MAUI JIM'S MAUI INVITATIONAL

November 22, 2021

Eric Bovaird

Isaac Amaral-Arthavec

Raazhel Watkins

Chaminade Silverswords

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon - 73, Chaminade - 49

ERIC BOVAIRD: I thought we had some really good stretches tonight and in turn we also had a few bad segments where we didn't score, I think in that media timeout and so forth.

But I thought overall we played really hard. Yeah, we wanted to execute a little bit better offensively, but we guarded pretty well for, especially in the first half, so I'm proud about that effort.

Q. What went well in the first half?

ISAAC AMARAL-ARTHAREE: I think our defense in the first half was very good, just locking in defensively, playing as a team, and yeah, I think that's what kept us very close.

In the end of the first half we were able to knock down some big shots.

RAAZHEL WATKINS: I just think in the first half as a team we came out and we weren't very scared. We was ready to play, dialed in. We was just giving good efforts on defense and sharing the ball on offense and we kept it close.

Q. In the second half, what did Oregon do so well? Was it the fact they just had bigger bodies than you guys did? From your perspective what went well for Oregon?

ISAAC AMARAL-ARTHAREE: Their transition offense. I think they got out and ran a lot more in the second half. That helped them out a lot. Their size also played a factor, but I think just the pace at the end.

RAAZHEL WATKINS: Yeah, I think we just didn't match the energy we had in the first half. That was really it that I could see, led to a lot of transition buckets.

Yeah, size played a role, but if we played how we played in the first half we probably wouldn't have let them get on a stretch like that.

Q. What are your thoughts of playing this tournament in Las Vegas and is it a little bit frustrating not being able to play in Maui?

RAAZHEL WATKINS: I know for me and my family, because have I family from Hawaii, we were excited for Maui but honestly just a blessing to be here anyway, so I was excited to play in the tournament and my family still came out, so I was just appreciative to have the opportunity to play here.

ISAAC AMARAL-ARTHAREE: Yeah, for me personally, I don't mind it. Maui's great. It's a lot of fun, but either way we get to travel and play basketball against great competition.

Q. What does it do for your team and you guys as a squad -- you go against a tough team like Oregon here early on in the season. What do you think this does for your squad moving forward?

ISAAC AMARAL-ARTHAREE: We just have a lot that we can build on moving forward and most likely we're not going to face this type of talent in our league or anything. So we know that we can play at any level and we just take that confidence into league.

Q. For tomorrow's game and the game after that, now that you guys have faced DI competition for the first time this year, how much more confident does that make you for the rest of the tournament that you can compete with these teams?

RAAZHEL WATKINS: I mean, our mindset coming in, it doesn't matter what division level or what type of players you have. We got to come in with the mindset, with a winning mindset, and just go out and execute with our game plan and believe in each other and the team.

ISAAC AMARAL-ARTHAREE: We have confidence in each other and we know we can play at any level, so through certain stretches today that just proved that.

Q. Coming here to Las Vegas, it's the ninth island, right? You've got Hawaiians a plenty here. What's it like, your team playing in this tournament, which obviously traditionally is back in your backyard, and of course last year it was all the way across the country on the East Coast and now you're here in Vegas. What's that been like?

ERIC BOVAIRD: Oh, it's been great. I think the Mandalay Bay, KemperLesnik, everybody associated with the tournament has done a phenomenal job. I know we had some contingent plans months and months ago, but KemperLesnik especially jumped as soon as we figured out we couldn't have it in Maui the way we wanted to have it. I thought everybody jumped on board and this place is great.

If you can't have it in Hawaii, Las Vegas is the next best place. So I'm excited about this opportunity and I'm excited to be in the tournament.

Last year it was the first one that I've missed in 10 years. I didn't go to Asheville, North Carolina, because the restrictions getting back into Hawaii were a little difficult. So we're thankful to be here. We're thankful that Las Vegas decided we could come and it's a lot of fun so far.

Q. The players said in the second half it was kind of a matter of effort but that size did play a factor. Do you agree with that assessment?

ERIC BOVAIRD: Yeah. Yeah. The first media timeout we were a little, you know, we really gave them a lot of compliments at halftime, how well they guarded and they're doing such a great job, and then when the first media timeout happened we just looked exhausted and we looked like we didn't have that fire anymore. So that was a little disappointing.

We told them after the game, We're not giving you any more compliment at halftime (laughing) anymore because you go out after the media timeout...

But anyways, you know, their size did catch up to us in the second half. There's no doubt about it. There was numerous times that we got caught on the wrong side of their bigger guys, which in turn had very easy baskets for them. So they're a really good team. I think they have a chance to be really good this year. I've been doing this for 11 years now and their talent is definitely in the upper echelon, so I'll be interested to see how well they do.

Q. Going forward, I'm not sure who exactly you guys will play tomorrow, but what are you going to take from this game, what is maybe some positives you saw from tonight's game moving into tomorrow?

ERIC BOVAIRD: Well, the positives, yeah, some of the things I wrote on the board and talked to them about was, they have been watching them on film for a week, and we've been really pumping them up how good they are, how good they are, and you have to do this, and now they realize, hey, if I do what our coaches are talking about, then we can find some success.

So I'm hoping that they take, moving forward that, hey, we know we can play with guys. We have to put it together in more and more segments, but we know we can play with these guys and we know that we have to execute at a higher level than we did tonight in order to have a chance to win.