University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass 83, St. Bona 44 - Postgame Quotes
February 21, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2007
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Post game Quotes
UMass Head Coach Travis Ford
On the team's play:
"I'm very happy with the way we came out and shared the basketball. We played very unselfish and had 23 assists. A way a team like St. Bonaventure can beat you is by hitting a lot of three pointers. We concentrated on not letting them make threes and we were able to hold them to 1 for 13. St. Bonaventure just caught us on a good night. We played very good basketball for 35 minutes."
On the significance of a big win:
"We need to keep our eyes on the big picture. There are things we still want to work on. I don't think coaches ever get to relax during a game, but we were happy to get some people some playing time."
On Luke Bonner's play:
"I'm very happy for Luke. There is not a better teammate in the country. He's just such a great kid. I knew he could play like that, but he's just stuck behind seniors. Every game I expect guys like him and Ricky Harris to be ready to perform. Tonight it was just great to get them some time."
UMass center Luke Bonner
On playing in tonight's game:
"It was a lot of fun out there. I've been looking for a break all year it feels like and it felt really good to finally get one. We made a big statement there and this is the most important time of the year. We just played great. Even more rewarding was to get that assist to Matt Pennie, I must say."
On his playing time this season:
"With guys like Rashaun [Freeman] and Stephane [Lasme] in front of me, you'd have to be a complete idiot to complain about playing time. Coach [Travis] Ford always tells me, "Stay the course and you'll be fine." I'm just trying to get to the NCAA tournament for these guys because it's quite an experience. It would be incredibly selfish to complain about playing time."
UMass forward Stephane Lasme
On tonight's win:
"It felt good, you know, to go out there and get a good beginning to the game. It felt comfortable."
On the team's preparation:
"You want to come to the game ready, no matter who you're playing. We just always want to play as hard as we can and have a good start."
On the reserve players' play:
"We know guys like Luke [Bonner], Ricky [Harris], and Dante [Milligan] are great. They work really hard in practice and beat the starters a lot in scrimmages. We know what they're capable of. Sometimes I think they should be playing more than they are, but that's Coach Ford's decision. I'm not surprised with the way they play. I was cheering for them the whole game."
UMass guard Ricky Harris
On setting a career high for points:
"I didn't pay attention to the career high. I didn't know until Coach [Tim] Maloney pulled me aside after the game and told me I scored a career high. I was just trying to play basketball hard."
On the team's play:
"Everyone stepped up their game. This is the biggest time of the season. Everyone needs to play every game like it's their last."
