That was the only thing that was disappointing about the first half.

This team is so young that, sometimes, I am not sure they even realize how big this game was. I tried to keep them loose and we just came in pretty relaxed. That is what you have to do with young kids. Kids are resilient. Sometimes, it is the grown-ups who put more pressure on themselves than the players.

This was huge win for us. I feel like any time a team can get to .500 in a conference as good as the Big East, then they should receive an NCAA Tournament bid. The worst we can finish is .500. In the preseason, people thought we wouldn't even make the conference tournament.

We didn't lose this game from lack of effort. I give credit to Connecticut because they are a top-notch program. But I am proud of our team and our effort.

The fact that we got 70 shots is amazing. That's being a little bit tight. That's what happens when you play a great team. Connecticut weathered the storm. They're a great team.

They were better conditioned than us and are superior athletes. This game showed my players how hard you have to work to compete at this level. We are closing the gap, and I feel good about this team.