Georgetown 79, UConn 78 in Double OT: Kevin Ollie’s Take

STORRS – Highlights from Kevin Ollie’s remarks, following UConn’s double OT loss to G’town:

“I thought I had seen it all, but I guess I haven’t.  Just a great effort from both teams.  Georgetown stayed with what they were running.  The first half was not good basketball for both sides, offensively, but I think we gave everybody in the building a great game in the second half and those two overtimes.”

“In overtime, we had some crucial shots, but we just didn’t take away the three when we were up seven. Then [on Porter’s shot] We just didn’t cut him off.  We let him get all the way to the lane.”

“[Ryan Boatright’s last shot] … We weren’t looking for that shot, but Otto Porter got to the rim with seven seconds on the clock….Ryan got the ball.  You try to push it and get to the rim, see if we can get an offensive rebound, see if we can get a kick-out.  They played good defense, they bottled him up in the corner and he just had to make the play.” 

“I’m very proud of my guys.  They fought….Down 12, they just kept battling, kept fighting, showed character, showed perseverance and showed heart.  And that’s what our team is all about.  Our team is all about heart.  You can say we’re small, we don’t rebound.  You can write whatever you want to.  But I hope you all write that we’ve got heart….I will go to battle with them any day.  All of them, including the walk-ons. ”

“The crowd was terrific once again.  They kept giving us energy when we felt like we were dead in the water.  Energy, energy, they kept giving it to us.  Love them.  Wish we could have pulled it out for them.”

“Everything happens for a reason, and this reason is teaching us another life lesson through this book that we’re writing.  Another chapter.  We’re going to go to Cincinnati and we’re going to play with heart up there.”

“Adversity is the intersection between character and opportunity.  This team has character and we had a great opportunity.” 

“DeAndre [Daniels] had a great game.  Our first double double of the year….He was everywhere.  He played like we know he can.  He fought.  He took the challenge of Otto Porter and he passed it.  Now, again, it’s not one game.  Now let’s do it the last three games, and you come back next year and do it again…He did a phenomenal job rebounding, blocking shots, diving on the floor, playing with the attitude we want to see him play with.  He fought tonight, and I’m very, very proud of him….Now we’ve got to see it consistently, and it has got to be a ‘must.’  It can’t be a ‘should.’ Because we know what he can do.”

“[Shabazz] played well. I don’t know what’s going on with the foot, I’m going to talk to James [Doran] after this press conference is over. Hopefully he didn’t aggravate it too bad, and he can play. We have a great training staff, and I know ‘Bazz, how disciplined he is, he’s going to do his treatment and do his best to be out there Saturday in Cincinnati.”