Central Oklahoma quotes

We knew it would be a tough game, and obviously we were glad to get the win. It was an ugly game on our part, but West Texas A&M has a way to make you play their style of basketball. Our defense was outstanding. We didn’t make our free throws at the end that would have made the game easier, but all-in-all it was a win.

We wanted to get the ball to Dauntae, and we got him in the low post a lot. They were covering the slash to the basket, and we had open shots outside. We got a lot of good looks, and I felt offensively we did what we needed to do, the shots just didn’t fall.

We pride ourselves on hard work and discipline. Both teams play extremely hard, and I don’t have to get on my guys about effort. They all play 110% with effort, but I think we have room for improvement. You have to give both teams credit both teams played extremely hard today.

Both potential opponents are good. All these teams are good and will be playing next weekend. Someone is going to get hot and make it to the Elite Eight, and whichever team does that is going to advance.

I think we need to do a better job about getting to the boards and rebounding.

Getting the defensive boards at the end was key; we really weren’t doing that at first. We weren’t rebounding for 40 minutes, and that is something we have to do better.

West Texas A&M quotes

“I thought we did some things well enough to cause a win.  Certainly I thought we rebounded well.  We did not shoot the ball.  Credit Central Oklahoma with that.  They changed defenses on us and got us a little off balance.  We didn’t shoot the basketball all that well and we didn’t shoot the basketball all that well from the free throw line, but neither did they.  Hard, tough loss for our kids.  I was very proud of them.  I thought they fought very hard.  I thought we worked hard to come back in both regulation and both overtimes.  We got down early and had some key defensive mistakes and you just can’t do that against a team as potent offensively as central Oklahoma.  They are so potent and they make you pay.  We left one of the best three point shooters open at the start of the second overtime and it turns out that was at least one of the differences in tonight’s ballgame.

On taking the shot to tie in the first overtime…
“I came up on a roll up and I was kind of wide open.  I just dribbled down the lane and I saw that I had a free lane to the basket so I just let it go.”

“They played that 1-3-1 zone kind of.  They had that lanky No. 2 out there and it was kind of difficult.”