Postgame Quotes - Oregon 89, UCLA 87
POSTGAME QUOTES
Oregon 89, UCLA 87
Eugene, Ore. (Matthew Knight Arena)
December 28, 2016
UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford
opening remarks
"This is an outstanding team. We aren't going to beat everybody's home court winning streaks during the course of the year. I thought we fought like crazy and played really well in the second half. We shot the ball at a high level again. This is a defense that is top 30 in the country. We got 87 [points] and shot it well. We did it at Kentucky but we weren't able to close this one. We were up with four minutes to go, but we lost that four minute game 17-8. The challenge isn't whether me can make free throws or make shots, but if we can get stops. I thought we really defended through the first 15 minutes of the second half. That's the way we are capable of guarding. Then in the last five minutes we didn't and I think that was the difference."
on final free throws
"Bryce is who we want at the line. More times than not, he makes some big shots that gets us back into games in the final minutes, and that's the guy we want at the free throw line. I told him and the team that if we take good shots, I'm not going to fault anybody even if they don't go in. We took good shots today, whether it was a free throw or otherwise. We lost that game because we did not defend the last three minutes and 47 seconds. That's the lesson that I want our guys to learn. You can't be up seven and think that the game is over. You have to finish. I think in the last three minutes, that was the only free throw we shot. In those last few minutes, we should have taken eight free throws, but because we couldn't get stops, they didn't have to foul. If we would have gotten stops, they would have had to foul, and that's what we want because we are a good free throw shooting team."
on Lonzo Ball's play in the second half
"Lonzo and all the guys did everything they could. I love the fight. This is not an easy place to play. This is the team picked to win it, so it would have been nice to get it. We didn't but it's a quick turnaround. We are going to go up to Oregon State and that's a must win for us."
on Oregon's final play
"We were thinking about calling a timeout if Bryce would have made the free throws to set the defense. In a scramble situation, I thought we did some good things. It's just a really good player who made a big shot. He's not an outstanding three-point shooter, but he pulls up and takes the three and makes it. You have to give him credit he made a big time play and a big time shot. That's why he is a very good player."
on bouncing back from a loss
"That's what I'm anxious to see. We have a lot of teaching and coaching to do here in the next 48 hours but I love this team. They've always responded well and they have to respond after getting put on the mat and getting the loss. We are 13-1 with our only loss at Oregon by two points on a last second shot. So it's going to hurt and sting but we have to respond."
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on how they will rebound after the loss
"I think that it's good that we have some adversity. This team needs some adversity to go through. You never want to los a game. We had this game, I think we kind of blew one at the end. But we are very confident that we can bounce back in two days and get another win."
on Lonzo Ball's play in the second half
"That's who he is. He's a competitor. I trust that guy with my life. He's a big time player and he makes big time plays in big games. We always know that at some point he is going to take the game over and today he did a great job of that in the second half."
on final free throw
"I pride myself on my free throw shooting. I pride myself on my ball handling and how I handle myself down the stretch. It's something I've always been really good at. Basketball doesn't bounce your way all the time. If I get in that situation again, I'll be confident that I'll make it."
UCLA Junior Center Thomas Welsh
on game as a whole
"It was great to be back on the floor. We didn't play great in the first half played much better as a team in the second half. We just didn't close out the game the way we needed to, but that's something we can learn from and make adjustments for next time."
on being on the court at the end of the game
"It's just one of those plays. He's a phenomenal player. He was just in rhythm and took a great shot and knocked it down. It's a tough way to go but we have to get ready for the next one."
on defense in the final minutes
"I think it was a combination of us not playing the defense we needed to play and them just making great plays. They were hitting great shots down the stretch. We weren't locking in mentally as well as we should have, defensively, and that hurt us."
on getting back into rhythm
"I think I got back into rhythm tonight. I play with a bunch of guys that unselfish offensively that are always looking for me and just trying to find an open shot. I'm just always trying to be open and make my shots wherever I am."
on first loss of the year
"I mean, you hate losing. This is the first loss of the season for us and that was a tough way to go, but it happens. It's a game, and you aren't going to win them all, but it's just about playing the way you want to play and learning from the losses like this.
on bouncing back
"I thought we played a pretty good game. We should have had that one down the stretch. I thought we did a lot of the things that we wanted to do, excluding the last four minutes, but I think if we keep doing what we do offensively and keep building defensively then we will be in good shape."
