Postgame Quotes

Jan. 28, 2008

Oklahoma Head Coach Jeff Capel
Opening comment:
"First of all I really want to commend Oklahoma State. With all that they've been through and their struggles, their kids played great. They were very well coached and prepared and I thought they were terrific. I'm really proud of our guys. I thought after not playing well in the first half defensively we came back in the second half and I thought we were very good defensively for the most part. We missed some key free throws, but we made the ones when it counted down the stretch and we were able to make some plays."

On the option to foul at the end of the game with a 3-point lead:
"That's something that I don't like to do because I think you can lose. I've actually won a game that way where a team fouled us, made the first one and cut it to two. We practice on the offensive end that same situation. We always try to knock the ball back out. I had a team before where we won a game that way. We just wanted to try to make them catch it on their end of the floor and try to make them hit a tough shot and if he made it we'd go to overtime. If not we would win the game. Fortunately he missed the shot. David (Godbold) did a good of playing without fouling and not letting him get so much of a running start where he could get closer to the basket."

On the physical aspect of the game:
"I thought that both teams were just playing so hard. I don't think there's anything malicious about anything that happened. I thought both teams were competing. Both teams were battling. In the heat of competition, things happen when you have so many big guys and big bodies. You have some hard collisions at times. I challenged our guys at halftime. I thought they out-toughed us, I felt they were hungrier than us and I really was proud of our guys and how they responded."

Junior Forward Taylor Griffin
On his career-high 20 points:
"The easiest part of that was six of those shots were under the basket. They were double-teaming Blake (Griffin) and L (Longar Longar) so all I had to do was cut and I was wide open. I don't know how many times that happened. Blake being such a good passer, all I had to do was go up."

On the physical play:
"It's Bedlam, everybody was cool after the game. It's part of the game. You have to love that even those kind of things (happen). You've got to love that part of the game."

On Blake:
"He has been doing it all year. It's not like it was the first time you have seen that. It's just the type of player he is. I think he has put in the work and when you put in the work, you have the opportunity in the big moments to step up and all of your hard work takes over."

Freshman Forward Blake Griffin
On his free throw shooting down the stretch:
"It was just a matter of concentrating when I came out from the timeout. Coach Cline told me to stay down and stay smooth. Thankfully I hit some of the ones down the stretch."

On his first Bedlam game:
"It was fun, a lot of fun. The crowd was great, the atmosphere was great. It was just like what I grew up watching. I wish I had done a little bit better of a job on the boards. Overall we played well enough to win, we had guys step up and hit some big shots. Taylor (Griffin) stepped up and played well. That took the pressure off of Longar and me. I'm happy with it. It was a great first experience."

Head Coach Sean Sutton
Opening comment:
"I thought both teams really played hard and left it out there, which is what you would expect in this series. We have had a lot of close battles through the years. The two Griffins (Taylor and Blake) really came up big for Oklahoma when they needed them. I was concerned about Taylor Griffin coming into this game because he has had a lot of success in this series. A lot of it has to do with him being from Oklahoma, just like Obi (Muonelo) played really well for us. Guys from Oklahoma understand the magnitude of this series and how important it is for the fans. Taylor played a great game for OU. Blake Griffin made a spectacular play late in the game and willed his way to get that rebound and stick it in. He is a special player and he made a big-time play."

On his staff maintaining a positive attitude with the players through the 17-game road losing streak:
"We are getting better. We have made a lot of improvement over the last month and I have stayed positive with them. We have tried to make them understand that if they keep working and keep correcting the little things that are costing us, then we can break through and start winning these close games. Sometimes it only takes one game to get your team going. Our confidence has stayed high and our attitude is good. I think it will continue to be that way."

Oklahoma State Sophomore Guard Obi Muonelo
On how disappointed he is in the loss:
"It is very tough, especially when you know how hard we practice. We need to understand that we can win these games and that we can do it. We are not getting it done, not right now."

On Coach Sean Sutton's decision to give him the start:
"It was a game-time decision, I didn't know about it all day. I guess he expected me to go out there and play hard with a lot of energy, which I normally do off the bench. Tonight, I guess he wanted me to start. It really doesn't matter who comes of the bench and who starts. I don't know any difference, it really doesn't matter to me."

Oklahoma State Junior Guard Byron Eaton
On his last shot attempt to tie the game:
"I thought it was good when it left my hand. It felt good when it came out and it was right on target. I wish it would have gone down so we could still be out there playing."

On if he anticipated such a physical game:
"I knew this game was going to be very physical. I knew with them having the Griffins (Taylor and Blake) that it was going to be just that more physical. Those guys, along with Longar Longar, we knew they were going to be physical. We tried to match their physcialness. We tried to dominate the guards and tried to pull off the win. We played a good game overall, we just need to try and eliminate the little things that we didn't do right. If we fix those little things, then maybe next time we can come out with the win."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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