SunBeltMen’s/Women’sBasketballChampionship
March8,2017
Game#3-#7Louisianavs.#10LittleRock
PostGameQuotes
LittleRockQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachWesFlanigan:
Toughloss.Foroursixseniors,Ifeelbadforthoseguys.Butit’sthemonthofMarch
andit’ssurviveandadvance,andwejustweren’tgoodenoughtonight.Ithought
Lafayettecameoutandplayedreallywell.Ithoughtwematchedtheirintensity,but
theykindofworeusdownasthegamewentalong.Andtheywerebigcomingupwith
32freethrowsandmaking84percentfromthefoulline.
QuestionforMarcusJohnson,Jr.:OnLouisiana’squickstarttothesecondhalf.
Theyrevveduptheirdefensealittlebitandtheywerealittlemorephysicalcomingout.
QuestionforHeadCoachWesFlanigan:Onthefree-throwsuccessofLouisianaandif
itchangedhisstrategy,
Alittlebit.Wetalktoourguysaboutplayingwithoutfoulingandobviously,withthe
rulechanges,itishardtoguard.Let’sjustbehonest.Whetheritisinthepostoritison
theperimeter,itisatoughtimetoguardpeople.Especiallywhentheyareasgoodas
Louisianaisoffthebounce.Theyhavesomereallygoodplayersandtheywerejusta
betterteamtonight.Wehavetobebettertowinthatgameandwewerenotquite
goodenoughtonight.
SunBeltMen’s/Women’sBasketballChampionship
March8,2017
Game#3-#7Louisianavs.#10LittleRock
PostGameQuotes
LouisianaQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachBobMarlin:
MarlinItwasagoodconferencetournamentbasketballgame,onethatwecertainly
expectedandwegotagreateffortfromLittleRock,thedefendingchampion.We’ve
gotsixseniorswhoplayedtonightthatallcutdownthenetslastyear,theygotataste
ofsuccess,theyknowhowimportantthisgamewastonightandgivethemsomecredit.
Ithoughttheyplayedwellandplayedhard,wedidagoodjobdefensivelyforastretch
inthefirsthalfandthenwehadonemoregoodstretchinthesecondhalfthatmadethe
difference.Westruggledtakingcareoftheballattimes.Wewereabletoovercome
theturnoversandwegotthepacedownabitwhichIthinkisimportant,butthefree
throwswerehuge.Wescoredfromfreethrowline,thisisateamthat’snationally
ranked-Idon’tknowwheretheystandnationallybuttheyleadourconferenceat76%
andthey’re12of16,andwe’re32of38,21of37inthesecondhalfsoitwashugethat
wewereabletodothat.Wedidn’tscorefromthreelikewewantedto,numberthree
sittingtomyleftrightheredidanicejob,hehadabiggame.Hehadareallygood
secondhalfandwetoldhimthefirstpossessionwasourball,we’redownonewewill
getthelead,we’renotgoingtogiveitupandweneverdid.Proudofourguysfor
pullingoneoutandproudofourseniorjayrighthere,anotheroutstandinggame.
QuestionforJayWright:Howimportantwerethefreethrowsdownthestretch,I
thinkatonepointyouguyshadmade15for15?
They’reveryimportant,youknowthisisatournamentgameandit’sgoingtogoupand
downandit’sgoingtobekindofuglybutyou’vegottomakeyourfreethrowswhenit
comesdowntoit.
QuestionforJustinMiller:Didyougointothisgamekindofdecidingtobeextra
assertiveontheoffensiveendorwasitjustintheflowofthegame?
WeplayedthemtwodifferenttimesandIhaddecentgamesoffensivelybothtimesso
inmyheadIwasjustreallyoffensivemindedtoday,andtriedtotakeasgoodofshotas
possibleandjustdowhatIdoformyteamtowin.
QuestionforJayWright:Justforwhatyousee,youknowthisisJustin’sfirst
tournamentgame,you’regoingtoneedplayerslikethistostepup,whatdidyousee
fromhisperformance?
FirstIjustwanttosayhewasmentallylockedinbeforethegameevenyesterday,Ihad
afeelinghewasgoingtohaveagoodgameandhe’scapableofdoingit.
QuestionforHeadCoachBobMarlin:Youhadonesectiontherewheretherewasat
leastmorethansevenminutewithoutafieldgoal.Youtalkedbeforethisthingofthe
importanceofdefense,howmuchdidthatkindofgetyouthroughthatstretch?
Wellitcertainlyhelped,wedidn’tliketurningtheballover.Weonlygot17fieldgoal
attemptsinthesecondhalf-theyhad32butwewereabletoconvertsome.Wedidget
tothefreethrowlineandobviouslythosewerehugeforus,butthedefensewasbig.It
wasatoughgametokeeptheguysconfidenceupbecausewehadplayswhereit
seemedlikewe’dlosetheballorthinkwegotalayup,andnextthingyouknowthey’re
layingitin.Itwentbackandforthonusseveraltimes.
QuestionforHeadCoachBobMarlin:Youtouchedonthefreethrows…itseemedlike
everybodywaslockedinfromtheline,wasthereanythingtothatintheend?
Wellweshotthemreallygoodrecently.We’reshootingover70%asateamalso,and
todayatshootingpracticeweplayedalittlecompetitionbetweenthebigsandthe
guardsandtheywentatitreallygoodtoday.Itoldthem,they’regoingtoshoot76%
andtheymade75%-we’regoingtohavetomakeoursandwewereveryfortunatewe
wereaggressiveandgotthereenough.PJmissedtwoinastretchwewereupnineand
itwouldhaveputusupeleven.IthinkandIwasgoingtocallatimeout-Ieventoldthe
official,andnextthingyouknowtheygetrightbackinthegameandgotittotwo
possessions.Outsideofthosefreethrowswesteppedoutsideandhitsomebigones.