Postgame Quotes

Jan. 16, 2002

Oklahoma 78, Nebraska 51
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2002
Lincoln, Neb. - Bob Devaney Sports Center

Oklahoma Head Coach Kelvin Sampson:

On OU's defensive performance:
"It was a good road win for us tonight. Our goal was to take the three-point shot away from them. Nebraska is a good three-point shooting team and when you hold them to 25 percent from the field then you have done a pretty good job. The last five minutes of the first half and first five minutes of the second half were as good defensively as we have played all year."

On Nebraska's early start in the game:
"Give Barry credit, he had Nebraska ready to play. Their hustle really sparked us tonight. I believe that's the first time we have been down that early in a game."

On facing Kansas on Saturday:
"That's going be a tough one, but I feel that we are ready. We have played at UCONN, Michigan State, against Maryland, so we feel we are battle tested. Gooden is a lottery pick and Collison is as solid as they come. They throw that three-guard set at you and it causes problems. This year's KU team is as good as I have ever seen them since I have been here at Oklahoma."

Oklahoma Guard Ebi Ere:

On OU's defensive performance:
"Our goal was to put a hand in their face and force them to create their own shot. We knew Nebraska is a good shooting team so we felt by forcing them to drive would work to our advantage."

On the team's versatility:
"We can play both styles of basketball. We can play inside and play outside. We can speed it up and we can slow it down."

Nebraska Head Coach Barry Collier:

General comment:
"I was very impressed with Oklahoma tonight. You have to be tough-minded and aggressive to handle some adversity early on and then really take control of the game on the defensive end in the first half and shoot the kind of numbers they did for the game. I thought we had a chance having started with a pretty good first five, six minutes and I was thinking we were going to settle in for a tough fight for the rest of the night, but they just kicked it in defensively."

On Oklahoma's talent:
"They have excellent speed and quickness and they're sound defensively, but they also back that up inside with some big guys that can rebound the ball and finish the play and also challenge shots, if not block them."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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