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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 7, 2006

DENVER, COLORADO

THE MODERATOR: We have Colorado State with us, head coach Dale Layer and student-athletes Michael Harrison, Freddy Robinson.
Coach Layer, we'll let you start with some opening comments.
COACH DALE LAYER: I thought it was -- I think both teams played we motion and with big hearts. I thought it was ugly at times. I thought both teams had some jitters.
But I thought that the last two minutes of the game, we had big hearts, stopped 'em when we needed to, got big rebounds and made just enough free-throws to pull it out.
We're typically a really good free-throw shooting team. I think we were 73, 74% coming in. It's a different environment, and there's a little more pressure. I think our guys will learn from this and respond well by heading into Thursday.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Coach, what took Jason so long to get warmed up?
COACH DALE LAYER: I think we were a little jittery. I think the whole team was. I think both teams were. You know, Jason never kind of got a rhythm going first half; got in a little foul difficulty.
I thought the second half, he was much more aggressive; came out the first play, knocked down a jumper. I thought he was back to his old self.
This is a different environment, and this will be a good learning experience for us.
Q. What did TCU do a little bit differently today as opposed to what they did a couple weeks ago when you beat them by about 16?
COACH DALE LAYER: I thought that the big difference was Nile Murry just was very, very confident. I thought Freddy did a terrific job on him, yet he made some great shots.
Even with Fred and Mike Harrison at times with hands in his face, you know, he's a guy that they rely on. I thought we fouled him a little bit too much. I think he's leading the league in free-throw shooting percentage. You can't foul him. If he gets 8 points at the line, that's huge. But he was certainly their key, and I thought we did a really good job on him. But he just made some huge plays and huge shots.
Freddy, would you like to follow that up?
FREDDY ROBINSON: Yeah, he was just offensive juggernaut tonight. He was very assertive.
COACH DALE LAYER: Do you know how to spell "juggernaut" (smiling)?
FREDDY ROBINSON: (Smiling).
Q. You played San Diego State pretty close, two games, pretty competitive games. What did you do well in those games and what did you not do well in those games?
COACH DALE LAYER: We didn't stop, number one, that's Brandon Heath's number, either time. He was a guy who made huge shots. I thought at their place, they hurt us in transition, but we hung in there and battled.
But Abukar had a terrific night his first time out. They've got a lot of weapons. I thought in our place, they got a nice little lead there in the second half. I thought we turned up some intensity defensively and kind of clawed back into it.
But they're an unbelievably talented team. If Abukar was maybe on anybody else's team, they may have had three first-team, all-league guys because I think they certainly are deserving. So, they're talented. They're confident, but I think Brandon Heath was the offensive juggernaut.
Can I use that one again (smiling)?
FREDDY ROBINSON: Spell "juggernaut."
COACH DALE LAYER: He was the guy who made all the clutch shots in both games. When they needed baskets, he delivered. We got to do a better job on him.
Q. What do you have to do?
COACH DALE LAYER: I think Freddy is playing much better defensively than he was definitely the first time. Fred has stepped up to the challenge, takes great pride in anchoring our defense.
Fred has to be the guy that makes him make and take tough shots. He's going to make some. He's a terrific player, a Player of the Year in the league. But you got to make him make and take tough shots.
Q. Freddy or Michael, what does it mean to you guys to have your season still going?
MICHAEL HARRISON: It means a lot. Every game you play to win, and we're out here playing for our two seniors, Andrew Patterson and Michael Morris. We want to keep our season going as long as possible.
FREDDY ROBINSON: I agree (smiling).
COACH DALE LAYER: That's a verbal juggernaut (laughter).
I thought Mike Harrison responded extremely well the second half, really attacked the basket. When Mike attacks the basket and gets things going in an aggressive manner, he's an unbelievable player. How he was not one of the top three teams all league is baffling to me.
But I think he's well-deserved that kind of recognition. I think Mike proved to tonight.
Q. At your place, you were able to just shut them down, pull away. Tonight you had the home court advantage practically in terms of fans. Why couldn't you just put them away there with three, four, five minutes left?
FREDDY ROBINSON: Well, like I said earlier, their whole team is really assertive. The guards, the post. Just like us, nobody wants to go home early.
Everybody is going to play their hearts out. I think that's one of the reasons that it was such a close game today.
COACH DALE LAYER: If I might be permitted to answer. Free-throws, we didn't make free-throws down the stretch. I know it wasn't directed to me. But, heck, you know, I guess I have the freedom to speak (smiling).
Had we made free-throws, it would have been a game where my heart didn't jump out of my chest in the last three minutes. We'll make those. We're a good free-throw shooting team.
Q. Michael, first half you got in a little foul trouble. I think Jason and some other big men were in that situation. What kept you guys aggressive in the second half to the point where you were able to still have an impact and not be any danger of fouling out?
MICHAEL HARRISON: If the first half, when I got in foul trouble, I knew I had to calm down so I wouldn't be out the game for the whole game. The second half came around, I wasn't in foul trouble any more, I know I could assert myself, be aggressive, try to get my team going.
Q. How hard was it in this kind of game - obviously it ebbed and flowed as far as which team was the aggressor - how hard was it to make sure you stayed that way?
MICHAEL HARRISON: I mean, we've played TCU three time, so we really know each other's teams really well. So we knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. We knew it was going to be really tough. Tough to get easy baskets in the inside. We stayed tough, aggressive, knew if we kept going at them, they would fold.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.
COACH DALE LAYER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts...

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