Postgame Quotes: No. 18/18 Ohio State 78 (8-2), Presbyterian 48 (2-9) – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
No. 18/18 Ohio State 78 (8-2), Presbyterian 48 (2-9)
Dec. 16, 2009
Value City Arena
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 11,984
POSTGAME QUOTES
Thad Matta, Ohio State head coach
On Ohio State’s overall performance
“I thought we did a good job in the first half on the attack and we shot the ball at a high percentage. We weren’t as sharp in the second half and they were trying to milk the shot clock down on us. It was a game of low possessions.”
On bouncing back after losing vs. Butler
“We talked last Saturday on what kind of team we would be coming back after losing to Butler. I thought we started the game pretty effective. In the two losses we’ve had this year, we had letdowns throughout the game. The margin of error is not as high as one would think. We just need to try and get better each week.”
Jon Diebler, junior guard
On playing hard the entire game
“I think for the first half we played really well and executed, but the second half we lost our intensity. They did a nice job and you have to give them a lot of credit. We need to work on playing all 40 minutes instead of just 20.”
On executing in the game
“I think we were kind of shocked at first because they never play man-to-man defense. We didn’t start executing again, and we need to work on that. We have to look at the little things and come back into practice and then execute.”
On Evan Turner
“He’s in a lot better mood now. He was pretty grouchy after what happened. Evan’s a competitor and that’s the last thing he wants to do is sit out. He loves the game of basketball. He’s accepted it more now and he’s been a positive influence. He has really been helping us out from the bench.”
David Lighty, junior guard
On allowing the other team to dictate play
“Everybody came ready to play. We wanted to get the sour taste out of our mouth from Saturday, but the second half we came out and it was a little bit of a let down. That’s their first time ever playing man-to-man defense, and they held us to 27 points. We can’t let other teams control what we do.”
On not playing to their full potential in the second half
“Whatever team is out there playing, that shouldn’t dictate how we play — it should be the opposite. We didn’t play exactly how we wanted to the second half, but we’re trying to take what we do in practice to the game.”
Gregg Nibert, Presbyterian head coach
On his team’s overall performance
“This is the youngest team I’ve ever had. We started five freshmen tonight and we tried our best to give them different looks at the basket. After a while, we just had no more answers so we switched up to man defense and I’m very proud of the way we played.”
On playing against Ohio State
“We didn’t win but there is a moral victory when you play against the 18th-ranked team in the country. Right now, we’re a young team and we’re playing for the future. I love Ohio State and I grew up around greats like John Havlicek. I really like what That (Matta) is doing around here. Hopefully we get to come back in the future and give them a little better competition. We’re excited we got to come in here and play such a good team.”
On defending Ohio State
“After looking at game tapes, I thought the zone defense would work and that’s shame on me. I saw Ohio State playing well against zone looks and it didn’t work for us. We switched to man and I am so proud of the way these young guys played as a team tonight.”
