Notable quotes from Nebrasketball’s 81-76 victory over Southern.
Tim Miles on Jeriah Horne:
“That’s a hard question to answer but we played him and he came through. I credit his patience. We played small so we got out-rebounded so there were some things we gave up interiorly so that was a high-risk play but he got them back in bunches. We still got to figure out where he fits in in the rotation but I was very proud of him and that’s going to hopefully build his confidence a great deal.”
On non-conference play:
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that it was a grind. I think that this year we get one extra day off too, which will really help. I told them in there, I said, ‘Guys, we’re 6-6. We’re not where we want to be but we’ve also done something no one else has done. We’ve played the most difficult schedule in the country.’ There’s a lot to be said about toeing the line every night, except well one, and competing your butt off. I said, ‘I feel good about this team, I’m proud of you guys and I can’t wait to get you back to get ready for Big Ten play.'”
On the team’s energy:
“I think it came from the loss and that slap in the face of reality and then a really good, hard practice. Then these guys really believing that we can do it but we have to play a certain way. It was from the get-go I thought that they were into it. Even when these guys were hitting tough shots, the Southern guys hitting tough shots, we stop them three times and then they go down four straight possessions, hit a deep three, and then something weird happened and we threw it to them and they got one. We probably gave them, and this is no discredit because I love how Roman Banks coaches those guys, 12 or 15 points in the first half including that 35-footer off the glass. Then they got another one off the glass and then they got another one that crawled over the rim. So I thought, ‘Holy cow’ but they never lost energy. The crowd that was there was great. They were supportive of the guys. I really appreciate that. I thought these guys just kind of believed like, ‘If we play hard, we’re going to win.’ You’ve got to believe that regardless of whose name is across your opponent. Whether that be Gardner-Webb or Indiana or Maryland or anybody, right? I thought that was a good step forward.”
Horne on how he got going against Southern:
“I don’t know. I just got in the rhythm and I kept going, I guess. I trusted my teammates and they found me for open shots.”
On being ready for his shot to play:
“I think really just staying with it in practice just trying to get better and better. My teammates were with me the whole way making sure I stayed engaged in practice and making sure whenever I got my chance, I was ready for it.”
Glynn Watson Jr. on getting the win over Southern:
“It was very important. I mean, we knew we had to get the win and that’s what we got. We executed, we played like Coach Miles wanted us to play and we made some mistakes but we still did some good things down the end. Jeriah made some big plays for us, made some big shots also.”
On if they’re still thinking about Sunday’s loss to Gardner-Webb:
“I mean, a little bit but not really. We have to get past it. Big Ten play is about to start up so we’ve just got to get past it and look ahead. I think we’re .500 right now but we’ve got to look ahead. We’ve got Indiana and Maryland so it’s two games and we’ve got to get those Ws.”
Anton Gill on his confidence:
“Just trying to stick with it, just trying to stay aggressive and be ready. That was the biggest thing for me, just staying with it.”
On how he played after making his first shot:
“It’s definitely a lot easier, I’ll say that. Sometimes you get caught in a tough spot and you think about it a little bit but after hitting that first one, you kind of just relax and get into the flow of the game and I think that really helped me tonight.”
Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.
