The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB-Murray State Post Game Quotes
1/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2005
UAB-Murray State Head Coach Mike Anderson
On the win: "I was very proud of my guys. I thought we came out and we kept shooting the ball well, and our defense was a constant. In the first half we knocked some free throws down and in the second half we really kicked it up. Our energy level was the best it has been all year long. We were rebounding; we matched their aggressiveness. Murray State came out and really got at us. It was a nip and tuck game. Then the bench came in and it was a really big factor in this game. We were very active and as we started shooting the ball, some good things started taking place. But it all goes back to defense. That was the point of emphasis: defense and the amount of rebounding with this team. "
On Murray State: "Their program has a tradition of winning and they had a tremendous year last year. That brings confidence and they came in and had nothing to lose. But I told our guys that each and every game is important and every game I try to make sure our guys understand that. Our guys had Murray State playing the way we wanted them to and we were very reactive. We created a tempo with our defense. Our defense is the staple of what we do."
UAB-Murray State Men's Basketball Murray State Head Coach Mick Cronin
On the Game: "I was totally disappointed with our effort. They didn't listen. Our guys were not prepared. I told my guys they had to pass the ball to win, but they continued to dribble. We didn't execute the game plan. We didn't pass the basketball. If you over dribble, you're tailor-made when you play against UAB."
On other factors that contributed to the loss: "Our defense totally messed up the game. Turnovers also didn't help. We came in and we were out-manned. You have to play tremendous defense to have a chance. We had plenty of time to prepare in practice. We told our guys, `Don't foul them.' We fouled guys when it was a close game. We gave up 50 points to fouls. We don't listen well enough to beat a quality team like UAB."
