Dec. 20, 2005
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher
On the game:
"We're always quick to say that we didn't do this, we didn't do that. So we'll start with that. They didn't let up in what looked like it could be 25 point game. It got closer than it should have from our perspective. The first half we very good. Again, we were tough defensively, we made it hard for them to score. Both halves we were very sloppy with our ballhandling. We had 10 first half turnovers and 24 for the game. You can't score if you can't get a shot. We did too many times not get a shot. You can't do that.
On John Sharper:
"(John) Sharper's M.O. should be a gunslinger that is ready to unload when he gets in the game. Sharper is one guy where I don't comlain if he takes a shot because it's normally going to be a good look at the basket. For whatever reason, his first half is really good and his second half shooting has been not so good. We have to get him good looks and got to know he is going to make them."
On Kyle Spain:
"He brings a quality of toughness that shows. I said in the locker room that we have a lot of young guys and I said that Kyle is not playing like a freshman, which is how we expect all of them to play. He doesnt have any fear. He is going to make mistakes. He is trying awfully hard all the time."
San Diego State Forward Kyle Spain
On the team's play in the second half:
"I thought we were mentally tired in the second half and we allowed them to come back and feel comfortable when we were playing and we can't do that."
San Diego State Guard John Sharper
On his three-pointers in first half:
"My teammates got me some good looks early in the game and I knocked them down, simple as that. The guys were looking for me and I got on a hot streak."
San Diego State Forward Trimaine Davis
On having Mohamed Abukar for the Providence game:
"It means we are going to be that much better with his presence here. It means we are going to have someone similar to number 42 out there because he attacks the rebounds very hard like Marcus (Slaughter) does and he brings a great energy. He is another unselfish player who wants to win basketball games like the rest of our team."
On his knee injury:
"Surprisingly I've had no pain since my surgery. It's just a matter of getting all my strength back and I would say right now that I'm about 85% with all the strength back in my legs. So I'm doing good."
UMBC Head Coach Randy Monroe
On the game:
"We didn't do as good a job of getting back in transition as I thought we should have, which allowed Sharper the three open looks. We talked time and time again about Sharper being a very good shooter and how you can't leave him open in transition and three times he scored in transition. That took the wind out of our sails early in the first half."
On defending the three in the second half:
"I think our kids settled down a little bit in the second half and just started to play. I thought our defense was pretty good. I just thought the transition and the rebounding hurt us."
On playing from behind on the road:
"I always tell our guys that you can't play that way when you're on the road. When you wait for a team to punch you in the face so many times and you keeping doing that it is very hard to fight back because you have to expend so much energy to catch up and then expend that much energy to take a lead. It is very difficult to do."
On play of Kyle Spain:
"He was a difference maker without question. He made some tough shots. He is a big, strong player. He knocked down a couple of shots from the outside, and was able to get inside and do some damage. I thought he made a big difference."