University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA 104, Colorado 89
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 104, Colorado 89
Boulder, Colo. (Coors Events Center)
January 12, 2017
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
โThis is huge for us. Colorado is an experienced team and I have so much respect for Tad [Boyle]. I think they have won the last 25 of 26 in this building so we knew this was going to be a tough one for us. Our guys really responded well. Offensively we were very efficient like we have been all year. Defensively, we got the stops, especially to begin the second half to push the six point lead to 11 or 12 and then we just maintained it.โ
on run to begin second half
โWe didnโt do anything differently I just think we got some needed stops and we continued to shoot the ball like we shoot it. That can be deflating at times when youโre trying to come back when you make a two or a three and we come back and make twoโs and threeโs.ย Thatโs hard when you make 19 threeโs. That can be deflating because they won the battle at the free-throw line. We won one line and they won the other line. Just really proud of my team. If there were any kinds of adjustments it was on board play and our board play in the second half was much better. We held them, especially in the first 10 minutes of the second half, we held them to just one shot. โ
on TJ Leaf being in foul trouble
โWell it was really all of our bigs and thatโs why Iโm really proud of this team. We had G.G. [Goloman], TJ, Tom [Welsh] and Ike [Anigbogu] were all in foul trouble tonight. And they did a good job you have to give them credit for that. I thought we did a good job of playing with our bigs in foul trouble.โ
on Bryce Alfordโs play
โHe caught fire and heโs been on fire. Heโs been shooting the ball at a high level all year and this team moves the ball so well. Iโm going to have to go back and watch tape because Iโm shocked we only had 16 assists. We move the ball extremely well. This is probably the best passing team Iโve coached. They just share it. Whether itโs Bryce or Isaac, because Isaac got it going too, they just find people who are moving and grooving and itโs fun. Itโs a fun team to be around and coach daily. ย โ
on Bryce Alford making nine 3-pointers
โHe made nine tonight and he made nine against SMU but one was a goaltending so I never really gave him credit for that, even though it did help us advance to the Sweet 16. He got me because the most I ever made as a player was eight. So I always thought I had him still. I wasnโt giving him the SMU you game yet but I have to give him this because he legitimately made nine tonight. But he shot it well, and all of our guys did, but he obviously got into a really good groove tonight.โ
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on trying for 10 3-pointers
โIt is really more my teammates than anything else. I would have been fine with not getting another shot the rest of the game. But they were adamant on getting me open and getting me another shot so I went with it.โ
on second half adjustments
โWell itโs something that weโve done all year. I think we wear people down. When people try and play at our pace, I donโt think there is anyone in the country that can play at our pace for a full 40 minutes a game. We werenโt happy with the way we played particularly in the first half, but we knew if we continued to have the pace we had then we could break away in the second half and thatโs what we did.โ
on hitting seven 3-pointers in the second half
โItโs just one of those things that you can get going. You make a couple, then you get to the line a couple of times. I made all my free throws finally tonight. Anytime I can get to the free-throw line and see the ball go in and I always say when you see the first couple go in it always helps.โ
on setting individual 3-point career mark
โItโs good because Pops canโt say anything to me now. He wanted to say after the SMU game that I only made eight, even though the stat sheet said nine. But I made nine tonight.โ
on possible sweeping Pac-12 weekend road series
โIt would be huge. This is not an easy trip for teams to go on. Itโs tough with the altitude and they are a good basketball team. Going into Utah, thatโs always a hostile environment against a good team. If we could come out with a sweep that would be huge. Going forward we know that we have five of our next seven from tonight on the road so we need to continue to play and hopefully we can get the sweep.โ
UCLA Senior Guard Isaac Hamilton
on having a big night
โIt felt great getting back into rhythm. Coach kept telling me as a senior keep talking and make shot. Thatโs kind of what I did. I had a three-game slump but I think the game prior was a bounce back. I was taking some good shots, they didnโt all fall but it got me into a rhythm. I have to continue to do that.โ
on Bryce Alfordโs performance
โThat just goes to show you that at any moment any guy can hot. It helped as it opened the floor for a lot of guys. With him doing that it opened the floor for me, Aaron [Holiday] and Lonzo [Ball]. Itโs hard for teams to guard that.โ
on second half adjustments
โI think we just played at our pace. If we play at our pace itโs hard to guard. We get easy shots, transition shots. Everyone on the team can shoot it so itโs hard when you leave someone open.โ
on possibly sweeping Pac-12 road series
โThat would be really big. Coach said that road games are plus ones. At the end of the season we have to get a certain amount to have a chance for the crown. I think itโs really important for what we are trying to do for the end of the season.โ
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on Bryce Alfordโs performance
โIt was great. I wanted him to get 40. I was telling him to pull it and he was shooting some wild shots, but 37, that's a lot of points.โ
on Bryce trying for 10 3-pointers
โI told him to go for it, man. He had two minutes, and they played him good on defense, but 37 is 37.โ
on second half offense
โThe first half, actually, I thought I was running in mud, like my breathing was off or something. But we all regrouped and the offense started clicking. Coaches got us focused at halftime, and they knew that we had to blow the lead open.โ
on Bryce as a player
