Related pages Box score Season summary advertisement [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Roy Williams - "The second half was a lot of fun. I didn't jump around much; I just enjoyed watching us play. We got into a little bit better rhythm in the second half on the offensive end. We shot a better percentage. We got the backboards covered a lot better. The first half they just demolished us on the backboards. They outrebounded us by 11 at halftime. Then at the end of the game we had outrebounded them by five. So we outrebounded them by 16 in the second half. And then on the defensive end we cut down on their second shots, and the zone (2-3) was important to us. We went to the zone just out searching, that's all I can tell you. We probably practiced it 10 to 15 minutes the entire season and hadn't played it in a game yet, but it was important today. "I hope there's a few more comebacks, even though if we play many more first halfs like we did today my heart won't stand it. "They just totally dominated the game. They came in here, the crowd didn't bother them, they played with great poise, they were quicker than us to every rebound, they were quicker than us to every loose ball.... I told the kids at the half I was embarrassed; they should be. But the fact of the matter was about four days before we had been up 19 in the second half and the other team went to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game. So they knew it could be done, and I just asked them to believe it could be and if they'd believe it, then we could do it. "I've said since I came here eight years ago, if you give kids a chance to play then they're not scared when they get in the game in the first place. TJ Pugh, Ryan Robertson, BJ Williams - those guys came off the bench - were really important to us. Billy (Thomas) makes a three to get us going there in one stretch. Our depth was extremely important to us today, as it's always gonna be. "Paul (Pierce) came alive a little bit more today, started feeling a little bit more sure of himself out there. He's still a little careless. he added a few more gray hairs to my head. But I think everybody felt comfortable with what they were doing, they knew what we wanted them to do. I was most concerned about playing the freshmen in the zone because they hadn't had it but the few, very limited number of times we've done it this year. The veterans, at least it was the same zone we've played in the past. "I think the game may have meant a little bit more to the California kids than anybody else. I don't know if I took Jacque (Vaughn) out in the second half. If I did, it was only one time. I just felt like he had that look on his face he was determined to make something happen. And besides that, I told him I was tired of reading about this daggum new diet. He's played like a dog, and if he'd played poorly today I was going to make him start eating red meat." UCLA coach Jim Harrick - "We turned the ball over a lot, and we didn't play quite as well. We didn't make the passes we needed to make around the KU zone. I thought we got good shots, but our passing wasn't good. "I thought they (KU) played awfully well in the second half. You have to play two halves to win the national championship. they played great the second half. "I think we lost our legs a little bit and got worn down, but we'll make repairs. "This team isn't even close (to last year's national championship team). Last year we beat Kentucky in the second game of the year, and this team is not even near that. "I think we're getting back on track. I saw some things I thought we did pretty well today. I like the way we competed. This is a tough place to play, but if we continue to play like this, we'll be all right."