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Troy (16-14, 8-8) 67 at UTA (23-6, 13-3) 82
Monday, February 27, 2017
College Park Center • Arlington, Texas

Postgame Quotes

UTA Head Coach Scott Cross
"Tonight was just a special, special night. I don't think I could have scripted it any better. All four of our seniors were awesome tonight. Three of them had unbelievable offensive nights. Drew (Charles) hit a couple of threes as well. But, you look at his defense and what he did against a guy who was absolutely on fire the previous game (Wesley Person). He did an unbelievable job. Everybody contributed. It was the perfect game. Our guys came in with the right attitude. They have a defensive mentality and everything worked out perfectly. I am just so thankful we were able to send those seniors out on a bright note. They definitely embody everything I try to teach on a daily basis. Those guys embrace it and buy into every single aspect of the program."

On earning his 200th victory as a head coach:
"Honestly, it is just a number. The important thing (tonight) was the seniors. Those guys have given everything they had. For them to have a perfect home record for their senior year and to go out with a bang and win a championship on their last home game. That's what I'll remember. It was emotional. I'm not looking forward to their last game. I know I'll cry like a baby when we lose those guys because of what they've meant to the program."

On watching his team cut down the nets:
"That was awesome. To watch those guys get a chance to do that is something. When we look back at the years when we won championships, it is the cutting down of the nets, the police escort when you go to the NCAA Tournament. It is just that time you share together is what you really remember. That is a huge thing for those guys, something they will never forget for the rest of their lives."

On having games left on the schedule:
"It is going to be a grind. Hervey's knee was bothering him a little tonight. I'm going to give the guys a day off tomorrow. Hopefully, they can recover. We'll practice (Wednesday) then head down to Monroe. They are a very capable team. They are very good at home. We are going to have to play our best basketball. Of course, (Louisiana) is one of the harder places to play. It doesn't get any easier. Then, we turn right around and it is conference tournament time. The good thing about it is that it has been basically that was for us for about the last five games. We have had to treat things like a conference tournament. It has prepared us for that time. We have to continue to take them one game at a time, one possession at a time and make up our mind we are going to be the toughest team."

UTA senior forward Jorge Bilbao
How did it feel to get the win:
"This feels great. It is an unbelievable feeling. This is the result of many years of hard work. Many boot camps, many things, much adversity. We took care of business tonight and we get to celebrate here. We are home on Senior Night. It is just unbelievable. I am really proud of my teammates for taking care of me."

On the fact that there are two games remaining:
"We have two games left in the regular season. Then, we have the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. We have to take care of business. We are not done yet. We have plenty of things left to do."

UTA senior guard Drew Charles
On how a kid from Azle gets to UTA and wins a championship:
"We have a lot of pride and a lot of toughness. We take the stairs every day. Finally, we took the stairs to (cut down) the nets tonight. This is just great."

On the fact that there are two games remaining:
"We are just getting started. We have two more conference games that we want to win, then we have the conference tournament. Our ultimate goal is the Dance. That is what we are shooting for."

UTA junior forward Kevin Hervey
On Scott Cross getting his 200th victory as a head coach:
"That is amazing. It is a great accomplishment as a head coach. I just hope we can get him number 201 on Thursday."

On the seniors going out with a championship:
"It is beautiful. Jorge and Drew have been here four and five years. They have given their life for this program. Jalen and Faith have given their lives too, for two years. It is amazing and such a great feeling. I am happy for them. I love them and I wish them the best. But, we still have two more games."

On the fact that there are two games remaining:
"Well, we hope to go to Louisiana and sweep our two games this weekend. We are going to put in the work, like we always do. Hopefully, it will pay off like it has so far."

Troy Head Coach Phil Cunningham
" The thing that stands out about tonight's game is that UTA is what they seem. They are playing at a high level right now and I think they've got a chance at an at-large bid. I think they deserve to get an at-large bid, even if they don't the win the (Sun Belt) tournament. They were ready to go tonight, it was their senior night. They were playing to clinch the title and it showed."

On Troy's first half offensively:
"They were really good defensively and we came out earlyand established Varnado as our scorer. They made some adjustments that slowed us and slowed him down. One thing we talked about before the game is that they're going to make you play fast but you have to try and play smart. I thought we had a stretch in the first half, but at the eight minute mark we didn't play very smart. We took some quick shots, took some three's we didn't need to take, and allowed them to get going. That's how they got to lead at half-time."

On how Troy was impacted by UTA's defense:
"They create turnovers with their defense because they're so quick, athletic and they're deep so they run a lot of guys at you. They sped us up. We didn't handle that stretch very well and it allowed them to take the lead. We had a small run in the second half to try and get back in the game, but they made enough plays to hold us off. "