because they have so many guys that can make threes. They had five guys that made threes tonight, and people will tell you their strength is inside so you are trying to guard them inside on the blocks, and they are so big, physical and very talented. Those bigs are talented. So you have to worry about that, and by the time you worry about that someone knocks in a three. So from an offensive standpoint, they are really good inside-out, and they really battle defensively with those experienced guys that understand time and score and the necessity of when a stop is really needed, and I think they do a good job at that.”
On problems early on ...
“We haven't seen that all year, not even in Carolina. This team was big, they're physical and they do a really good job. It's like I said, I thought the first 10 minutes, I liked our effort, I liked our intensity; we just didn't make shots. We shot 32 percent in the first half, 52 percent in the second half, so you know, we figured things out. Our guys kind of loosened up and made some shots in the second half, shots that in my mind were pretty similar to the shots we were getting in the first half. We needed to have a first half to where we were even at the half, a one possession, two possession game. Being down at 11 fairly early in the second half, that really puts you in a hole against a team like this.”
On scoring from the bench ...
“You can only do so much, and GG (Goloman) is not ready to be a scorer. Noah (Allen) is not ready to be a scorer. Wanaah (Bail) will be in there; he's working hard, but he's not a scorer. Thomas potentially could be a guy, I think as he develops. I was very impressed with Thomas tonight because he battled. He battled, he played confident, he had three blocks in 15 minutes. I don't want to put the pressure on. It's not like I don't want them scoring, but I don't want to put the pressure on them. That's not what's going to give them minutes, because they've got enough on their plates. I do think Thomas, down the road, is somebody that's going to be scoring more. Right now GG and Noah, they've got to do some of the other things. I don't think we're going to get a ton of scoring from our bench. I think if we're just talking scoring, it will definitely be our starters.”
On playing better in the second half ...
It's experience versus inexperience. I don't know how you account for it any other way. Gonzaga's starting the game ranked top 10 in the country. They've been there, they've done that, they've played in games that people are giving their best shot for. These guys haven't. This is a first for our team to do that. I'm not saying it was nerves, but anxiousness, you saw that a little bit in shooting. I'm sure that had to do with handling the basketball, feeling yourself out a little bit. Then in the second half, we scored 47, we shoot 52, we got to the free throw line finally, and we didn't turn the ball over. Those are encouraging things. I thought the key was we got in a hole the first half and this was a hard team to get out of a hole against.”
Bryce Alford (Sophomore, Guard)
On Gonzaga's performance ...
“We've got to give credit to them. They play five juniors and seniors, and they've been there and done that. (Byron) Wesley is a fifth-year senior and junior college transfer, so he's got a lot of experience. They are really experienced, and they make their shots early. We dug a hole, and we just couldn't get out of it.”
Isaac Hamilton (Freshman, Guard)
On the slow start ...
“Our offense was really stagnant. We had to get the ball moving more. We figured out that they were not helping on the wings, so it left the lanes open. We figured things out late, but we will learn from this.”
Kevon Looney (Freshman, Forward)
On Gonzaga's size ...
“They have a lot of size, and they are really physical. We have not played a team like that all year, but it was fun out there. They ran their offense to a tee. They just don't miss open shots.”
On upcoming game vs. Kentucky ...
“We don't have to play perfect. We just have to play better on defense. We can't get behind teams that are this talented.”
Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few
Opening statement ...
“That's a great win for us. That's a really talented team, one of the best offensive teams we've played thus far. Tough venue, and it's been a tough week for us. It started in Tucson seven days ago. We had an emotional and local rivalry game, and then this one, so I'm proud of how our guys handled that one.”
On the team's bigs ... “I really like how we just took what they gave us. I don't think Gary (Bell Jr.) took a shot in the first half, and that's how special this team is. It didn't matter. And down the stretch, Gary hit a big one, and Kevin (Pangos) hit some big ones, and B. Wes (Byron Wesley) hit some big ones. I thought Wiltjer was really solid, especially in the first half”
On Byron Wesley's game ... “I'm happy for Wes coming back home, in front of family and friends, and playing so well.”
On UCLA ... “I think this UCLA team is going to be really good. They're young. I'm very impressed with Steve's son (Bryce Alford). Man, oh man, he's a handful, and he just gets better and better every game we watch him on tape. So is (Kevon) Looney. They were a tough guard tonight. It was tough trying to find different ways to stop them.”
On how they were able to stop UCLA's runs ... “I think senior guards just understanding not to do anything crazy, and, again, finding the right matchups. We're a really unselfish team, and a pretty cerebral team. We had to make baskets, basically, to stem their run.”
On getting the win on the road ... “It's a great win. It's a great win any time of year when you come in here and beat a storied program like this. They're well-coached. Steve (Alford) is a hell of a coach. This is a talented squad. With Looney and Alford, when they get going, and Parker, that's a hard combo there. I thought we did a good job on Norman Powell. Going in, we were playing an NBA guy; we did a good job on him. Their first five is pretty formidable.”
