Post Game Quotes From Ohio State’s Victory Over Toledo – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/22/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 1999
Recap| Box Score| Notes| Interview
Ohio State head coach Jim O’Brien
“I’m so proud of us. We did nothing in the first half, but even though we were down we came back and showed a lot of heart in the second half.
“This is one of Ken’s highest-scoring games. He played exceptionally. We need to keep looking for him in future games.”
(On perimeter shooting) “We need to find the areas to make more shots around the perimeter.”
“Michael made some big plays, especially toward the end. In the end, we wanted the ball in Scoonie’s hands.”
(On George Reese) “He stepped up defensively in the second half. He was very aggressive and did a good job.”
“We were too passive in the first half. They were the aggressors. We kept a lid on, played cool and the way that we started the second half was the most critical part of the game.”
Scoonie Penn
“Ken was huge tonight. We need and want to get him the ball a lot more.”
“We knew they would come out strong. We decided to come out and pressure them more in the second half. We seemed to be chasing on defense. They were setting good screens and hitting their threes in the first half.”
“We have to continue to improve. We have a young bench and they will continue to get better.”
Ken Johnson
“We are the Big Ten school in Ohio. We have to play like it.”
“If I’m open, I want the ball. If I can’t contribute on offense, I have to step up on defense.” Michael Redd
“KJ (Ken Johnson) was huge tonight. He was an offensive and defensive threat. His confidence is sky-high right now.”
“I love crunch time. My shot came to me at the end. I think that was the difference.”
“Tonight taught us a big lesson. We can’t overlook anyone.”
“Christmas will be nice. So will practice.”
Toledo head coach Stan Joplin
“I think anytime we play on the road we want to be in a position to win. And I thought we were. Toward the end our guys got tired and (OSU’s) athletic ability took over. I’m very disappointed with the loss. We let it slip away. On defense we did a nice job.”
Toledo’s Greg Stempin
“They stepped up the pressure on defense the second half. In the first half we were executing well, but when I have no points in the second half, it’s tough for us to win. The future for Toledo is bright with a good freshman class and only one senior.”
Toledo’s Justin Hall
“We do get pumped up to play Ohio State since they’re a state school. We have a bit of a rivalry going. Last year people thought our win was a fluke. But we showed tonight we are a good team.”
