NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON

March 20, 2021

Joe Pasternack

Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)

UCSB Gauchos

Postgame Media Conference

Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62

JOE PASTERNACK: We played a heck of a basketball team today. We have so much respect for Creighton. They had a really, really good season. They're very, very well-coached. They're very difficult to play against, and I thought our guys competed as well as we can compete and really had a chance at the end to win it.

A couple details down the stretch hurt us, but I was very proud of our guys' effort.

Q. You mentioned obviously not the result you wanted today, but how proud are you of your team and how they competed all season to get to this point?

JOE PASTERNACK: Yeah, I just got finished talking to our guys, and it's a very difficult time for all of them and our whole staff because the game was right there for us, and this game can't define our season. Our players did such an amazing job through off the court with COVID, on the court competing for championships, being the first conference championship since 2003, sole championship, getting the conference tournament championship, and it was an unbelievable historical season for UCSB.

It's a tough way to go down today.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your team's experience here in Indianapolis, obviously playing in kind of a different looking tournament this year with all the games in Indiana. Talk about some of the positives from that experience for your team.

JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I'll tell you what, the NCAA, their planning is unbelievable. I think it's to their credit, Dan Gavitt's credit, for the leadership and how detailed they have things so there could be an NCAA Tournament. I was just fortunate and our team is so grateful to have been involved in such a historical event.

Q. Obviously a tight game throughout but not able to pull it out down the stretch. Are there one or two things that you noticed that kind of prevented you guys from being able to get the win today?

JOE PASTERNACK: You know, I thought they had some really key offensive rebounds that hurt us, especially the one at the end. Last four minutes of the first half, they scored 11 points, and I think that really hurt us. But we held Creighton in the second half to 29 points, and that's really tough to do. Credit to them. They're a great team, great coaching staff. They do a great job.

Q. Looking forward into next year, what are some positives you think your program can really take from this experience here?

JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I think our guys got a taste of winning championships, going to the NCAA Tournament, and I don't think anybody is satisfied. We weren't happy just to be here. We wanted to advance, and I think there will be a hunger, a chip on our shoulder moving forward.

Q. Coach, I kind of want to talk about that run at the end of the second half. Earlier JaQuori couldn't really get going, he was doubled off the screens. What were some adjustments you made to get him the ball and get your team going?

JOE PASTERNACK: Well, I thought we set some more off-the-ball screens so he wouldn't be doubled, and I thought that really helped him.