Recap | Box Score

OAKLAND 82, OREGON 79 (0T)
McARTHUR COURT
NOVEMBER 17, 2008

HEAD COACH Greg Kampe

On learning from the Cleveland State game tonight
"You know we had to learn how to win and it took all that crap, the missed free throws and that bomb at the end to try and win it in regulation. When Derick (Nelson) got hurt, we became a young team, that's what people don't understand. We had three freshmen, two freshmen, four freshmen on the floor at one time and they have to learn how to win. They couldn't do that at Cleveland State and this is going to go a long way in to making us a good team. We missed a million free throws, but we made five key ones down the end of regulation, and then that bad play (JJ's foul at the end to give Tajuan Porter three free throw shots to tie the game). And I think JJ fouled him, 55 feet from the basket you can't do that. If he throws it in, he throws it in."

On Johnathon Jones' performance tonight
"Are you going to tell me that he couldn't play anywhere in the country. That kid can play anywhere in the country and he proved it on a Pac-10 floor, one of the hardest places in the country to win and JJ was the man out there. (Tajuan) Porter is a great player, but JJ was the best player on the court."

On Blake Cushingberry becoming more comfortable out there
"He's a freshman. He had a bad freshman first game. He was nervous. The whole preseason he was feeling comfortable coming off the bench and all of a sudden he's a starter. We're trying to replace a great player and he had a bad game (Cleveland State), but came back tonight and was great."

On not being intimidated
"Well look at what we did. They played as well as they could have in the first half and we hung in there. We led the whole way and then they made a run and this place went nuts, and it's so loud here and we handled that. We came out to start the second half and went in to the box and one (defense) and what people don't realize is JJ was guarding (Tajuan) Porter one on one, with everybody else playing zone, and he shut him down. He couldn't even get a look. So not only did JJ do it on the offensive end, he did it on the defensive end too."

On the early foul trouble for the Grizzlies
"I bet if you look at the stats, when he (Keith Benson) is on the floor, we probably lead by eight to 10 points. You know he's a pretty good player. He's in foul trouble, (Blake) Cushingberry is in foul trouble and we're using combinations that we didn't even dream we would be using. They took the lead and the place went nuts and we handled it. We fought, weathered the storm. We came out the second half, changed our defense, going to that box and one, and they struggled with it. I thought if we could get a close game, because they are so young, they would struggle to score if we could take Porter out of the game. They had it going in the first half and feeling good and the crowd was in it, but we hung in there and I'm very proud of our guys. You know I can't tell you when you lose a player of the caliber of Derick Nelson what it does to your team and their psyche. We had three freshmen on the floor at one time too. We had three freshmen on the floor out there, and played four. So we went from an experienced team with young backups, to playing young kids. Now our Johnathon Jones, you can't tell me he can't play anywhere in the country. (Erik) Kangas can play anywhere in the country and our young kids are good. We think we have a really good team, the best team in 25 years of coaching that I've ever had. To come in to a historic building like this, and handle adversity and do it in overtime, after that had happened and Jones played 45 minutes. To do what he did and for us not to make our free throws, I'm just happy for these kids."

On what he said before overtime
"This is exactly what I said, `fellows, we came here to learn. This is the greatest learning experience we can have. We have to show that we can come back from adversity. This one that was taken from you, now win it again.' That's what I said."

On going to Jones because he was hot or had an advantage?
"We went to Jones a lot because when the big kid (Keith Benson) got in to foul trouble, it's Jones, Kangas or him, because our leading scorer is not here. We wouldn't go to him that much if Derick Nelson was here, but he's not. He had the hot hand, but it was a combination of things."

On where he ranks this win
"It's a great one. When we beat them last year they were nationally ranked and we all thought that one was one of the better ones, but I think this one is even better. To come here, and they knew about us, because last year they didn't, it's special. I'm a basketball guy, and when I came in here and saw this place, I was in heaven. Oregon has a storied tradition and this place is a very tough building to play in, the fans are great, so yes its right up there."

Johnathon Jones

On the nine-game road swing to start the season
"We just have to keep building and growing. We have a young team with (Derick) Nelson not being here which adds more pressure to the young guys to come out and produce and they did tonight. (Blake) Cushingberry had nine points and (Keith) Benson gave us solid minutes, even though he was in foul trouble."

On what he said to his teammates going in to overtime after the momentum shift
"Really they were talking to me because I committed that foul and they were really picking me up. I have to applaud them for that, because I was down. They told me to just keep going, we have five minutes to play."

On getting up for these BCS conference games
"I mean if you don't get up for these types of games, there is something wrong with you. This gym, this environment, you can't help but get up for."

On the environment at McArthur Court
"This was a great environment. Great fans, everything, this was a great place to play."

On comparing McArthur Court to another place he has played
"Right now I can't compare it to anything that I have seen, but we will see after we play Syracuse next Friday in the Carrier Dome."