Postgame Quotes - Temple NCAA Tournament - University of Oregon Athletics

Quotes from the postgame press conference following Oregon's win over Temple in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in Durham, N.C.

Kelly Graves, Oregon Head Coach

Opening Statement:
"First of all I want to congratulate Coach [Tonya] Cardoza on a great season. I really enjoyed watching them in preparation for this game; they are a great basketball team. Those two guards, [Alliya] Butts and [Feyonda] Fitzgerald are two of the best players we've ever played against. They have great competitive spirit and they should be really proud of a great year. I am very proud of this group. I think in all of our three wins in the postseason, we have had to come from behind by at least six points in the fourth quarter. We did it again. This group just shows a lot of toughness and grit and fight. They never give up. I was kidding Ruthy [Hebard] that the end might be the best five seconds of her life to get that game-winning basket and to make the block at the other end. I love this basketball team. I love the fight that they continue to show. We excuted down the stretch and that was the difference."

On the end-game defensive strategy being up by one point:
"We ran that pin-down screen four or five times late in the game. Each time for Sabrina [Ionescu]. We just felt they were going to give her some added attention and that Ruthy [Hebard] might be able to slip to the basket. Both defenders went with Sabrina and what I am really impressed with was Mallory [McGwire] at the top of the key. She didn't just try to make a pass up and over the top of those long arms. She actually took a dribble to better her position to get it to Ruthy. That's a big time play. You mention that three starting freshman scored 52 points tonight. Those last two were obviously important, but it was the setup that really made that play. I give a lot of credit to Mallory on that."

On guarding Alliya Butts:
"That's the best combination of guards we have played this year. Those two were on fire and their competitive spirit is incredible. You can tell they want the ball and they use the screens really well. We tried about five different ways to guard them, and they had about 45 points combined. They are phenomenal. If I was a Temple fan, they would have been a lot of fun to watch all year. I would have bought season tickets."

On the game plan with Temple being up by six points:
"I thought we were getting really good shots. Defensively is where we made the adjustments. In the end that proved to help a little bit. I thought we had some good shots; we missed some easy ones. I think in our three postseason wins, including our conference tournament, we have been behind at least that in each game in the fourth quarter. They just keep finding a way."

The key for the next 48 hours:
"One of the keys is to really enjoy this tonight. We need to eat right and get a good night sleep and not really think about Duke or Hampton until tomorrow. That's really what you do. I think one great thing about a conference tournament is that it prepares you for that game on little rest, but tonight they should enjoy this."

Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon Guard

On playing against Feyonda Fitzgerald and the Temple guards:
"Yeah, well they have great guards, but like I said we have done this four, five or six times this season, so we are kind of used to it. To be honest we grinded it out, we got stops when we needed to, we made big shots down the stretch, even though our shots weren't falling like they usually do, but that's what it takes. Usually one or two plays will end up winning you the game when things go back and forth."

On how Mallory McGwire's early make helped rid of team nerves:
"Definitely, Mallory has contributed so much to this team she hits that shot effortlessly. She practices it every day, and that's what it takes. Ruthy [Hebard] beasting down low, and then Mallory spots up and shoots it. So it's hard for teams to have two defensive players who can guard both the outside and the inside. So I think we definitely use that to our advantage, and she is definitely using it to her [McGwire] advantage and knocking those shots down that're helping us down the stretch."

On how this game contributes to your momentum:
"We are just excited to be able to play another game. We don't want this season to be over. I think we proved that we are grinding every game trying to stay alive. But we are excited for whoever we end up playing against. Whichever team it's going to end up being, I think we are just excited to get better every game, and grow as individuals and collectively."

University of Oregon Athletics

Postgame Quotes - Temple NCAA Tournament

Players Mentioned

Sabrina Ionescu

Mallory McGwire

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