Post-game quotes

Post-game QuotesArkansas vs. Mississippi StateJan. 10, 2009

Arkansas Head Coach John Pelphrey“Mississippi State played very well, especially in the second half. They came in with defense and executed offensively at a high level. It was better than ours. They made big-time shots and their guards played well. You’ve got to give them credit. This was a tough loss for us. We just didn’t make the most of our opportunities.”

On three-point shots“We got good looks but just didn’t make the shots. Those shots played a big part in the game. Mississippi State was able to make a lot more.

On Michael Washington“He had a good game. He had a double-double and played 38 minutes. We really just wore him out.”

“We have 16 games left. We are quite halfway through the season so we’ve just got to pick ourselves up and move on. We had no excuses for tonight. Mississippi State outplayed and outcoached us tonight. We need to respond well to our next two road games.”

Arkansas PlayersMarcus Monk“Every loss is disappointing. This is at the other end of the spectrum of success but this was the first conference game and there are many more to come. We just had a little stumble. We have to get those steals and stops to be able to score on the fastbreaks.”

Stephan Welsh“First of all you have to give credit to Coach Stansbury and Mississippi State. They executed very well. They took advantage of every opportunity and they hit their shots. Our shots just wouldn’t fall. They played a good game.”

“It was just not our night. It is very disappointing to lose the conference opener. But you have got to remember that we have six freshmen and this was their very first SEC game. Now we have to lace up and be ready to play on the road. You can’t have an off night in SEC play. Mississippi State was able to make crucial shots when it counted. This will definitely be a learning experience for us.”

Rotnei Clark“This was a very disappointing loss. The biggest key will be if we are able to bounce back on the road. I feel like we were prepared for this game and had a lot of fire. Mississippi State just shot better and were able to hit those crucial shots.”

Mississippi State Head Coach Rick Stansbury“John (Pelphrey) has this team playing great. It’s hard to win in this environment and we probably didn’t catch them on their best night. I don’t think I’ve brought a team in here that kept their composure like these guys.”

“I told my team we had to control Fortson and Washington, and I thought we did that. Washington got most of his points off of offensive rebounds, and there’s nothing much we can do about that with the lack of size on this team.”

“Dee Bost showed great grittiness and toughness, and showed that he could play well on the road. He did a good job keeping Fortson out of the lane. He is one of the best in this league at getting to the basket and we did a good job keeping him out.”

“It’s a special win for us. Two of the best teams in the country came in here and lost. Tonight we found ways to do some things. I have to give our guys all of the credit, they played great.”

Mississippi State PlayersDee Bost“We knew we had to take control, not be careless, stay poised and make plays. As a freshman it’s tough to come into an environment like this but I just fed off the crowd tonight. Knowing that (Arkansas) just beat two top ten teams – this is a good win for us. We just need to keep winning and stay consistent.”

“Courtney Forston was a great challenge. He is fast and strong, the best guard I’ve seen this year. There were a few words between us on the court but not too bad. It’s all part of the game.”

Barry Stewart“This win means a lot. It’s the first SEC game for us and they have a great crowd. This has kind of been a rivalry for us for the last few years. Confidence is important but the main thing is focus. I give all the credit to our coaching staff for getting us focused tonight. I was very impressed with Dee’s play. This is the best he has played defensively. He’s very quick and he’s going to be very good.”

Jarvis Varnado“We knew we had to come in with energy. (Arkansas) was riding on a big win the previous week over Texas. We knew we could win we just had to work hard. (Arkansas) looked really good against Texas. The coaches told us to keep our poise and that’s what we did tonight.”