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MOUNTAIN WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 15, 2019

Las Vegas, Nevada

Utah State - 85, Fresno State - 60

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson and student-athletes Noah Blackwell and Nate Grimes. Coach, let's start with an opening statement.

COACH HUTSON: Buzzsaw in the first half. You know, we didn't play anything like we played the previous two times where we played them, where we had to really move the ball. They're a very good defensive team. So you've got to make multiple penetrations and multiple kickouts and go inside out.

And I think we rushed it a little bit tonight and they made us pay. And when we actually did get a stop, they got the rebound in the first half. They're a very good rebounding team we didn't box out. It steamrolled from there. Gotta credit Utah State, a very good team.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Nate, in your opinion, we heard what Coach said, what do you think, being out there on the floor, what was the difference tonight, getting down so big and because you guys were right there nip and tuck with them during the regular season?
NATE GRIMES: Just didn't come to play. Like he said, we didn't follow the game plan. We didn't rebound. I know I didn't rebound, really, at all. And they just outplayed us. This is a good team, too.

Q. What were you most surprised about tonight?
NATE GRIMES: Losing by 30.

Q. Can you go a little further on --
NATE GRIMES: Because that's not how we get down and we don't go out like that. If we're going to go out, we're going to go out hard.

Q. Noah, on this stage, to kind of have a performance like that, probably you guys are probably disappointed as can be. Does it hurt even a little bit more tonight?
NOAH BLACKWELL: Yeah, it hurts. I mean, we lost by 30. I mean, losing hurts anyways. But we just didn't come out to play how we know how to play.

Q. NIT bid is likely for you guys. Do you think you deserve an NIT bid?
NOAH BLACKWELL: Absolutely.

NATE GRIMES: I do. But we've got to stay focused. We've got to stay focused in for the whole thing.

Q. What would it mean for you to get a chance to play on and maybe get a chance to erase this memory of this game?
NATE GRIMES: It would mean a lot to me, especially to the seniors. Like going -- letting them go out big. So trying to do whatever it takes.

Q. Noah, what were they doing -- what were their guards doing defensively that was seemingly pushing you and your fellow guards out of your rhythm tonight?
NOAH BLACKWELL: I don't know. We just didn't show up to play. That's it.

Q. Nate, there was a rebounding disparity, obviously. A lot of those rebounds were long rebounds. How does a team go and counter that kind of a situation? Even when you did have guys boxed out, balls going out seven, eight feet, how do you counter that?
NATE GRIMES: Honestly, we've just got to continue to play hard. We've got to play hard. Next effort, another effort. Give another effort.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach?

Q. They had the bye at the end of the conference season. Didn't play for nine days. Could you tell? They seemed the fresher team. This time of year it's tough to play all the back-to-back games. Do you think that was a factor. They seemed to have fresher legs?
COACH HUTSON: I don't know. They had a tough one last night. New Mexico pressed them all over the floor and they turned it over. But they ended up scoring 90-something points. But I thought they looked great tonight. They ran up and down the floor. They were quicker to the ball and very well-coached. Hats off to them.

Q. I know this loss hurts for you, but your good friend, Marvin Menzies, was fired today. Wondering what your thoughts were on that. He got fired after really two years, three, technically, but two considering when he took over?
COACH HUTSON: Tough for Coach. I've known Marvin for a long time. He's actually a mentor of mine. I spoke to him today. It's tough. He really had two years. He took over and had two guys left on his roster in April. And it's tough.

And coaches talk about that all the time, how you put in the paper it was three years and you put his record, but they forgot what happened in the first year. He really had two years, and I thought he did a good job this year finishing 11-7 in conference with a lot of freshmen and losing his best player. Marvin will be fine, though. He's marvelous. That's what he calls himself. So he'll bounce back.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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