Head Coach Jeff Capel
Opening comment:
“We needed a win. It wasn’t pretty. I thought both teams played hard. We were able to grind out a victory. We got off to somewhat of a good start. I thought defensively we were very solid; offensively I thought we were just OK. I thought we had a chance to have a bigger lead than we had, then we started turning it over. They were able to get back and took the lead at the half. I thought we were really good in the second half as far as containing them defensively. In the first half they were just putting their head down driving, we were fouling; which was reminiscent of the first time we played them. So the second half we went almost exclusively zone. We just wanted to try to make them make contested shots. We wanted to try to keep them out of the paint. We wanted to play without fouling and I thought our guys did a pretty good job of that. Cade (Davis) was terrific and it was really great for him to have that kind of a performance on senior day. I thought Cameron Clark was really good and made some big baskets. Steve (Pledger) made a huge 3. We were able to make some free throws down the stretch and we were able to hold on for a victory. It feels good to win again. It feels good to win the last game here with this group. We look forward to the Big 12 tournament.”
On the emotion senior Cade Davis brought to the game:
“Honestly, I was concerned that he was going to be too jacked up. I know some guys on senior day want to do well so bad. I thought he did a really, really good job of letting the game come to him. Obviously he was very emotional. He’s has been that way for the past few days. When it starts to wind down you start to think about all kind of things, how fast it’s going. Sometimes you start to think about what’s going to happen next. I think he did a really good job of trying to stay in the moment today, trying to kind of embrace everything that happened today. I don’t think it was ironic, the last play, he was on (Keiton) Page. He wanted the moment but I think he did a great job of not letting Keiton get a shot off.”
On Andrew Fitzgerald’s performance:
“He did a good job. He couldn’t get it going offensively. He did early, but was in foul trouble and couldn’t get a good rhythm offensively. He did a good job of stepping in and taking charges and being a presence down there defensively for us.”
On Cade Davis’ importance to OU’s basketball program:
“He is a special young man. When we recruited him I thought he was that. One of the things I talked to him about was that I thought he could become one of the most beloved Sooners just because of how hard he plays. I think he has brought that to the table every time he’s stepped across those lines out there. He’s given his heart. He has given you absolutely every ounce of energy that he has. There has never been one time where I thought during the game or after the game that Cade has to play harder. He has always given you everything he has. We’ve watched him grow from a young guy and into a man that is ready for just about everything, I think. He has had a really unique experience here. I told him it’s similar to what I went through in college. It is real-world experience. You have success, failure and adversity. I think all those things are going to really help him in whatever it is he decides to do when once he leaves here.”
Senior Guard Cade Davis:
On his ‘senior day:’
“Emotions were high. It’s Bedlam, it was my senior night. I wanted to be able to come out and still be able to do the things I can control, which are play hard, give effort, communicate, bring passion and energy to our team. I didn’t really have to tell these guys anything. They were just as excited as I was and they played their hearts out, gave it their all, and did a great job. We’re happy to get a win.”
On second-half adjustments:
“They were kind of ducking their heads when we built our lead in the first half, getting to the hole, getting and-one’s. We weren’t playing our best defense and we were letting them get by us. But in the second half we were trying to limit their transition buckets and slow them down. Make them play against our zone; keep them out on the perimeter. I think we did a great job containing (Keiton) Page and limiting his shots. Trying to get boards, and we made free throws down the stretch. All the credit goes to my teammates. It’s a wonderful feeling to get a win, and hopefully we can carry this over into Kansas City.”
On heaving the ball into the air after securing the game’s final rebound:
“It was a thank-you Jesus. With everything going on and our losing streak, with people doubting us, we’ve tried our hardest each and every game all year long. To finally get a win at home, and for me individually on senior night, it was a relief. It was a wonderful thing to get.”
On if his “senior night” had resulted in a loss:
“I would have remembered that in a bad way for the rest of my life. One of those things you will never forget, but you wish could. Now it’s a good feeling to go out on a winning note.”
On his favorite OU memory:
“This one might be it. The last game, last stand, and we came out with a win. It’s a great feeling to end on a positive note.”
Sophomore Guard Steven Pledger:
On his feelings about Cade Davis’ senior night:
“It was very special. Cade has been a big help since I got here and he has showed me around, how to do things in game, how to try to keep a streak alive. He’s helped me a lot since I have been here. It’s tough to see him leave.”
On his overall feelings on the day:
“It was really big because it’s senior night. With Cade being from here and it being Bedlam, I knew it meant a lot for him. I was going to try and come out and do my best for Cade. Today is Cade’s day.”
Oklahoma State Head Coach Travis Ford
Opening comment:
“Congratulate Jeff (Capel) and his team; I thought they played with a lot of pride. I thought they played with a lot of fortitude today. Congratulations to Cade Davis; he’s a winner. I’ve told a lot of pro scouts lately about that kid. Somebody needs him on their team. He’s a winner; he could help somebody in the NBA. They played very hard. We talked to our team in the last couple of days about staying positive.
“We thought we had been playing better basketball. We talked to our team last week about all the things we’ve learned, playing on the road this season. We didn’t talk about our struggle, we just talked about the things we learned. We are our own worst enemy -- fouling. We learned from some of the mistakes we’ve made earlier in the year as far as fouling away from the basket at crucial times, and too many walks and charges. At crucial opportunities when we’re getting steals and getting momentum on our side and then we just make mistakes -- our worst enemy. It’s been tough to get a grasp on with this basketball team, about as tough as I’ve ever had as far as figuring them out mentally. I thought we were ready to go. We had some good practices and we were playing better, but as it’s been for us all year long on the road, putting the other team on the foul line too many times -- too many mistakes.”
Senior Forward Marshall Moses
On the team’s slow starts in the each half:
“They came out ready to play; intense, ready to play defense, they had a game plan. We had a game plan but all of our guys came out sluggish at first and we were playing catch-up the whole night in both halves. I don’t know why. I don’t think anyone really has an explanation, that’s just kind of how the game was.”
On whether this game is a rearview mirror game for OSU:
“No doubt. We didn’t play our best basketball, I don’t know even know if there’s a better way to elaborate on it other than we didn’t play good and they did. I hate games like that; they always haunt me. I still have games haunt me from my sophomore year -- you know, Missouri at home. I can name them, that’s how much I think about them and this is definitely going to be one of those games. You just hate to lose. Not taking anything away from OU, but I’d rather them beat us when we’re playing our best basketball than from them to beat us and for us to beat ourselves in a way.”
Freshman Guard Markel Brown
On Cade Davis’ success against OSU:
“I twisted my ankle in the first half, so that kind of slowed me down a little bit. He was just kind of taking me off the dribble. He was really pulling off his shot and I couldn’t get to it.”
