Penn State Men's Basketball
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference
vs. Purdue– January 31, 2019
Rasir Bolton | G | Fr./Fr.
Q: Rasir, could you talk about how your Big Ten season has gone, and how have you maintained your confidence and had the sort of game today when sometimes your shot really isn't falling
A: Just staying in the gym. I know I work out and I work hard. Just keeping confidence in myself, even in games when my shots are not falling. Just staying positive, staying focused, trusting my teammates, and [them] telling me to keep going.
Q: At the end of regulation there, could you take us through what happened in that last five seconds
A: I went full-court. I tried to get space off a step back. He's (Nojel Eastern) 6'6. He stuck his arm out and blocked the shot. Then we went to overtime.
Q: Rasir, with the way things have been going the past month or so, we haven't seen any giving up from you guys, you're still down on the floor going for loose balls and stuff like that. How important is it, and how hard is it to continue doing that as you progress through the season?
A: It's not hard at all. If you want to go out there and win you have to do what it takes. We don't go back to the locker room and think the season's over, we think next game, we need to do even more. If we dive on the floor six times this game next time we need to do seven. We keep pushing ourselves, keep working, just try to win.
Lamar Stevens | F | Jr./Jr.
Q: Lamar, could you describe the sequence with 30 seconds left to play, that last look that you had and that turnover that they called on you?
A: I drove the ball right. I got fouled, and it was a no call. I mean you saw it.
Q: When you get fouled, or you feel like you got fouled, how frustrating is it at this point in your career, what you've done so far, and at that moment in the game to not get a call like that?
A: It's very frustrating. You see it across all sports that refs need help. I think refs need help. Especially at the end of games and game-deciding plays. It was a blatant foul. If you watch the video, I saw the video, it was a blatant foul. I think refs need help. You see it in football, you see it here. That could have cost us the game if you think of it. That was a foul. That should've been called. It was blatant. It was very frustrating at the point that I am as a player, and everything I've gave to the Big Ten being in this league. It's crazy. It hurts. It hurts for me, it hurts for my team, I'm hurting for coach too because I think he did a good job too.
Q: Lamar, you've been around for three years now and this three or four straight games that have been close against Purdue. Two years ago when you were a freshman, then another overtime game. What is it about playing Purdue that you guys are always in a tough dog fight that goes down to the end?
A: They're a good team with good players and a good coach. We match up well against them every year. We're always right there. It just comes down to one play every time.