Jan. 22, 2011

Recap | Box Score

Post-Game Quotes
Loyola 68, UIC 59
January 22, 2011

Loyola Head Coach Jim Whitesell
Opening Statement

"This was a hard fought game. Give UIC a lot of credit. We had a 19 or 20 point lead but they came back. That's a rivalry game. Howard's (Moore) group is going to keep after it. I thought we really played a good first half. And in the beginning of the second half, I was really happy with the way we played. We committed a couple of turnovers and then they got going offensively. It's a game of runs. I'm really happy with the win. Obviously, everyone would want everything perfect all the time, but it isn't going to happen. I really thought our seniors played very well. I thought Andy Polka really came up with things nobody noticed. Defensively, we came a little unglued at the end, but he's a guy who gets everyone in the huddle, talked about it defensively. He made a huge rebound and made free throws when they were making their run there."

On Geoff McCammon in the sixth-man role
"He's played very well off the bench this year. If you look at his stats, they are really good. He shots 50 percent from three. Look at his minutes, they don't change. If you look at the games he has come off the bench, he plays more minutes than when he starts."

Loyola senior guard Geoff McCammon

On not starting because he's trying to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award
"I definitely want to start, so that's not a truth. Basketball players want to start basketball games. It's coach's choice. I really didn't ask questions. He said `I'm going to bring you off the bench. I feel you're helping the team right now that way. Come off the bench ready to play.' I played 37 minutes, so I can't complain, right? I think I have been more productive off the bench. I'm not sure exactly why. I come in the same way ready to play. I can't complain with the results because I am playing better and still playing a lot."

On the team's up and down play
"We needed these two. We started struggling around winter break. Losing is never good. We needed this positive lift. The most important thing is we want to be playing our best basketball around March, so we try to get better defensively every week because that's one thing we can definitely control."

On how the team keeps this run going
"Practice, practice. Sometimes shots aren't going to fall, but the best teams play the best defense."