Men’s Basketball vs. Illinois – Postgame Quotes – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Ohio State (13-6, 4-2 Big Ten) 64, Illinois (9-11, 1-6 Big Ten) 58
Jan. 22, 2008
Value City Arena
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 19,049 (Sellout)
Postgame Quotes
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On the game overall
“It was a great lesson in momentum for us. I think we did a decent job maintaining momentum, but there is still more for us to work on. We definitely did not rebound well. Illinois had great plays, especially toward the end of the game. We are fortunate to have the win and now it’s time to move on.”
On David Lighty’s offensive rebound at the end
“It was a great play by David. What also helped was he made his free throws. It took a lot of pressure off of us because it turned it into a two-possession game.”
On Ohio State’s rebounding
“Rebounding is a mental issue and I know we can overcome that. We have to be consistent with our rebounds on every possession. We were just not sharp tonight.”
On David Lighty’s performance
“He really finished for us. He got the ball above the rim and made the shot when we needed it. His free throws were also a big thing for us tonight.”
David Lighty, sophomore guard
On the rebound that helped seal the victory
“I saw the ball coming off the rim, so I just got physical and went after it. I knew if they got that board they had a chance to tie the game, so I just tried to make a play.”
On the Illinois rally
“We got a little loose on offense and defense. We got out of our offense and didn’t trust in the system. When we play in the system we do fine, so it’s just a matter of being disciplined.”
Evan Turner, freshman guard
On Illinois cutting the lead to three in the final minute
“They fought hard and played hard, so hats off to them for not giving up. It was part us, too, though. I had some turnovers, we missed free throws and missed a few key rebounds, but we kept it together in the end and won.”
On the defensive rebounding
“Coach Matta said we needed to get it together. The rebounds kept this game close. Illinois had 17 offensive rebounds. We need to get more defensive rebounds to cut out our opponents’ second-chance points.”
Bruce Weber, Illinois head coach
On the first half
“We let them have too many easy baskets early. They scored quickly in the first half. They started to break down our defense and started to hit some 3-pointers. We got back in it at the end and they missed some free throws, but we did not convert.”
On Jamar Butler
“We did a much better job guarding Butler, but some of the other guys stepped up to score.”
On Ohio State’s zone defense
“In the last game against Ohio State, we did well attacking and getting inside. In the second half today, they moved to more of a two-three and dropped a guy back. If we had just moved the ball and cut through, the defense would have spread out and we would have seen the availability, but we did not do that until the second half.”
