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Huskies vs UCLA Post-Game Quotes
Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar
Opening Statement
Well that UCLA team is exactly what they look like on film. Much better than what people think they are. You cannot write that team off. When Josh Smith is playing like he is now they can beat just about any team. They are so efficient and they have great size so they can defend pretty much any team.
Rotating guys and finding the lineup at the end of the game
We were forced to try different guys because Aziz [N’Diaye] was in foul trouble. I said it before about Josh [Smith], it is like trying to stop the van when it is going downhill without any machinery. Our guys were such a team at the end of that game. For me as a head coach that was a very proud moment. The way we competed in the last seven minutes and the way we came together was a proud moment. Terrence [Ross] got that gleam in his eye that forces you to give him the ball without even asking.
Did you say something to bring the guys together in the last seven minutes?
I don’t know if it was something I said. I just know that our team is becoming a team, and it is winning us games. That last group just came together and all the sudden we were getting loose balls and getting stops on defense, and that is what made all of the difference.
Playing CJ [Wilcox] more than Tony [Wroten] at the end
CJ was in there and played 12 minutes in the first half and I knew he couldn’t play more than 8 minutes in the second half, but when we started to make that comeback we just wanted that group in there.
Going to the 2-3
They were in such an offensive rhythm number one, and number two Aziz [N’Diaye] had three fouls. We were trying to get them out of their rhythm and keep Azizin there. We are not a zone team, but we practice it enough to be able to run it, and I thought it was effective tonight.
On the effort at the end of the game
The last few minutes we were a team. I don’t think we pride ourselves in that that much. One of the things we talked to the team about was handling success. When things are going well it is easy to let your guard down a little bit, but there was not any of that tonight when we came together as a team.
The importance of Aziz
We have always said how great Aziz is to this team. One of the biggest positives of the year is that when he got hurt in the Duke game was that he wasn’t out for the year. He is such a presence defensively and he is a great rebounder. He has just got a great attitude.
What did you say to the Dawg Pack after the game?
The Dawg Pack was on tonight. The place was so loud that there is no doubt that helped us. It was just a word of encouragement that they were a huge part of the win.
Abdul Gaddy
On getting down by 10
We were playing like individuals for the first 30 minutes. Then we came together as a team those last 2 TV timeouts. We told each other we have to play as a team. Nobody was cheering each other on. For some of us it’s our competitive nature, we want to win so bad we yell at each other. But we decided to come together as a team and things started going our way.
On the turnovers
That’s something we have to work on. I, myself I can’t have 4 turnovers, but we just need to keep working on it. We need to make sure we take care of it. We can’t let that happen again, it’s in the past now.
On getting the win
I think it showed our maturity. We were down 10 points and we fought back. We wanted to prove our maturity; we had a will to win. Down the stretch we started getting stops, and then we went to our guy, Terrance Ross.
Darnell Gant
On Josh Smith
He’s a load down there. We tried to do our best … we tried our best playing with our hands straight up. In the end he did what he did, and he’s a good player. You can only limit him to so much, he’s talented and he’s a load. We don’t have guys like that, he can move guys around, and he’s a force.
On Terrance Ross
The thing about Terrance is, people sleep on his will to win. That guy has a will to win. He might be quiet to everybody else, but the things I catch him saying in the locker room and the things he says personally, man that guy has a will to win. He hates losing. In the second half, I’m not surprised he did that. He always picks it up in the second half. We always tell him any shot is a good shot, and he just carried us in the end.
On beating UCLA
It’s always better when I play that school and we beat team. If we would have lost tonight I don’t know what I would have done. When we won I was telling Scott [Suggs] I almost cry, I really did, and I don’t cry like that. The fact that it’s so emotional, and we pulled that win off, we dodged a bullet. We are battling for a Pac-12 championship, and we don’t want to look back in the summer time and say what if, what if we played harder in that UCLA game.
UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland
On the collapse at the end of the game:
I thought for 34 minutes we really played tough, really played smart. We made some really bad mistakes (in the last few minutes). Number one is costly fouls. We’re up ten, Josh (Smith) misses a shot and they get the rebound, I think there’s 5:43 to go, No. 23 (C.J. Wilcox) goes to the line and shoots a 1-and-1. Then a miss, then we foul again to stop the clock. So right away we give up four points. Not smart plays. Give Ross credit. Ross did a great job; I thought Ross really took over down the stretch. He had 18 points in the second half and we did not have an answer for Ross.
What can you take away from this game?
I was really proud of the way our team played in a difficult environment. It was just disappointing to lose this after preparing so hard in practice. I thought Josh played terrific today. But our defense – they shot 52% -- and our inability to attack to zone in the last five minutes. We got a little discombobulated; we had a couple of turnovers. We didn’t execute some things down the stretch offensively, which starts with me.
How disappointing is it that Josh Smith’s best performance came in a loss?
It’s really too bad. He played very well in front of his family and friends and did a great job. He was really a force inside for us all night. I thought he was really up for the game because he was coming back home, playing in front of his mom and dad and his brothers. I’m really proud of him; I’m just disappointed that his best performance of the year came in a loss.
Is this loss tougher to take than some earlier in the year?
Yes, because it’s later in the year. We’re a much improved team from when we played Stanford nine games ago.
On the last play of the game:
We were trying to get something inside, something to the opposite side and nothing presented itself. It actually wasn’t that bad of a shot, he (Norman Powell) kind of fell away a little bit, but it wasn’t a terrible shot.
Why is so difficult to play here?
They have very good teams and they’ve been very good every year. It’s a great, loud environment because it’s built right on top of you. Obviously it was a great advantage for them.
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