COACH CHAMBERS QUOTES | JUNIOR LAMAR STEVENS QUOTES | POSTGAME NOTES | RECAP
Coach Pikiell | Rutgers Head Coach
Opening Statement
I'm just fortunate that we got a few more at the end there. We made some big free throws and came out of here with a win. A hard-fought win.
Q: The game was really back and forth throughout the second half. What did your team show you by pulling out that win in a road environment?
A: You know, we knew this was going to be a war. Stevens is a problem down the stretch; I thought they got the ball in his hands, and he did some good things. Tip of the hat to Geo Baker. He made some big plays for us. Eugene makes four free throws down the stretch, we make some big stops. These close games—this is what it comes down to. We were able to get a couple more today, and it's a good sign for us to win two in a row and keep continuing to get better. I also think we've continued to get better with our young guys.
Q: You mentioned two in a row—that's the first winning streak in the Big Ten regular season that you guys have ever had. How important was the approach coming out of Nebraska? You know, not getting too high off that win before coming into here.
A: In every game, we talk about being 1-0. So that [Nebraska] game is over and has nothing to do with this game. We knew what the environment would be. It was loud; it's a tough place to play, and I knew we were going to have to play some good basketball today. I thought we had good focus. They jumped on us early and we kind of settled down after a timeout and played better basketball. I liked our improvements.
Q: You mentioned Geo (Baker)—just how big was he throughout the entire game?
A: Geo had a good swagger today, and he really ran our team. I was real proud of him. And then, down the stretch, he had the ball in his hands and made good decisions with it. I thought we got good looks too. Even the last layup he missed was a good look. So when he plays that way, it helps us a great deal and gives our younger guys confidence.
Q: You gave Joey Downes a scholarship yesterday. What was behind that decision?
A: Joey has been great. He's been with us for three years, he works relentlessly, and he does a lot of great things. He's a great student; he's a great representative of what I want here. He earned the scholarship, so I was glad to give it to him. His teammates were even more excited, so it was a good day for Rutgers basketball, and yesterday was a great day for Joey.
Q: A couple guys had said that they don't want to finish in last place, as you guys have finished in last place all four years in the Big Ten. Just how big was today's win in achieving that goal?
A: It means nothing. We try to go 1-0 in the next game. We've got a 100 more games left—we don't worry about that stuff. We just keep plugging away.