George Washington University Athletics
Postgame Comments: GW vs. Harvard
1/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2011
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
January 15, 2011
Harvard 67
@ GW 62
Postgame Quotes
GW Coach Karl Hobbs
How did you manage to keep Harvard from scoring in the first half:
"I just thought we played very good defense and I thought it was just the pace of the game.
How did Harvard slow you down in the second half?
"Well, They've got very good guards. There's a reason why they're 12-and-3 today, because they have good guards and they have good players and they're very well coached and I thought it was a game that really came down to our inability to keep them off the offensive glass in the second half. I thought that was the difference in the game."
How tough was it to end the winning streak this way?
"Well, I don't know about winning streaks, it's always tough just to lose the game, period. I give Harvard a great deal of credit. They're a very good basketball team and similar to a couple of teams in our league. Every loss is a tough loss, particularly at home right before going into league play, but with that being said, I think you have to give Harvard a great deal of credit to come in this building, under those conditions and that's a very seasoned team. They've got some very good players and it's a terrific win for them."
You now go back to conference play, where you have a very good start. What do you take from this game in returning to league play?
"The concern for us is always going to be keeping guys off the offensive rebound and defending the three. Those were the two things that were the difference in the game. And we also have to work on keeping the ball in front of us."
Your team committed 25 fouls. How big of an impact was that on the outcome of the game?
"I can't really comment on the officiating, but what a can comment on, and I'll say it again, is finding a way to keep them off them glass, containing the dribble penetration the last two or three minutes of the game. I thought on a couple of our switches they were able to turn the corner on penetration and we've just go to do a better job at that.
GW Jr. G Tony Taylor
Did some of the officials' controversial calls affect you guys at all?
"Not at all, we've got to play through whatever happens throughout the game. We can't worry about the officiating, because it's going to change game to game. We've got to just get better as we go.
You played a lot of minutes today, does fatigue play a factor?
"I think fatigue plays a factor, but if we're tired, we come out of the game.
Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker
Opening statement
"What a win for our kids, with two of our starters going down I'm not sure what the status is on their injuries. I thought we had to show a great deal of grit and toughness to play George Washington at a time when they're at their best right now with the winning streak that they had prior to this game and how hard they played and put us in a hole right away. It was tough for us to handle the basketball at times, how much pressure they put on you, but I thought our kids showed a great deal of poise as the game went on and belief in the way we played prior to this game. I'm very pleased with a great effort against a team that has played outstanding basketball coming into this game.
How did your team do so well with two starters leaving with injuries and another in foul trouble?
"Different players stepping in, picking up for injured players and foul trouble. That's the sign of a good team and good balance and that area of balance is critical for a team to win."
You held GW to 37% shooting in the second half after giving up 48% in the first half, what did your defense do different after halftime?
"We played a little bit more zone, I'm sure you saw that. We had to mix things up with the different lineups that we had and in foul trouble, so we had to mix our defenses a little bit and maybe that can kind of put more people on their heels a little bit. I think sometimes you play better defense when you are running better offense and I thought in the second half we were able to be a little bit more efficient and confident with the ball.
