NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - UCSB VS CREIGHTON

March 20, 2021

Christian Bishop

Lucas Oil Stadium - Unity Court (South)

Creighton Bluejays

Postgame Media Conference

Creighton 63, UC Santa Barbara 62

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by Christian Bishop. And we'll begin the press conference.

Q. Christian, how are you feeling? It felt like you expended a lot of energy out there today. And then what did it take to kind of keep punching back when they wouldn't go away?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, that's a really tough team to play against. Those guys play hard. It feels good. Feels really good to step up to the line and hit those two big free throws. I know I've been practicing every day, so it's just nice seeing the hard work pay off.

Q. Christian, did you ever envision -- you play a full season, the idea of it coming down to you at the free-throw line? I wonder, did that thought ever cross your mind this year?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, like just whenever you're in the gym at midnight or whatever, just shooting around, you envision like three, two, one, you go and take the last shot. It's fun seeing it come true, and I just took a step and smelled the roses honestly when I was out there. I knew I practiced it before, so I was ready to hit the shots.

Q. Christian, what does it say about this team that when UC Santa Barbara goes on that 11-2 run to take the lead back, that you guys didn't give in and were able to meet the fight and find a way?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I feel like it shows a lot of resiliency from these guys. We were able to make plays down the stretch and play good defense at the end. That took care of the rest of the game and brought us energy.

Q. Denzel in the first half, that jump ball play where he's flexing and talking, it seemed like it gave you guys a jolt. I don't know if you remember that play or not.

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah.

Q. Did that spark you guys? Seemed like you got quite a roll --

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, definitely. When plays like that happen in the game, it's just like the little victories that give you a lot of energy to push through the rest of the game, so definitely got us going.

Q. Just one more about the line; that's a pressure situation. You said you kind of stopped and smelled the roses. What did go through your mind? Did it totally go blank? How did you process all of that?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yesterday when I was shooting free throws, I was like, why am I missing, why am I missing, and one of the coaches said, just tell yourself you're going to make it, it's a mental thing. So I just gave myself the confidence and I hit the shots.

Q. Christian, for you, just to enter this week, can you explain kind of what the last week had been like leading up to this game and what you guys' mentality was heading into this, a week removed from that performance you had in the Big East title game, to now put that away and do what you did today and get on the board in this tournament?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, it was a really bad loss that we had against Georgetown, but we just have to put that aside and realize we're better than how we played. Just taking it a day at a time, and it's all about preparation. You prepare the right way, you're going to perform the right way, so we did that correctly.

Q. You guys have hard heads and try to get the ball out of playmakers' hands all year and you've been a big part in that, but with this specific game plan, how much effort did you have to expend trying to keep McLaughlin under control as he navigated around those ball screens?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, man, he's a quick really good player. We've got a lot of guys like that in the NBA -- not in the NBA but in the Big East. Going up against Marcus and Shareef every day in practice, they're just as fast as he is, so I was already prepared for it.

Q. When they hit that initial 11-2 run, I know their run was a little bit bigger to get that six-point lead, but when they went on that 11-2 run after you guys went up 10, what did you tell yourselves in those huddles down the stretch to not let the moment kind of overwhelm you and let the game get away from you?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, we knew that wasn't us. We just had to find our identity, and once we did that and we came together as a group, we knew we could succeed, and that's what we did.

Q. Christian, what can you say in key moments in this game about the way Mitch Ballock found a way to deliver for this team?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, the dude is shooting like 40 percent something from the three-point line. We've seen him hit the craziest shots all year. We trust him and he has the confidence to shoot the ball. So when he shoots it, it goes in. And we're excited to see what he's got to come because he keeps on doing it every game.

Q. What was the locker room scene like? It's an emotional win, any win in the NCAA Tournament is big, but you guys celebrate pretty good in there?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, everybody is really excited. We celebrated, but then we just regrouped and now we've got to get prepared for our next game.

Q. Christian, obviously everybody heartbroken about the way that last season ended and you had this two-year wait for March Madness. Was it kind of fitting that in your first March Madness game of this run that it was decided in thrilling fashion? And what was the feeling like just of this game and just maybe if there was a difference to the March Madness intensity of it?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Yeah, I mean, all my life people have been doubting me, and so just being in the situation, I never thought I would be here before. So playing in March Madness is a dream come true, and being the one to hit the big shot at the end of the game was even better. So I'm excited to see what we've got in store.

Q. I can't let you go without asking about the reverse two-hand dunk there late. That's not the first time we've seen it this year, but take us through that moment. Do you sort of recognize, this is what I've got to do? What led to that?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, I'd be envisioning stuff like that, so like the game I did a windmill earlier in the season, all day before I was like, I'm going to windmill, I'm going to windmill, and when I saw the opportunity, I'm like, this is my time so I took advantage of it. And my legs had me, so I was able to do it.

Q. Could you tell us your thoughts about advancing to the next round?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: Really excited. It's going to be even a harder matchup, so we've just got to come prepared and keep playing hard. I'm really excited about it, though.

Q. I'll ask about a grinder game like that with so much emotion and intensity, do you feel like you're drained? How much energy does it take to just put it all out on the court like that for 40 minutes?

CHRISTIAN BISHOP: I mean, we'd be running a lot more than that and they took advantage of that and they slowed the game down for us, so my legs are good. The other guys in the locker room, we're going to be ready for our next game.