Oregon 89, UCLA 87
Eugene, Ore. (Matthew Knight Arena)
December 28, 2016
UCLA Head Coach Steve Alford
opening remarks
"This is an outstanding team. We aren't going to beat everybody's home court winning streaks during the course of the year. I thought we fought like crazy and played really well in the second half. We shot the ball at a high level again. This is a defense that is top 30 in the country. We got 87 [points] and shot it well. We did it at Kentucky but we weren't able to close this one. We were up with four minutes to go, but we lost that four minute game 17-8. The challenge isn't whether me can make free throws or make shots, but if we can get stops. I thought we really defended through the first 15 minutes of the second half. That's the way we are capable of guarding. Then in the last five minutes we didn't and I think that was the difference."
on final free throws
"Bryce is who we want at the line. More times than not, he makes some big shots that gets us back into games in the final minutes, and that's the guy we want at the free throw line. I told him and the team that if we take good shots, I'm not going to fault anybody even if they don't go in. We took good shots today, whether it was a free throw or otherwise. We lost that game because we did not defend the last three minutes and 47 seconds. That's the lesson that I want our guys to learn. You can't be up seven and think that the game is over. You have to finish. I think in the last three minutes, that was the only free throw we shot. In those last few minutes, we should have taken eight free throws, but because we couldn't get stops, they didn't have to foul. If we would have gotten stops, they would have had to foul, and that's what we want because we are a good free throw shooting team."
on Lonzo Ball's play in the second half
"Lonzo and all the guys did everything they could. I love the fight. This is not an easy place to play. This is the team picked to win it, so it would have been nice to get it. We didn't but it's a quick turnaround. We are going to go up to Oregon State and that's a must win for us."
on Oregon's final play
"We were thinking about calling a timeout if Bryce would have made the free throws to set the defense. In a scramble situation, I thought we did some good things. It's just a really good player who made a big shot. He's not an outstanding three-point shooter, but he pulls up and takes the three and makes it. You have to give him credit he made a big time play and a big time shot. That's why he is a very good player."
on bouncing back from a loss
"That's what I'm anxious to see. We have a lot of teaching and coaching to do here in the next 48 hours but I love this team. They've always responded well and they have to respond after getting put on the mat and getting the loss. We are 13-1 with our only loss at Oregon by two points on a last second shot. So it's going to hurt and sting but we have to respond."
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on how they will rebound after the loss
"I think that it's good that we have some adversity. This team needs some adversity to go through. You never want to los a game. We had this game, I think we kind of blew one at the end. But we are very confident that we can bounce back in two days and get another win."
on Lonzo Ball's play in the second half
"That's who he is. He's a competitor. I trust that guy with my life. He's a big time player and he makes big time plays in big games. We always know that at some point he is going to take the game over and today he did a great job of that in the second half."
on final free throw
"I pride myself on my free throw shooting. I pride myself on my ball handling and how I handle myself down the stretch. It's something I've always been really good at. Basketball doesn't bounce your way all the time. If I get in that situation again, I'll be confident that I'll make it."
UCLA Junior Center Thomas Welsh
on game as a whole
"It was great to be back on the floor. We didn't play great in the first half played much better as a team in the second half. We just didn't close out the game the way we needed to, but that's something we can learn from and make adjustments for next time."
on being on the court at the end of the game
"It's just one of those plays. He's a phenomenal player. He was just in rhythm and took a great shot and knocked it down. It's a tough way to go but we have to get ready for the next one."
on defense in the final minutes
"I think it was a combination of us not playing the defense we needed to play and them just making great plays. They were hitting great shots down the stretch. We weren't locking in mentally as well as we should have, defensively, and that hurt us."
on getting back into rhythm
"I think I got back into rhythm tonight. I play with a bunch of guys that unselfish offensively that are always looking for me and just trying to find an open shot. I'm just always trying to be open and make my shots wherever I am."
on first loss of the year
"I mean, you hate losing. This is the first loss of the season for us and that was a tough way to go, but it happens. It's a game, and you aren't going to win them all, but it's just about playing the way you want to play and learning from the losses like this.
on bouncing back
"I thought we played a pretty good game. We should have had that one down the stretch. I thought we did a lot of the things that we wanted to do, excluding the last four minutes, but I think if we keep doing what we do offensively and keep building defensively then we will be in good shape."