Post-Game Quotes

Arkansas vs. Missouri

December 2, 2005

Arkansas Head Coach Stan Heath

“Missouri played hard the whole game. They didn’t fold. I give them credit because they struggled, but they kept coming at us. At times our defense was excellent. We had a lot of fast breaks created by our defense.

“We thought we had the game under control (after halftime). All of a sudden they were making threes and (other) shots. They made shots even when our guys were in their vicinity. That was upsetting, but we fought to win and stopped their offense.

“We improved on rebounding. We got second and third opportunities, so I am very pleased. Some free throws we didn’t knock down, but Dontell (Jefferson) stepped up and made them in the end.”

Arkansas Guard Jonathon Modica

“The fans showed a lot of support and it was a great basketball game. They kept us in the game. I felt like Missouri couldn’t guard me. Coach Heath told us to continue being aggressive and try to draw fouls. He wanted us to catch them sleeping.”

Arkansas Guard Ronnie Brewer

“Every game is a learning experience. They played us really hard and came back, but we showed a lot of character. Coach told us to just play solid. They stepped up a lot at the end so we had to step up defensively.”

Arkansas Forward Darian Townes

“We didn’t fold up and collapse. We stayed strong. Playing the Big 12 schools is really a challenge for us, but we have been showing a lot of growth.”

Missouri Head Coach Quin Snyder

“I’m really proud of our effort – to be down and come back in the end and get in the position to win.

“Arkansas does a great job of playing to their strengths. Brewer becomes the difference. He made every big play and he just improves everyone else.

“Our team grew up a little tonight as far as playing together. Some of it is youth and some of it is discipline. We were playing against a different level of athletes tonight. For the most part our effort was really good.

“In the second half we started playing better together and better offensively. We pivoted, faked, worked, found people and made some shots. We were more cohesive offensively.

“They’ve got a better feel for who they are as a team. Brewer and Modica have a great connection and they play well off one another. As their big guys become more confident their team will become even better.

“We weren’t able to finish the game but I thought we stuck together and trusted each other. They all stepped up and everybody made plays.”

Missouri Guard Jason Horton

“He’s (Ronnie Brewer) a really good player because he’s so versatile. He hit some big shots for them down the stretch. I think that last look was a better look than any coach could draw up, it just didn’t go down for us.”

Missouri Guard Thomas Gardner

“Arkansas is probably the most athletic team we’ve played. They have a big lineup and they were really long on defense. Tonight was a whole different level of a team than we’ve seen this year. It seemed like every time we made a push they came up with big shots or created a turnover with their defense.”