Oklahoma State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes
January 21, 2015 | Cowboy Basketball
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Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
Jan. 21, 2015 | Stillwater, Okla./Gallagher-Iba Arena
Post-Game Quotes
Final Score: Oklahoma State 63, Texas Tech 43
Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford
On the Cowboys' second-half performance:
"We did play much better in the second half. We need to start playing two halves and playing better. In the first half, second shots killed us as bad as any game we've played this year. What we were doing offensively was pretty good. Our first line of defense was very good. You had a man come off the bench and get 12 points, half the other team's points. Most of those came in off second shots. I thought we did a much better job of holding them down and getting stops that led to us getting out in transition."
On Le'Bryan Nash's second half:
"He was very good. We finally got them out of the zone in the second half because (Nash) was doing a lot of good things in the middle of it. That's what we're trying to stress, getting the ball in the middle and playing inside to out. He had a good second half for us."
On Jeff Newberry's performance:
"I thought Jeff Newberry did a great job. I liked his stat line tonight. He shot the ball well, had six rebounds and three assists. He did some really good things and it was good to see him get going here. We really like where Jeff Newberry is at. I know he's been struggling a little bit, but he's still a young basketball player, as far as playing at this level is concerned. He's getting some valuable experience right now."
On the importance of not having to play the core rotation late in the game:
"I thought it was very important. I wanted to maybe even pull them out around the five or six-minute mark. We got them out around four. We need to get our legs under us. It's a strange start time on Saturday. We've just got to get ourselves ready and prepare for a team that's playing as well as anybody in our league right now. Kansas State, you look at their record in our league, and they're playing great, great basketball, and they'll be ready."
Oklahoma State guard Anthony Hickey
On bouncing back from Saturday's performance
"It was a good win tonight. A couple of guys stepped up. Jeff Newberry stepped up. We came out aggressive. They made their push and we just have to learn how to put the gas on the pedal and keep moving forward."
On the difference between halves
"Basically it was rebounding. They were up on the rebounds, I believe. Coach came in pretty upset about that. We were up, but I think we got settled and they were able to make their run. We came out in the second half pretty strong and made that push."
On Texas Tech's slow, methodical pace
"We just had to pressure them and make them play to our speed. When they miss or make, we're there pushing them to our tempo. We played our game. It was a little slow on their end but we just tried to be aggressive on defense and try to get turnovers."
Oklahoma State guard Jeff Newberry
On his mindset after the Bedlam game
"I just knew I needed to give my team more. We have veteran guys, like (Anthony) Hickey, who are always on me during practice, telling me what I can do and I just wasn't doing it. I just took it upon myself to do a little bit more and play harder. It all came together tonight. I was playing hard and everything went right for me."
On how Hickey leads the team
"He's like my big brother. I'm always with him, and I'm always asking him after practice to show me how to get over screens and different things like that. He makes us better because he comes in every day and he responds to what Coach Ford puts on him. He's getting us in the right spots and doesn't let anything bother him in practice. When you have a guy like that every day leading you and not having an attitude, it just makes us better and more motivated."
On opponents running a 2-3 zone
"I've been a lot more comfortable because I always know that Hickey is going to find me somehow. He always gets there in the paint and I don't know how but it gets straight into your hands. You know it's coming and you just have to be ready to shoot. The zone is good for us because we're getting more threes, but we just need to be able to knock them down."
