SunBeltMen’sBasketballChampionship
March10,2017
Game#5-#1UTAvs.#8CoastalCarolina
PostGameQuotes
CoastalCarolinaQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachCliffEllis:
Firstofall,IwanttocongratulateUT-Arlington.Theyarethechampionsintheregular
season,theyaretheteamtobeat.Ithoughtthatwedideverythingthatwecouldtotry
andtakethemdown,anduntilthe3:45markitwasanine-pointgame.Theymade
someshots,wehadtostartfoulingandthegamekindofgotaway.IthoughtHervey’s
twothree-pointshotsreallyturnedthegamearoundforthem.Bothteamswerenot
makingshots,butwewereturningitovertoomuch.Wehadtoomanyturnoversand
wedidn’tgetenoughrebounds,andwhenHerveymadethosetwothreesandthethree
ballwasn’tgoingforanybody,itwaslikeeverythingjustopenedupforthem.So,hats
offtothem.Theyareaverygoodbasketballteamandwewiththemthebest.
Hopefully,theygototheNCAAtournamentnomatterwhathappens,becausetheyare
deservingandshould.Wewillbepullingforthem.
QuestionforHeadCoachCliffEllis:Coachhowtoughwasittogoupagainstthose
“bigs”thatUTAhas?
They’repremier,wedidagoodjobalthoughwedidn’tgetenoughrebounds.Itforced
ustoplaybig.Neitherteamwasmakingtheshots,theyweregettingafewmore
rebounds.Ithinkintheendtheygot19offensivereboundstoour15.Let’snegatethe
last3:45whenitwas57-48,anda9pointgame.Whenyoulookatthose4rebounds&
thinkofthe20turnovers,youseeitwasjustunforcedturnovers.So,therewere8
positionswheretheyhadanadvantageonus.Theirbigshadalottodowiththatand
wedidn’tplayourbestgame.Weshot66thefirstdayifyou’reagolfer&cameback
todaytoshoota77.Wejustdidn’thavethedaywehadWednesday.
QuestionforHeadCoachCliffEllis:Howtoughwasthelast3minutes?
Wellitstoughbecauseyouwanttowinandyourseniorswanttowin.Onethingwas
ShivaughnWigginshyperextendedhisknee,Ithinkthathurtus.Hehyperextendedhis
kneeandwasnotabletoplayinthesecondhalf.Thathurtbutwerestillinthis
basketballgamenomatterwhat.
QuestionforHeadCoachCliffEllis:Whatwasyoufinalmessagetotheteam?
TocomeintotheSunBeltConferenceandwin11gamesinthefirstyear;comingfrom
theBigSouthwasagoodstandardtosetintheinauguralyear.Totheseniors,whata
greatruntheyhad.ItoldthemIwoulddoeverythingIcantohelpthemgetapost
seasonbid.OurleaguehasatremendousRPIandIthinkourteamhasshownthatifwe
wereinaanotherleagueitwouldadduptomorewins.Ihopeourleaguestatuscan
carryustothat,butitmaybealongshot.
SunBeltMen’sBasketballChampionship
March10,2017
Game#5-#1UTAvs.#8CoastalCarolina
PostGameQuotes
UTAQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachScottCross:
Itwastough,hardfought,uglybasketballgame.Thegoodthingaboutitisthatourguys
foundawaytowin.Wepreachedbeforethegamethatwehadtobethetoughestteam
andtheyembracedthat,especiallythesetwoguyshere.Whattheydidontheboards
wastremendous,bothofthemhavingadouble-double.Theyplayedtheirheartsout
andsodidtherestofourteamandIthinkthat’sthereasonwhywewereabletowin.
Definitelydidn’twinthisgamewithoffensiveexecutionorshooting,wewonthisgame
byplayinggreatdefenseandreboundingthebasketball.Ithinkthisteamiscapableof
winninginmultiplewaysandI’mproudofthemputtingforththeefforttodaytocome
outwithavictory.
QuestionforKevinHervey:Howwereyouabletogetitgoinginthesecondhalfafter
aslowstart?
Atthebeginningofthegame,Iwasforcingit.Iwasn’tplayingthroughmyteammates.I
wasshootingtoofaroutandcoachmentionedtomoveastepinandIshotwith
confidence.IfImissit,I’montothenextshot,nextplay.Idon’tthinktoomuchabout
thepast.
QuestionforJorgeBilbao:Onleadingtheteamthroughtheroughstart.
It’smylastgoaround,it’smylastconferencetournamentandI’mtryingtogooutwith
abang.Whenevertoughsituationscomeupandsomebodyneedstostepup,itjust
takeseffortandgivingallyouhave;divingforlooseballs,gettingreboundsandplaying
defense.Ourshotsweren’tfallinglikeweareusedtobutwestillcandothelittlethings,
andifwedothosethingsandtheshotsstartfalling,likeattheend,wecanbeatanyone.
QuestionforCoachScottCross:WhatwasthereasonforstartingDJBryant?
JustviolationofteamrulesfromErick,sowewentwithDJ.DJdidagreatjobforus.He
isatoughbasketballplayerandhedidexactlywhathewassupposedto.
QuestionforScottCross:Whatdoesthisgamesayaboutthedepthofyourteam?
Ithoughtthatwasonethingthatwouldgiveusanadvantageinthistournament;that
weare10-11deep.WithJalengoingdown,wearegoingtoneedallofourguys.Allour
guysdidgreat,theycreatedalotofoffenseofftheirdefenseandzone.Theygotinthe
passinglanesforsteals.ButitallstartedwithJorge,hesetsthetone.Ittellsyouwhywe
havesuccess.Itisguyslikehim.Heembodieseverybitofourcultureanddoes
everythingweaskofhim.Heplayedhisheartoutanditwasprettyspecialtowatchhim
play.