BUFFALO-WESTERN MICHIGAN QUOTES

Western Michigan forward Derek Drews

(On the game) "It was a fight. We came out aggressive, they came out aggressive. It was just good basketball. It's going to be a battle all year long. They came in and played very hard. Played with a lot of passion and they were able to out execute us on some stuff and get the win tonight."

(What was the difference and about Pierce) "(Pierce) is a good player and they've got some veteran guys now that really step up. We did some different things on some ball screen situations and (Pierce) was able to read them and make the appropriate play. There's not a lot you can do when a really good player gets the ball in hands and was making the reads like he was tonight."

(On Buffalo) "They're battle-tested. They know what they are capable of and that they can get the stops they need. They hit the offensive glass really hard. They got down and they picked their fight up and they picked up their intensity and it was led by those four guards and there leadership."

(On what he takes from this game) "I said earlier in the year that there aren't many moral victories around here, but just learn. That's all you can do with any game, win or loss. Coaching staff does a great job of breaking the game down and showing us what we can get better at."

Western Michigan guard Shawntes Gary

(On Pierce) "He just stepped up. They ran some stuff where we got lost and a little bit confused and he hit a couple of threes that got him going. He came out and didn't get rattled and just kept playing his game. I thought we did a pretty decent job on him in the first half. It was just him making plays."

Western Michigan guard David Kool

(On his play) "Just being aggressive. Coach was calling my number and I was trying to be aggressive and get inside and get to the free throw line. We knew we were in the bonus."

(On the last play of the game) "Their guys are really athletic and they showed really hard and did a great job of challenging the shot. They made a great defensive play and I just didn't knock down the shot. It was just one of those where you know you have to shoot it at all costs and I just tried to go up and make a play."

(On jumping out to leads at the beginning of the game and second half) "We came out real emotional and we knew it would be an emotional game. We did a great job of throwing the first punch in both halves, but unfortunately we weren't able to sustain. Buffalo came out and did a great job and took every punch we had. It was a heavyweight fight and they came out on top and we have to tip our caps to them."

Buffalo guard Rodney Pierce

(On his play in second half) "I kind of knew to help my team I had to be a little more aggressive in the second half, so when I got my open looks I made sure to knock them down."

Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon

(On WMU) "He's got a young team, but they don't play like a young team. I mean, wow, seven turnovers they had the whole game. They shot it well. I can't say enough about how well they played. They know each others strengths and they go to them. They don't get down at all. I'm glad that we were able to take those blows, but they were damaging. They were obviously well-prepared to start the game. They're really good and people in our conference are going to find out. They are really well-coached."

Western Michigan head coach Steve Hawkins

(On the game) "I thought it was an extremely well-played game by both teams. Every time we got off to a lead, they had an answer for us. When they took the lead, we had an answer for them. It just went back-and-forth and back-and-forth and then the ball game was over and we were three down. This thing could've gone on forever in a similar fashion. They hit some really, really big shots whenever they got behind that enabled them to come back and that's not the first time they've done it. They've been able to come back from double-digit deficits all year long. That shows there veteran leadership and balance they have on the team, but I will say this. I was extremely proud of our kids effort. I thought we played one of our better games of the year. We really battled. The kids carried out scouting report. We shot the ball fairly well. The thing we're going to end up looking back at on the film isn't going to be defensively, it's going to be a couple of free throws and we just missed a ton of layups, especially in the first half."

(On the last play of the game) "Well we had a play set that was the exact same play that David hit to tie the ball game against Miami last year. As we executed it though, LaMarcus got tripped up coming to set the screen for David. He was able to get up in time, but wasn't able to set a really solid screen for David and they were able to get through that. It's one of those things that happens."

(On Buffalo) "They are very, very deep and very balanced. That's what makes them extremely difficult to defend. They run their offense well. There's no one player that you can say, this is what it's about. Our defense was not awful and a lot of their points came out of us missing layups. We were able to put pressure on the rim and when we missed shots, they got out and really ran. In a game that's three points, there are so many four-point, five-point, even six-point swings where we missed a layup or missed a three or an offensive rebound and putback and they would turn it into points on the other end and vice versa. They missed some of those things as well and we were able to turn them into points. When you're playing a team as good as Buffalo, that's what it comes down to. A possesion here or there, and that's what it was, a one possession game."