Here's What Forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson Said After the Hoosiers' Loss to the Spartans

Forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson address the media following Indiana's 76-61 loss to the Michigan State Spartans. Read their full transcript, or watch the entire press conference.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — On Saturday, Indiana dropped its third straight game of the season to Michigan State who outlasted the Hoosiers 76-61 in East Lansing. 

Junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of three Hoosiers to score in double figures with 17 points. Redshirt senior forward Race Thompson was the only Hoosier with a double-double scoring 13 points and tallying 14 rebounds.

Here's what Jackson-Davis and Thompson said in a post game press conference. Read their transcript, or just watch the attached video.

Q: On not getting shots...

JACKSON-DAVIS: I really just think that at the end of the day, there weren't any shots. Parker, who's a phenomenal shooter for our team, struggled today, and sometimes that happens, so we tried to pick up the slack, but when you're not hitting shots, it can start packing everything in, so it makes it tough on us a little bit. 

We got to keep grinding away and listening to Coach Woodson, what he's saying throughout plays to get us shots, and we just weren't hitting them.

Q: On Jackson-Davis's play Saturday...

JACKSON-DAVIS: I just think that I'm going too quick. I'm trying to read the double team too fast, and then at the same time I feel like in the first half, I was kind of going away from it, but in the second half, I got more comfortable and started going more into the contact, getting free throws and finishing, so I thought I adjusted well in the second half but at the same time, still tough.

Q: On the competition...

THOMPSON: I think both teams were just competing hard. We both wanted to win. We both lost two in a row, and I mean you lose two in a row, you get a little frustrated. 

You got to give it your all. I mean, that's just what competing is. It's going to get a little bit chippy when you go out there and play your hardest, so I mean it's really nothing. It's every game if you see it or not, but it makes sense to what competition's about for me.

Q: On what needs improvement...

THOMPSON: I think we could just be better guarding our man individually and then guarding ball screens as well. I mean we struggled in that area. 

I think we've been struggling in that area throughout the season a little bit, but we haven't gotten exposed very much, so I think we just need to get back to work. We have a couple days to prepare, and we're going to work on all those things so we'll be ready to play come Tuesday I think.

Q: On the emotions...

THOMPSON: I mean we love competing. We love playing basketball. It's not a game when we go out there — we're not going to sit here — I mean of course we're upset about our loss, but I mean you can't sit here and dwell on it. 

Like I said, you can't get too down on yourself. I think we just got to know — we just got to get back to work. We got to really lock in, because we're not trying to let another win slip away from us, especially at home. We don't want to lose another game at home. 

Q: On the defense...

JACKSON-DAVIS: Really, it's just a matter of me. Personally, I need to stab out further, and I think our guards getting to the ball was a big issue tonight. 

We were pressing the ball, so you don't get hit by the screen and have to switch on coverages, so that was a big issue. Again, X was out almost all the first half, so the head of our defensive snake was gone so that was big, but at the same time, we got to go back to practice and work on it.

Q: On two teams wanting the win so bad...

JACKSON-DAVIS: I just think like Race said, two teams playing extremely hard and getting chippy. 

When you have someone who hits you, you don't him them back because that's just how it goes because we're not soft. They're not soft so we just go toe to toe with them, and obviously they got the better hand of us, but hopefully we see them again.

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• GAME STORY: Indiana made some personnel adjustments on Saturday at Michigan State, but they didn't work out like Mike Woodson had hoped in a 76-61 loss that featured more poor shooting and a rare off night defensively. CLICK HERE
• WHAT MIKE WOODSON SAID: Indiana coach Mike Woodson took to the podium following Indiana's 76-61 loss to Michigan State. Read his full transcript, or watch the attached video of the press conference. CLICK HERE
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