NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - GRAND CANYON VS IOWA

March 20, 2021

Jovan Blacksher

Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Grand Canyon Lopes

Postgame Media Conference

Iowa - 86, Grand Canyon - 74

Q. What did you think of this experience playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time?

JOVAN BLACKSHER, JR.: I'm grateful, blessed, I'm grateful, grateful for this opportunity. We had our fans out here, they brought the energy, March Madness, it's just an amazing feeling.

Q. When you guys got into that hole and you guys made a little bit of a run, made some shots, but then they would answer right back. What was the challenge you guys faced on defense against those guys?

JOVAN BLACKSHER, JR.: We knew they were a good shooting team. This is college basketball, so they're going to hit shots, we're going to hit shots, so happened they got to hit more shots. So we just, we couldn't fold, we had to stick to our principles and contest shots, unfortunately they were making it, so we just had to run our structure.

Q. Did you feel any more nerves today than your normal game or did you, did it seem like a normal game when you were out there?

JOVAN BLACKSHER, JR.: I wouldn't say nerves, I would say more excitement. The energy here, energy from our fans, it just boosted me a little bit. So I wouldn't say nervous, I would say excitement.

Q. In the locker room after the game can you kind of take us inside the emotions, the finality of the season, but also were you able to enjoy it all, the journey to get to this point?

JOVAN BLACKSHER, JR.: Yeah, of course. It sucks that we lost, but to be here with these group of guys, our coaching staff, the brotherhood that we built, we just can't get over that. So, yeah, it sucks we lost, but to be here and with these guys, I mean it means everything.

Q. What do you think you guys could have done better as a team to stay in the game a little longer?

JOVAN BLACKSHER, JR.: Rebound. We definitely needed to rebound better and defense on the defensive end, just be more together, talk and then close out with the rebounds.