Groce heaped praise on his seniors and captains for keeping the team focused on the job at hand.

"They did a phenomenal job of having our guys ready to play," said Groce, who praised his team's consistency in practice. "We had energy all three times we laced it up prior to tonight's tipoff.

"With the effort we're getting and the camaraderie and morale as a team and the way they are coachable and teachable, we have a chance to keep getting better."

Tupper