โBryce knows how to play basketball. Heโs one of the best scorers I know. He just scored 37 so that shows how good he is.โ
ย
UCLA 104, Colorado 89
Boulder, Colo. (Coors Events Center)
January 12, 2017
UCLA head coach Steve Alford
opening statement
โThis is huge for us. Colorado is an experienced team and I have so much respect for Tad [Boyle]. I think they have won the last 25 of 26 in this building so we knew this was going to be a tough one for us. Our guys really responded well. Offensively we were very efficient like we have been all year. Defensively, we got the stops, especially to begin the second half to push the six point lead to 11 or 12 and then we just maintained it.โ
on run to begin second half
โWe didnโt do anything differently I just think we got some needed stops and we continued to shoot the ball like we shoot it. That can be deflating at times when youโre trying to come back when you make a two or a three and we come back and make twoโs and threeโs.ย Thatโs hard when you make 19 threeโs. That can be deflating because they won the battle at the free-throw line. We won one line and they won the other line. Just really proud of my team. If there were any kinds of adjustments it was on board play and our board play in the second half was much better. We held them, especially in the first 10 minutes of the second half, we held them to just one shot. โ
on TJ Leaf being in foul trouble
โWell it was really all of our bigs and thatโs why Iโm really proud of this team. We had G.G. [Goloman], TJ, Tom [Welsh] and Ike [Anigbogu] were all in foul trouble tonight. And they did a good job you have to give them credit for that. I thought we did a good job of playing with our bigs in foul trouble.โ
on Bryce Alfordโs play
โHe caught fire and heโs been on fire. Heโs been shooting the ball at a high level all year and this team moves the ball so well. Iโm going to have to go back and watch tape because Iโm shocked we only had 16 assists. We move the ball extremely well. This is probably the best passing team Iโve coached. They just share it. Whether itโs Bryce or Isaac, because Isaac got it going too, they just find people who are moving and grooving and itโs fun. Itโs a fun team to be around and coach daily. ย โ
on Bryce Alford making nine 3-pointers
โHe made nine tonight and he made nine against SMU but one was a goaltending so I never really gave him credit for that, even though it did help us advance to the Sweet 16. He got me because the most I ever made as a player was eight. So I always thought I had him still. I wasnโt giving him the SMU you game yet but I have to give him this because he legitimately made nine tonight. But he shot it well, and all of our guys did, but he obviously got into a really good groove tonight.โ
UCLA Senior Guard Bryce Alford
on trying for 10 3-pointers
โIt is really more my teammates than anything else. I would have been fine with not getting another shot the rest of the game. But they were adamant on getting me open and getting me another shot so I went with it.โ
on second half adjustments
โWell itโs something that weโve done all year. I think we wear people down. When people try and play at our pace, I donโt think there is anyone in the country that can play at our pace for a full 40 minutes a game. We werenโt happy with the way we played particularly in the first half, but we knew if we continued to have the pace we had then we could break away in the second half and thatโs what we did.โ
on hitting seven 3-pointers in the second half
โItโs just one of those things that you can get going. You make a couple, then you get to the line a couple of times. I made all my free throws finally tonight. Anytime I can get to the free-throw line and see the ball go in and I always say when you see the first couple go in it always helps.โ
on setting individual 3-point career mark
โItโs good because Pops canโt say anything to me now. He wanted to say after the SMU game that I only made eight, even though the stat sheet said nine. But I made nine tonight.โ
on possible sweeping Pac-12 weekend road series
โIt would be huge. This is not an easy trip for teams to go on. Itโs tough with the altitude and they are a good basketball team. Going into Utah, thatโs always a hostile environment against a good team. If we could come out with a sweep that would be huge. Going forward we know that we have five of our next seven from tonight on the road so we need to continue to play and hopefully we can get the sweep.โ
UCLA Senior Guard Isaac Hamilton
on having a big night
โIt felt great getting back into rhythm. Coach kept telling me as a senior keep talking and make shot. Thatโs kind of what I did. I had a three-game slump but I think the game prior was a bounce back. I was taking some good shots, they didnโt all fall but it got me into a rhythm. I have to continue to do that.โ
on Bryce Alfordโs performance
โThat just goes to show you that at any moment any guy can hot. It helped as it opened the floor for a lot of guys. With him doing that it opened the floor for me, Aaron [Holiday] and Lonzo [Ball]. Itโs hard for teams to guard that.โ
on second half adjustments
โI think we just played at our pace. If we play at our pace itโs hard to guard. We get easy shots, transition shots. Everyone on the team can shoot it so itโs hard when you leave someone open.โ
on possibly sweeping Pac-12 road series
โThat would be really big. Coach said that road games are plus ones. At the end of the season we have to get a certain amount to have a chance for the crown. I think itโs really important for what we are trying to do for the end of the season.โ
UCLA Freshman Guard Lonzo Ball
on Bryce Alfordโs performance
โIt was great. I wanted him to get 40. I was telling him to pull it and he was shooting some wild shots, but 37, that's a lot of points.โ
on Bryce trying for 10 3-pointers
โI told him to go for it, man. He had two minutes, and they played him good on defense, but 37 is 37.โ
on second half offense
โThe first half, actually, I thought I was running in mud, like my breathing was off or something. But we all regrouped and the offense started clicking. Coaches got us focused at halftime, and they knew that we had to blow the lead open.โ
on Bryce as a player
โBryce knows how to play basketball. Heโs one of the best scorers I know. He just scored 37 so that shows how good he is.โ
ย