MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 10, 2005

Alex Dunn

Steve McClain

Jay Straight

COACH MCCLAIN: I think it was a typical four-five type game. I think both teams fought up. Both teams had runs. You know, I give Vegas credit. I give our kids credit. We did what we wanted to and they had other guys step up and make big plays for them. And again, as I told my kids afterwards, you know, we did the right thing for three days to prepare. If you win, you are happy; if you lose, you are not. I give Coach Kruger of Vegas a lot of credit. He had guys step up and make big free throws. That is why they will continue to play.

JAY STRAIGHT: Just couldn't knock the shots down. You know, it is frustrating for us as players when you come out and compete hard for 40 minutes and trying to get a rhythm. We just couldn't make shots today.

JAY STRAIGHT: I am still thinking about possibly playing again. This day won't be emotional for me. I am discouraged that we lost. I am angry, like our whole program is. Hopefully we have got another game to play. I have got a couple of days to find out, then I will decide whether or not I am bummed out or not.

JAY STRAIGHT: I think they are pretty good, as Coach McClain just emphasized to us a second ago. A couple of years ago San Diego got in with a bad record. I wish that we would have put ourselves in a predicament so we could know for sure that we are going to the tournament or NIT. Again, we put our fight in somebody else's hands. Hopefully those guys will decide that they want us.

ALEX DUNN: It's not in our hands right now. We are going to prepare this week like we're playing again. We'll find out Sunday. Hopefully we will get another opportunity on the floor.

ALEX DUNN: A lot of hard breaks going our way, and a lot of breaks couldn't pull out in the end. Teams get hot on us and can't miss a shot. Morgan, a 67 percent free throw shooter, on the line didn't miss a shot all night. This past few weeks, not getting any breaks or anything to fall our way.

ALEX DUNN: I don't want to say we had more pressure. We were getting some good looks inside. They were battling out like the guards were from the outside. It was frustrating at that point. They held their big guys to not a whole lot. They kind of went off on us. They were hitting shots in the second half and we did a pretty good job on them, but not enough to shut them down.

JAY STRAIGHT: Their guards killed us the first half on the offensive end against the second chance points. I am not sure what happened really, I'll have to go back and watch the film and see if we missed the block outs and whatnot.

JAY STRAIGHT: It was -- I couldn't determine, you know, which way the guys was going to call the game. They did a great job of calling it. I couldn't determine whether or not they were going to call if you touch a guy or give them contact. I was kind of indecisive about that. In the second half, Coach McClain told me not to give in, to get in there and just play with the flow. A little bit towards the second half, I just relaxed and just played my game. I played my game, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't where we needed to be.

COACH MCCLAIN: We didn't score. It is about as simple as that. We were getting looks that we wanted to get, and we couldn't get a ball to go in the goal. And you know -- but again our defense was keeping us right there. You know, when we couldn't score then Vegas kind of got going. That is why it is a frustrating game sometimes. You know, both teams -- I don't think either team said, boy, we really shot well today. They shot 33 percent and we shot 32. The difference in the game is at that the free throw line. But, you know, again you give Vegas credit. They were guarding really hard and we knew they would. We just didn't finish some plays at times when we had opportunities to finish them.

COACH MCCLAIN: No because I think our kids played hard. I got asked that question heading into this. I think our kids played so hard. Can I say we didn't practice well? No, I can't. As I told the kids, if you ever do this for a living, all you can ask is they prepare. You can't control whether that ball is going to go in the goal. They prepared for the last three weeks. At times the ball didn't bounce our way. Maybe we were lucky when it was bouncing our way. Again, that is why I told the kids I was going to be proud of them today either way. Because we prepared as well as we could. They prepared mentally and physically. In the end that is all you ask of your kids.

COACH MCCLAIN: I have no idea. As the players said, and I told the guys, I don't have any idea. I know this every year our league as had eligible teams. We are eligible. Who knows. You don't know what is going on all over the country, where they need home games, where they need opponents. We have a great reputation with the NIT. Hopefully they will look at us and see a team they would like to see play some more.

COACH MCCLAIN: I think in the end it will be evaluated by the athletic directors. The Mountain West Conference is doing a great job of putting it on. Again, it is unfortunate you can't have everybody play at night. You can't have everybody play when they want to, but I think this, I think our people are supporting it, and you know, it is going to be interesting when it is all said and done, how the financial part of it comes out. I know this, the Mountain West Conference and Craig's staff has worked hard at this; they are doing everything they can. I know our fans are doing our part in supporting it. I thought Utah had a nice group here today. It will be interesting to see the final numbers when it is said and done. The Pepsi Center is a great place. It is just, you know, we got to get the local fans to come out and see it a little bit more, I think.