Postgame Quotes

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett

On Kihei Clark's play and shot:
"They went small and started switching. We had a decision to make, we didn't have the matchups defensively, but I wanted to get Jay [Huff] on the floor for rebounds, post-ups. It was hard matchups but they actually did okay. Kihei, he's done it and he continues to do it. He made the big shot and we needed every ounce of it. So, I just can't say enough about what he's got going on inside here [heart], and it's a great way to finish off the regular season for him and of course the others. It was a clutch shot."

On eight straight Senior Day wins and this year's seniors:
"I kind of thanked them for what they've meant to this program yesterday before practice and after practice. I said 'as much as I'd love it if [Boston College] could get it and you can get a share of the ACC title, that doesn't take away from what just transpired in terms of the effort you put out there ,how you play and what you've done this year, and for your careers here.' To start with Braxton [Key], terrific. For him to make that decision to come here, he was patient last year and in big moments did some big things for us. Then Mamadi [Diakite], for five years has been here and just thinking of that and watching him mature and seeing how joyfully he is, emotional, and you could just see he did not want to be denied. Very thankful that they got to end that way but so much more left."

On where team is heading into postseason:
"I think we've improved. We were really close when we were losing, and we're still really close when we're winning. We've just improved a little bit. I think we had a nice defensive outing today. I think with the emergence, for that stretch, of Tomas [Woldetensae], although he didn't shoot as well today, his improved play, Jay [Huff] has stepped up I think Mamadi [Diakite] and Kihei [Clark] have been very good and Braxton [Key]. I just think guys have just moved the needle a little bit and it's been enough. We know what our lifeline is, trying to be as good as we can defensively, and we had good stretches of offense today. You hope you're always healthy, and you're playing sound quality basketball heading into to the ACC tournament and, obviously, the NCAA Tournament as well."

Louisville Head Coach Chris Mack

Opening Statement:
"I'll start off by giving Virginia a lot of credit. They have gotten so much better throughout the course of the season. They are playing their best basketball of the year. I am proud of my group for being able to get back in the game and make it anyone's game with two-and-a-half minutes left. I thought our guys found a way to start getting stops and scoring a little bit and put ourselves in a position to win. I am disappointed that we couldn't finish the deal but there are two teams competing out there and Virginia did a great job defensively. We didn't do what we needed to do defensively."

On second-half comeback:
"We started to get some defensive stops. For a while, at the end of the first half and beginning of second, we went zone and both zone and man weren't very effective. We were letting our offensive struggles, that Virginia had everything to do with, really contribute to not having our motor running on the defensive end. I give our guys a lot of credit for being able to find themselves again defensively and begin to put some stops together. A few times we scored in transition, but it just made the game feel different once we started getting stops."

On Kihei Clark:
"He is a gamer. I mean look at all the plays he has made down the stretch. I have seen it since he was in AAU when he was in California. He is a floor general. He makes his mistakes, but he doesn't bow his head or put his head down. He continues to play, and he's got some moxie, that is for sure."

On going small in second half:
"I think it is a different way to play. I know that Virginia Tech, a lot of the times when they had five guys out there and went small, they took [Jay] Huff out of the game a lot of the times. I felt like if they kept him in, with [Mamadi] Diakite, then it would be hard to keep up with them defensively. I thought with five small guys we could be tough enough defensively and we were for a little bit. So that was our thinking, I thought we needed to change things rather than keep going punch-for-punch in the low post with our bigs and their bigs."

Virginia Junior Forward Jay Huff

On winning on senior night:
"Absolutely. That is the best sendoff we can give them, especially with a team like Louisville. We really wanted to win to honor them and what they have done for the program."

On Louisville going small late in the game:
"Maybe a little bit surprised but not really. I've guarded smaller people before, most of the time in high school I was guarding guys smaller than me, so I am kind of used to it. I am glad that it worked out."

Virginia Sophomore Point Guard Kihei Clark

On his late game confidence
"I mean I am always confident. My teammates allow me to be confident. I know they trust me to make the play no matter if it's a pass or a shot. So, I just go out there and try to do my job and try to make a play."

On his posting up:
"We work on playing off two in the paint in practice, so I just try to be aggressive and make my shot. I guess it's in my repertoire now."

Virginia Senior Forward Mamadi Diakite

On preparation for this game:
"I treated it just like the rest of the games. I knew our job was not done yet. We had to come in against a big caliber team, and get it done. I remember the last time we played them we did not execute very well, and I thought we looked lukewarm on defense at the beginning of the game. That changed towards the end."

On how dangerous this team is:
"I don't think that was our best basketball yet, but it was a really good game. We needed this. We are going to keep evolving no matter what. Like I said, the job is not done, we're going to turn the page and focus on resting our bodies and getting ready for the ACC tournament."

University of Louisville Athletics

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