“This was a step back,” Les said flatly.

“On defense especially, our intensity was just not there. We were not dictating play, we were reacting. It’s all correctable, but it was certainly not up to our standards.”

The casual fan might argue that such a letdown was predictable after the big win in Berkeley just two days prior, but Les rejected that notion.

“We have a certain expectation of how we want to play,” he added.

“Good teams have an almost businesslike identity, no matter who the opponent is. You have to bring it every night, know your job and do it. Otherwise, this game will humble you and there were times tonight when that’s what happened.”

“Our starters didn’t get us going and we just weren’t aggressive on defense,” Les noted.

“It’s up to us as coaches to teach them and correct that. You have to respect every opponent, but we didn’t show the maturity we would like.”