CENTRAL MICHIGAN-WESTERN MICHIGAN QUOTES
Western Michigan guard Shawntes Gary
(On injury) "I'm not really sure. We will have to take a better look at it tomorrow."
(On being out of the game) "It was hard, especially with it being my last game here at home. Obviously I wanted to be in there really bad to help my team out. It was frustrating being on the bench not being able to be with them."
Western Michigan head coach Steve Hawkins
(On the game) "It was a typical Central-Western game. Both teams really battled hard and there was a lot of physical play. They killed us on the glass and that really is the story of the game as far as what made the biggest difference. Forty to 20 on the glass is just not something you can ignore in a one possession game. There guards really got it going there in the second half."
(On CMU's comeback) "Donald Lawson being out in foul trouble and Shawntes Gary out with the injury definitely hurt us a lot."
(On 2008-09 regular season) "I want people to remember that we are tri-MAC West Champions and we are not going to apologize for that. Through all the adversity and distractions our players have gone through, they fought and have been resilient all season long."
Western Michigan guard David Kool
(On the game) "Its disappointing, but I feel sorry for the seniors. They've given so much to the program and me personally, its tough seeing them go out on the home floor like that."
(On CMU comeback) "They executed. You have to give them credit and give coach Zeigler credit. He called the right plays at the right time and they knocked them down."
(On playing in MAC tournament) "Its going to be fun. Its always fun going down there and we'll see what happens. We've got just as good of a shot at winning as anyone else. We are going to go down with a positive attitude and hopefully take care of business."
Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler
(On the game) "As I stand here, I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to coach that group of kids I have in that locker room. For us, in year three, to be Co-MAC West Division Champions, its a huge step for our program. I know some people might look at our record and say, 'Hey the MAC West is down', but when you're building a program and you're aware of the trials and tribulations this group has gone through you appreciate it more. Its really a statement (beating WMU at home) that we are turning a page as a program."
(On team's toughness) "When we came here last year we were man-handled. Our program motto is 'Think Tough, Be Tough' and we came in with a mindset that we were going to be phyical. When you hold a 20+ margin on the boards, it definitely gives you a chance to stay in the game when you are struggling to score, which happened to us the first 30 minutes of the game."
