Feb. 20, 2010
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SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State-Utah Postgame Quotes in PDF Format
San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher
From the AM 600 KOGO interview
Opening Statement:
"We're very proud of what we've done and what we are continuing to do. We've got a good program. Our kids expect to win. We're 13-1 at home this year. We're very good in this building. They made runs on us and they're a good team. We fought back and they got that one-point lead, but we quickly regained the lead. We held on against a good team.
"They got themselves on a run and (Marshall) Henderson made three straight threes on us. Then they got those attacks on the rim which you can't give up with that frequency. Maybe we did during one stretch. The thing that I did like was when they did get that lead, we came right back and got a basket. Then we got another basket to push ourselves back in front."
On Brian Carlwell:
"Carwell is playing very good basketball for us. He used to be a guy who would come in and guard, but now he's an offensive threat. He's not hesitant to take that 15-foot shot and he's making it."
On Malcolm Thomas:
"He utilized his quickness to get to the rim and around (David) Foster several times. He just played with a relentlessness that wins for you. We've seen him do this before. He's a terrific young guy who will try to do anything that you will ask him to do. He's very unassuming off the court and a really dominate player on the court."
On free throws:
"I think Malcolm (Thomas) got worried a bit. When he was tired, he was making the free-throws. Then he missed one and then four in a row. But we rebounded two of the missed free throws and gave ourselves another chance to shoot it or get fouled and go to the line. It was a nice win and a hard-fought game. We knew that it would be that way. Utah has been playing really good basketball. They should have been on a three-game win streak. They are playing good basketball. We beat a good team. They don't have a good record but we beat a good team today."
On the fans:
"I'm very much indebted to our fans. They have supported us. They have embraced us. They brought a friend and they've done what we've asked them to do. They've turned the Viejas Arena into an intimidating spot as there is in the country. Our players and coaches salute them and say that we need you when we have Colorado State coming in here on Wednesday. We appreciate your involvement."
From the postgame news conference
Opening statement:
"We jumped out of the gate really, really effectively and put them on their heels by attacking inside with Malcolm. We knew they were going to make a run on us, but what we did is what good teams do. We showed resiliency, we got the ball to Kawhi and we attacked. We went from down one to up three, and that's a sign of a good team, which we have. We're proud of the fact that we've won six of our last seven. We're proud of the fact that we're 13-1 at home and we've got 20 wins."
On the 20-win season:
"We've won 20 games five years in a row now. We have a proud program, a good program. Our kids know that. We've got a great supportive crowd led by our students, and this is a tough building to come into and win. That's what all good programs have, a fan base that will get behind you. We have that, and we owe our fans a great deal of credit for our success. We have good players who are good kids and we've gotten better."
"Not to belabor (the point), but we've got a lot of new parts. We lost a lot of points from last year's team. It takes some time. We have a lot of guys who haven't been afraid to say, `Help me get better.' Our freshmen are really, really solid. Everybody talks about Kawhi all the time, but Chase Tapley is a very good player."
On the win vs. Utah:
"We haven't beaten Utah twice in the same season since 1982. I reminded them of that before the game. But I really didn't have to say anything to get our kids ready to play, they were excited to play."
San Diego State Junior Forward Malcolm Thomas
On his success:
"[Utah] didn't double team. We practice a lot on that, on just going to the basket and trying to get it in to the big guys. I took advantage of it."
On the importance of five straight 20-win seasons at SDSU:
"That means a lot. [Kawhi Leonard] came from high school and I came from junior college, and we both have had success but it's not the same as [having it] at the Division I level. So to get 20 wins feels really good."
San Diego State Freshman Kawhi Leonard
On playing defense and rebounding when the game got close :
"The first time [we played them] they had 17 offensive rebounds. That's how they came back at their house when we had a big lead on them. That was the key point in today's game: defensive rebounding and stopping their three-point shooters from shooting."
On keeping the pressure up on defense:
"We saw the frustration [from Utah] and we just wanted to keep getting more stops, so we could win the game. That's how teams came back on us before; letting them do what they do on offense by not being in our stance [on defense]."
On the crowd:
"We love them. They always come out to show their support for big games like this. They have been going hard like we've been going hard lately."
Utah Head Coach Jim Boylen
On the game:
"Proud of my team's effort. We didn't play sharp enough early, battled back, took the lead, just couldn't make another play to get over the hump. We had open shot opportunities, but just couldn't make a play. I thought when we settled down and executed we did a heck of a job. I thought our defense in the second half was as good as it can be on the road."
On Malcolm Thomas:
"He made some plays. He made a three. He's a good player."
On Marshall Henderson:
"He heated up and got us back in the game. He fought through adversity. He's a gritty guy."