Oklahoma State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes - Oklahoma State vs. Maryland, Dec. 21, 2014
December 21, 2014 | Cowboy Basketball
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Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford
On the Cowboys' loss to Maryland:
"(Maryland) was a better team today. They made shots and answered every run that we had. That was a big key. I thought that our second half was not very good. We made several runs, but we were our own worst enemy. We would turn it over or shoot a bad shot, and they would convert with a dunk. They just stopped all of our momentum with almost every run that we made. We had too many bad possessions of offense. They were the better team today, plain and simple.
"I thought our team had a little fight in them today. They kept fighting back. We just didn't make enough shots. They had some big threes. We had some open ones that didn't go down. We need to start making some shots. The fight was there, but they were just the better basketball team today."
On the offensive performance:
"We changed our offense with about 12 minutes to go. We just started going to what we call our spread offense just to get some ball movement, and it was actually working pretty good. They couldn't guard us. Otherwise, they were just using their height and standing in the gaps. We became very stagnant. There were a lot of bad decisions that led to what I call wasted possessions. We just wasted a lot of offensive possessions. Things that we did so well these last couple of games, we reverted back and it put our defense at a disadvantage."
On Maryland's Melo Trimble:
"He's a special player. He ran and controlled the whole game, really. He's a special basketball player, and he's better in person than on film. Especially at the end of the first half, he really controlled the first half. The beginning of the second half hurt us. He's a McDonald's All-American. Give them credit. Our guys had some fight to them. For us, we have to overachieve to play a special game. We didn't play terrible, but we didn't play a special game. In order to be a top 20 team, we've got to keep them from playing to their strengths, which we didn't do, and we've got to hit some shots, which we didn't do."
OSU junior guard Phil Forte III
On Maryland's run to open the second half:
"They came out with great energy in the second half, and we made some mistakes, including myself. I thought we came out flat in that second half, we made some mistakes and they capitalized on them. They made plays, and we didn't; I give them credit."
On Maryland's defense:
"There was a stretch where we didn't really run our offense like we needed to. They were the aggressor, they kept us on our heels a little bit. We weren't taking good shots, they were getting good shots and they made us pay. Like I said, they played better than we did today, give them credit, they just outplayed us."
On if the start of the second half was the difference in the game:
"Yeah I do, I really do (think it was). They got out to a big lead. I don't know what it is, I felt like our energy was good in the locker room coming out and I thought we were focused. We were only down five at halftime so we're right in the game, we just came out flat and we made some mistakes. They get some easy baskets and make some good shots, they were in rhythm."
On bouncing back after the loss:
"We just have to play better. We have to learn from it and move on, can't dwell on it because we have a lot of big games coming up. We have Missouri and then the Big 12 starts so it's a good learning lesson and we have to move on."
OSU senior forward Michael Cobbins
On coming out flat to start the second half:
"It's something that you just can't do in a big game like that. The other team is going to be amped up no matter what so you've got to have energy to go full go for the full 40 minutes, and that's something that we didn't do tonight."
On the emotions of the game:
"It hurts, especially here at home, but it's just a glimpse of what we can do. It's something that we need to try and contain for a full 40 minutes, and it's something that we will get better at."
On how the team feels going into non-conference play:
"I feel like we're at a good spot right now. You've got games like this that prepare us for the Big 12, and it's good to get these games out of the way."
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon
Opening statement
"There were a lot of positives for us today. It was the first true road game, and it's great that the fans came out. I thought it was a great environment. That's as well as we've played in a long time. I think our guys rose to the occasion. Defensively in rebounding, that's as well as we've played. I thought we did a great job on (Phil Forte). I thought (Richaud Pack) did a great job on him. I thought we did a pretty good job on (Le'Bryan Nash), and we made (OSU) try to beat us. We were dialed in the whole game. I thought we handled the pressure pretty well. The last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half, we were as good as we've played. That was really the separation in the game. I'm really proud of our young group. That was a great win for us."
On effort against Oklahoma State
"We were good right there. They weren't quite as good on offense, but we were terrific on offense. Jake Layman continues to be great. He was terrific on the floor and (Melo Trimble) gives a calm presence. He played like a veteran out there."
On the closeness of the game
"I told the guys this game doesn't have to be close if you don't want it to be close. You choose, but if we keep guarding and rebounding, which we didn't rebound as well in the second half, I said, (OSU) is going to have a hard time guarding us. We have too many good offensive players, too many guys you have to guard, and we hit that streak. (Jared Nickens) hit a big shot, and we had nothing going in that first possession. Shot clock was going down, and he got confident. Our execution on the double-ball screen and (Layman) hitting a three, it always looks better when you make shots, but I thought we missed a lot of open ones in the first half. So we had that stretch. It was really good, and it's fun to see. It's a great group to coach. I'm not going to brag about Melo too much today, but I thought Melo was unbelievable. He handled the pressure he was on. He was terrific again and, of course, made free throws."
On Jake Layman's improvement
"He's just doing it. Jake is just growing up. The things he's doing he couldn't have done two months ago, and Dez Wells getting hurt has been a blessing for him. He's had to do more, and he's a bigger part of our offense. He's a hard guard and when you have a lot of good players, which we do, you need to spread the floor out and let Jake do his thing. He's very comfortable. He's very good at reading situations, recognizing where he can find holes in our offense, and it's really great to see. But I thought defensively he took on a challenge with Nash and had some big rebounds for us because we weren't the biggest team out there late in the game. He got tired. He had to play a lot of minutes, but I'm really leaning on him and Melo while Dez is hurt. Those two have really stepped up."
On how the team has adjusted without an injured Dez Wells
"It's the way we played. We played really well and whenever you can win on the road you gain a lot of confidence. We gained a lot of confidence against Iowa State in Kansas City and today will give us even more confidence. Oklahoma State was very ready to play. I thought they were very physical at the start, and we matched that intensity. It should give us a lot of confidence moving forward and heading into league play. We haven't been the best road team since I came to Maryland. It's been really disappointing to be honest with you, and so we continue to talk about that. It's still early, but I feel like we've got two big road wins."
