March 15, 2011

Recap |  Box Score |  Notes

Cleveland State Head Coach Gary Waters:
(Opening statement) "That's a tough game. That last shot is enough to take your heart away, that ball bounced around too much to make you even think. But these guys will continue to compete and give yourself a chance to win."

(On the key to the win) "The thing that I knew was they would still have trouble handling our pressure, and that's what one the game. If you remember that last possession, they turned it over."

(On getting his 100th win at CSU) "I didn't know any of that, didn't really think about it. It's something we planned for, with this program - if you want to build a program, you have to win games. It was real important to us [to win tonight], because the last time we were in the NIT we lost to Dayton, and that taste was still in our mouths."

(On the next game) "We really want a home game. It can be Saturday. It can also be Monday, so we've got a couple options."

Cleveland State's Norris Cole:
(On the last shot) "I watched it bounce. I thought it was gonna come off with the rebound, but then it just bounced around three more times. So I was just hoping it would come off, and it did."

(On not being in the NCAA tournament) "At first of course it was frustrating, but you can only control what you can control. So we just waited to see when the next game would come. We just waited, were prayerful and had faith, and this opportunity came."

(On getting excited to play in the NIT) "We worked hard to advance to the postseason all offseason. We worked hard for this. So it's real easy to be motivated to come out and play."

(On what goes through his mind when he goes to the line) "I don't think. I go through my routine, follow through, and it goes in. When you think up there, that's when you miss, so I just go through my routine."

Vermont Head Coach Mike Lonergan:
(Opening statement) "I thought that was a great college game. I give Cleveland State a lot of credit. Cole really took over the game in the second half. I'm really proud of our effort, and I wish Cleveland State the best of luck. I hope their next game is on TV so I can watch it."

(On the last shot) "I really thought when it came back it was going in. Matt had a lot of open looks, and I thought that was a pretty nice look, but it just didn't drop."

(On the difference in the game) "I think our Achilles heel all year was, we just didn't shoot well from the three point line. And the other stat that killed us was the 16 turnovers."