What Race Thompson Said After Indiana's 89-75 Loss to Arizona in Las Vegas

Indiana forward Race Thompson scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but it wasn't enough to take down No. 10 Arizona on Saturday. Here's what Thompson said after the game, with video attached.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Indiana dug itself a 27-8 hole in the first half, but forward Race Thompson hit a trio of 3-pointers to make it a five-point game with 3:47 left in the half. 

Thompson finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, but Indiana lost 89-75 to Arizona on Saturday in Las Vegas. Here's what Thompson said after the game.

On Arizona's front court play...

Thompson: It's a really good team. They got big guys, and I think they just beat us up on the glass a little bit and that hurt us. Same thing happened in the Rutgers game. I think if we win the backboard, rebounding game, I think it's a way better game and we have a better chance to win.

On Indiana's run in the first half...

Thompson: I think we just had to find our rhythm a little bit. I think everybody just had to kind of settle down. We're playing in Vegas, big stage, it's a lot of fun, but I think we just had to find our rhythm and settle down a little bit. That's what we talked about in timeouts.

On Arizona's 17-0 run...

Thompson: I think I just saw, we just weren't doing the things that we practice every day. We practice nail, slot, rim and they beat us at playing our own game. I mean we pride ourselves on rebounding and playing defense, and we let up too many points tonight and I think that was a spark to that. Giving up 45 points in the first half is too many for us.

On what Arizona did and what Indiana failed to do...

Thompson: I think it's a combination of both. That's a really good team we just played. I wish we could tip it up right now again, but I think it's just a combination of both.

On Thompson's 3-point shooting...

Thompson: I give all the credit to my teammates and coaches on that one. In the past couple games I wasn't as confident, and this whole week they preached to me and believed in me and after I missed that first one, they said, 'Shoot it again,' and I think that just keeps giving me confidence that coach wants me to shoot it, my teammates know I can shoot it. So I think that just gives me confidence, and I give all the credit to my teammates.

On Arizona's 3-point shooting...

Thompson: They definitely hurt. I know we were down two and they hit a big 3 to put them up five. Those shots hurt, and I think all those shots came off of offensive rebounds, if I'm not mistaken, almost all of them came off of offensive rebounds. When you get offensive rebounds, those are high-percentage 3s, so I feel like those always go in. So if we win that battle on the glass, it's a different game.

On adjustments Indiana made to make runs...

Thompson: It was toughen up, really. We're here, we're playing, you've got to wake up and play. I think that's all it really was. We had to wake up and put our foot on the gas and not let it off. I think if we had started the game off like that again, it might be a different game.

On the game feeling like the NCAA Tournament...

Thompson: It was a fun game, for sure. A lot of energy on both sides. It was like 50/50 in the fans, and it definitely had that feeling.

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