Mike Brey Notebook | Louisville Loss

Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey spoke following the 67-64 loss to Louisville on Saturday afternoon.

On the loss:
"Give them credit. They're really good. Sutton drilled two big ones. I feel for us. We had a chance to go up 7 and 4. We couldn't score a little more to get out of there today. I feel for them, but we have to regroup Monday." 

On the final possession:
"We were trying to ball screen. We lost it before the final possession. the game was freaking over because Sutton broke our back with two threes. 

I should of had Dane in the game. We put Dane in the press a little bit, but we gambled on defense on two possessions. We reached and ran into passing lanes and that hurt us. Our defense was really good and gave us a chance." 

On going small and taking Juwan Durham off the floor in the second half:
"Nwora is a guard. They don't play two bigs. We couldn't score. We had 24 points at halftime. I felt the four-guard lineup would get into a rhythm offensively and pray we could hold our own defensively. We did. 

"I never felt we could play two big guys against them. We couldn't space the floor. I don't know how many layups we missed that hurt us in the first half.

"The only way we were going to get back is if our guard lineup could score. Dane gave us a great lift.  It wasn't anything Juwan (Durham) or Nate wasn't doing. It was we had to just play our guards." 

On the back and forth game:
"We've been in three games like that in league play. We've only won one of them. I have a feeling we'll be in a lot of these. It's exhausting emotionally. I give our guys credit and they answered back a couple of times. 

"They're really good and they made big shots and executed big-time stuff when they were down four." 

On not being able to finish:
"It'd be nice to see us get over the hump. We're going to have to do it. We're going to have to make those plays to do it.

"It was a long week to come out of it 1-2. 2-1 is what we really needed right now." 

On frustration within the team:
"Maybe a little bit of disappointment because you think you have it won. I don't know if I really sense that, but we can watch it. You have to stay disciplined defensively even though you're up four and the crowd is cheering. You can't make a home run play on a reach. You have to stay disciplined. WE did that most of the half to get back in it. 

"Two possessions, we gambled. I think we were caught up in the crowd and felt superhuman. You have to stay solid. They're too good to gamble." 

On finishing:
"I thought we got over the hump at the Carrier Dome a little bit. We didn't on Wednesday night. 

"I really thought when we went up four that it would be so good for us to finish this one. You can't inject them with late-game confidence. 

"It's definitely not effort. We're fighting, scratching and flying all over the place. You have to have someone make a play. Prentiss did that at Syracuse. We just haven't been able to do that."