TULSA POSTGAME QUOTES VS. TEMPLE
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TULSA HEAD COACH Frank Haith
Opening statement
"Obviously it was a great win for us. I thought our guys were dialed in and very focused at the start of this game. Our defense was terrific throughout the whole game. We were really on point with what we needed to do. [Woodard and Smith] were great. I think Smitty in his situation - he didn't really practice contact for the last couple of days, with the two dislocated fingers, which I've never seen before in one hand. His line was outstanding - 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, two steals. He was all over the court. Great production out of both of these guys offensively. We needed it. But I would have to say we won that game on the defensive end."
On Tulsa's resilient play
"We expected it to be something like up in Philadelphia for the first game. They're a great team. They're very physical and we knew we had to wear a hard hat when competing against those guys. I thought that in the first half we took some quick shots. We took some contested shots and we were much better executing in the second half. Against a good a good defensive team you have to get the ball moving from side to side. The `first-side' jump shots or drives just aren't there. I thought we were more patient in the second half, but our defense held strong the whole game."
On forcing Temple into a scoring drought during the second half
"I think we just stayed true to what we were doing defensively and they missed some shots too. I'd love to think we covered them up totally, but they missed some shots too. I thought we were active. We didn't allow them to drive the ball. We thought our ability to guard the ball was important this game and that keeping them out of the paint was important as well. They only had 16 points in the paint. That was really a key for us. Other than that we knocked some balls loose. We got out in transition and that helps for us. That's kind of how we are right now. That's our team."
On Tulsa's toughness and effort
"I thought that, during the two-game losing streak, we didn't have that `chippiness' or that edgy spirit that we needed to win games. That's who we are. We're not going to be Picasso in the way we play always so we've got to be that team that plays with a little edge and a little toughness. That means being first to the floor and taking charges. We had a couple dodges today, but not as many as we have in the past. I think we're getting back to understanding basket protection. We're getting lose balls and making physical boxouts. That's how we have to play consistently."
On the importance of the win
"We knew as a team that we had a lot of games right in a row. We had a nice break, because we weren't 100% physically and we've had some time to recoup a little bit. I thought during the East Carolina game we bounced back nicely. We got our confidence back. This was an important game for us. This was a big game against a team that, I think, is an NCAA tournament team. This was a big win for us."
On a feeling urgency as the regular season is coming to a close
"Everybody should feel urgency. I think our team understands that. We've talked about it. We've got to play like the underdogs every time we play. You see teams all over the country understanding that every game matters. Bigtime. You can't take any game for granted. It's extremely important that you protect your home court and get yourself ready to steal a couple on the road. We're sitting here with four games left: two home and two away. We have to focus on Tulane and then we have to go back on the road.
On Tulsa fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament
"You're always fighting. Until the last game you're only as good as the previous game. I'm sure this win helps. Temple is a top 40 RPI team. I don't know that we can hang our hat on the fact that we're in right now. We've got to keep playing. Our guys are still competing for a championship. I think we're focusing on our next opponent. Hopefully we can stay where we need to be and continue competing for a championship."
TULSA JUNIOR GUARD Rashad Smith
Were you in any pain with your hand?
"When you're playing and your adrenaline is going you really don't feel it. So I was out there just playing. I didn't really feel anything."
Did you think it might affect you going into this game?
"Maybe, maybe not. I took great strides since last game. My treatment was going really good. So coming in I felt like I was confident enough to help my team win today."
How bad did you feel this team needed this win?
"We just pride ourselves on defense. We know every game is a big game, no matter who we play in this conference. This is a great conference and you can't take anybody for granted. Coming in we had to keep the same mindset just like every other game."
Did you sense the importance of this game going into it?
"Yeah. Every game is a big game. We try not to look too much into the future with what's going to happen, or what they are talking about. We just know that when we step foot on the court we have a job to do."
Do you sense like you're in a playoff kind of mode because of the situation that every game is important?
"That was the focus from the start of the season. You don't want to go out there and lose to anybody. We say we are all we got and we take pride in that. Every day we fight for each other, we fight for our coaches. By the end of the day we want our score to be higher then the other team. So we can't really focus too much on what's going to happen come March and things like that. We have to focus on the now."
TULSA JUNIOR GUARD James Woodard
How much does it help you when you go out and hit a shot immediately in a game?
"It let's me know where I'm at. It's good to see the ball go through the net to get a flow of the game. Then you just go from there and keep staying aggressive."
Could you see that Temple was demoralized after not hitting shots?
"Yeah. They are a good offensive team. We know that Morgan is a great shooter. We knew we had to keep him in sight at all times. Cummings is a great playmaker. But the ball wasn't really going in for them. They still got some looks. We just had the better game tonight."
Did you sense the importance of this game going into it?
"Yes. From our practices this week we just knew we had to stay focused and stay dialed in. We just paid attention to details. We should treat every game like it's a big game. And today we treated it like a big game. Everybody was focused, dialed in, and we had energy. The defensive end was amazing. The main reason for the win today."
TEMPLE HEAD COACH FRAN DUNPHY
On the inability of either team to get many good shots
"It was that way the first time we played. It was a struggle in the first half for both teams to get good shots. Tulsa just did more than we did today. I thought our defense was okay, but on offense I thought we had a number of opportunities at the rim and couldn't finish it. Not that Tulsa shot great fouls, but we shot 10 for 24. Our guy that you want at the line, Will Cummings, goes 0-2 at that one stretch that could have just stemmed the tide a little bit. But I wouldn't trade him for the world. Overall we struggled to score. We turned it too many times and had a couple live ball turnovers that led to easy baskets as well."
On how the bad shooting affected defense
"We had a couple of live ball turnovers, like one in front of our bench that was a wing to point pass that Ray stepped in and stole. I think it's true of a lot of college players and college teams, when offense doesn't go well you are less energized on the defensive end. But that is something we fight, we will keep on fighting with it, and trying to get better."
On the NCAA tournament possibilities for the conference
"There are a number of teams that can play themselves in, and a number of teams that are probably not going to make it, that's just the way life is. We have a bunch of teams that are capable, Tulsa being one of them. I think they are a really good team and Tulsa does a great job with them. They are good on defense and they have good will. Will to win. I am impressed with their team."
On the concern with free throw shooting
"I think you are always concerned. We talked about it a little bit before the game, and we have talked about if after the game here today, too. Sometimes there is a struggle with it. Jesse Morgan has good numbers, he doesn't get there a lot, but then he goes and misses two foul shots. Will misses two foul shots. Sometimes the game just trends that way, and obviously it trended that way for us today."
On the scoring drought in the second half
"I would always give Tulsa great credit for their defense, because I think they play really hard and they are really into it. But I thought we had a number of opportunities at the rim, and some of them were two and three in the same possession, we just could not get it to finish. I thought we had some decent looks from the three, and we needed one of those to go. Devin Coleman for example had one in the opposite corner, and he is usually a pretty good jump shooter, but it just didn't go for him. Whenever it happens like that, obviously the defense is doing something right. For us, we just couldn't get the offense together."
