Alabama vs. Mississippi State Postgame Quotes
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2009
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Alabama Quotes
Interim head coach Philip Pearson
Opening statement ...
"It was obviously a heck of a game out there today. I'm just so happy for our team and proud of our guys, the way they hung in there and battled. We've talked a lot the past couple of weeks about trying to break through and fight through adversity and hopefully put ourselves in a position where we could come up with a win. It was a little bit of an ugly first half for both teams. We struggled and couldn't seem to get it in the goal. We gave them some different looks, we played man with I thought helped us throughout the game. I thought Demetrius Jemison did a great job off the bench for us and Anthony Brock did some nice things for us. Andrew Steele came into the game and had that big defensive play, he did such a good job. It's a great win for our basketball team and we have a bunch of happy guys in our locker room."
On Alonzo Gee taking Alabama on his shoulders ...
"I was so happy for him. He works so hard after practice. He's usually the last guy to leave the gym. He's got his degree. He's up here working as hard as he can as a basketball player. I'm just so happy for him and proud of how he was able to step in there. He made a bunch of plays throughout the game but those couple of shots he made at the top of the key were huge for our team today."
On what this game means to him ...
"I'm just so competitive. I was about to get myself in trouble over there. I'm no different from all our guys. We want to win. We've been so close a couple times. We sat up here last Saturday and had a tough basketball game with South Carolina. We just want to keep playing and get better. We want to play with energy and with emotion. It's so much fun to have a team with 18, 19 and 20 year old guys and be in the locker room after a win. Those are times you never forget."
Senior guard Alonzo Gee
On his play in the second overtime ...
"It felt really good to get hot in double overtime. I felt like my teammates got me the ball and I made some big shots."
On beating Mississippi State at home ...
"It feels good just to win the game period. It is a good win for us, and hopefully we can get on a winning streak."
On what it felt like to block a shot from Jarvis Varnado ...
"I was trying to time the shot and I actually got it. It felt good to block a shot blocker's shot."
On the atmosphere in the locker room after the game ...
"Everybody feels good about the win, but its just one win. We have to keep going and keep playing hard."
Sophomore guard Senario Hillman
On getting the final stop in the second overtime ...
"I knew he was going to try to take over, so I knew I had to stop him. He posted me and I just kept saying 'stop him, stop him,' and that's what I did."
On his chemistry with Alonzo Gee ...
"We just play in the flow of the game. He got going in the first half, so I just knew I had to come out strong in the second half. We just go out there and have fun and play our game. We try to help the team win."
On the play of Gee in the first half ...
"It was outstanding. He did a great job of carrying the team in the first half."
Freshman forward JaMychal Green
On going against Varnado ...
"It seemed like he had 13 blocks, but he only had eight. He blocked a lot of my shots, but I kept taking it to him."
On picking up his second foul in the first two minutes of the game ...
"It was frustrating, but my teammates and coaches tried to keep my level-headed. I knew I had to come out in the second half and pick it up."
On how intense the final minutes were ...
"It was very tense. It was a close game and Mississippi State kept knocking down big shots. Hillman and Gee kept us in the game."
Mississippi State Quotes
Head Coach Rick Stansbury
Opening statement ...
"Our kids didn't make the plays here or there to win the basketball game. I wouldn't call it a lack of effort or lack of fighting. As a coach that's all you can ever ask, everybody just leave your hardest on the floor and we did that."
On the turning point of the game ...
"Gee jumped up and made the two huge three-pointers in the second overtime. Huge plays, but that was the key that put them ahead. We had our opportunities at the end but didn't close it."
On the last play of the game ...
"We just tried to get a chance to get a inside foul and get something in the basket. If not, you've got to get it in. If players were going to let you go inside and get a basket, we would've won the game a long time ago."
On the effect of Varnado fouling out ...
"You know the answer to that. Every time you have a play without Jarvis, it's huge. It's absolutely huge."Guard Barry Stewart
Overall thoughts of the game ...
"It's hard. We just couldn't make the key plays and the key stops to win the ball game."
On his shooting at the end of the overtimes ...
"He was into me so I drove by him and pulled up and didn't get the foul call. Just missed the shot. I was looking for a pull up because I knew going to the basket the refs weren't going to call those calls at the end of the game. The refs aren't going to determine the game."Center Jarvis Varnardo
On fouling out ...
"It was real hard, I wanted to be out there, but unfortunately I wasn't. It's real frustrating. I wanted to go out there and help my team and lead them to victory."
On the physical play of JaMychal Green ...
"Yeah it's the SEC, it's always going to be physical. He's going to be a great player. He keeps getting better."Guard Phil Turner
His thoughts of the game ...
"We just need to prepare better for the next one. We didn't give up and they didn't give up."
