Colorado University Athletics
Colorado, Montana State Quotes
November 18, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
OPENING STATEMENT ? “Give Montana State credit. I think we were soft on defense, and soft rebounding the ball. And that was what we talked about all week when game planning. I think that the team learned a lesson about the intensity level that needs to be exhibited all the time on defense and on the boards. We are a poor rebounding team in terms of our size and athleticism, so we have to block people out, and dig out rebounds. We need to do a better job defensively for 40 minutes. We gave them life and confidence that could win here. I am proud of the fact that our players did not quit and battled back and that is a testimony to their character. We fell short because we dug such a deep hole. We were just not very sharp tonight.”
ON FREE THROWS ?“The only way for them to learn is through experience. You have to step up there and make them [free throws]. The game is 40 minutes long and every possession is so critical. One possession can mean the difference in an entire season.”
ON DWIGHT THORNE II ? “Dwight has played very well. He has played with confidence. He has a great attitude and a great work ethic. He is also a very intelligent player that can shoot the ball. He is an integral part of our future”
Montana State Head Coach Brad Huse
GENERAL ? “I think we showed some character there. Certainly Colorado created some havoc, and we struggled with it. We really had a chance to deflate going into overtime. Our guys really showed a lot of resilience and character to hang on, especially after they hit a three to open the overtime. I give our guys a ton of credit. We did some things real well; we did some things not so well. I think the things we didn't do well we can control: free throw shooting, and handling the ball against pressure.”
“Anytime you beat a Big 12 opponent in their gym, that's a quality win for our program certainly, and a good win for our league.”
“We shot the ball real well tonight; we struggled to guard them at times. We really had a chance to fold going into overtime, so I give our guys a ton of credit for showing resilience.”
ON PLAY OF TEAM IN OVERTIME - “Bobby [Howard] is a tough kid, and you know, it's a great start for us. And [Will] Bynum was slippery. He knows how to get to the rim and make big plays. I thought we made some clutch shots there. We found a way to get the lead again, and still tried to give it away.”
ON WINNING SIX STRAIT AGAINST COLORADO - “I have no idea. I was an assistant here in the mid-nineties when we beat them. But I have no idea. We're fortunate I guess. I guess we feel good about this one, and that's the only one I can tell you about.”
Colorado Players
Dwight Thorne II, Sr. , G
ON WHAT THE COME'BACK TOOK OUT OF THEM - “I think it took a bit out of us, but this is basketball and you have to bounce back from that.”
ON OVERTIME - “You go into O.T. trying to knock them out as soon as possible. You try to get a lead and sustain that, but we weren't able to do that. I missed some free throws. I think Nate missed some free throws. Those were the difference in the game. Both teams came out with energy and did the best we could.”
ON WHAT THE TEAM LEARNED - “We have to come out and play all forty minutes. We have to learn to do that.”
ON REBOUNDING - “Rebounding is something we have to work on every single game, because we are a small team.”
Austin Dufault, Fr., F
ON MONTANA STATE'S EFFORT IN OVERTIME - “I think they just kept fighting. They came out with energy in both halves and overtime. They sustained it and we couldn't.”
ON THE NO-CALL AT THE END OF THE GAME - “A game shouldn't have to come down to that. We shouldn't have been in that position. They were things we could have done to differently to avoid it. You can't count on a call to bail you out. This is college basketball and you have to go up strong with the ball.”
ON CASEY CRAWFORD'S SECOND-HALF ABSENCE - He's a great perimeter threat but you have to do without him. I don't think that's where we lost the game. Whoever is in that position has to get it done. I think we lost the game on the defensive end, but he's a good player and we missed him.”
Cory Higgins, So., G
ON THREE-POINTERS NOT FALLING - “You just have to go to the basket and get yourself to the line.”
ON MONTANA STATE'S THREE-POINT SUCCESS - “They weren't doing anything special, we just weren't putting pressure on the ball.”
Montana State Players
Will Bynum, Jr., G
ON THE CLOSING SECONDS - “At the end of the game, I made the big shot. I took it to the hole, and luckily managed to get it in. It's a big step for us, to beat a Big 12 school. They are an excellent team, tough to beat, and tough to play. A good atmosphere and the fans are very loud. This feels good to get a win on a bigger school.”
ON OVERTIME FREE THROWS - “I was kind of nervous. The fans were yelling at me. But I managed to knock one down, so that was a big help to seal the game”
Bobby Howard, So., F
GENERAL - “I don't know if our program has ever beaten a Big 12 team. They're young and they're good. They'll be alright once they get some experience, and so will we. It's huge, it's a big team, and it's a big time program. I'm just playing to have fun this year. Last year I did all the worrying, and I was inconsistent.”
ON MISSED FREE THROW AT THE END OF REGULATION - “I usually pride myself on being able to make my free throws. I feel I'm a good enough shooter. The team picked me up, it's like another missed shot. It felt good, it should have gone in, but fate wanted us to play some more basketball.”
