Jan. 20, 2006

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Head Coach Matt Brady
Opening Statement:
In the first half, I'd say scoring 51 points was the best we could play offensively. They started dropping threes in the second half, but we switched defenses and were able to settle down and start making shots ourselves. I think the big things were our 40 rebounds to their 29, 12-25 from three, single digit turnovers. I have been really emphasizing single digit turnovers. If we can keep possession of the ball and avoid turnovers, we have more and more people who can take advantage of that and score.

After losing four games, to be 4-4 in the MAAC:
I say it all the time to our guys and I think they are starting to understand that every MAAC game is a unique new battle. Each team has a different style. I thought we played better defense in the first half, but that changed, they changed, things can change very quickly in this conference.

On students and fans:
I thanked our students after the game. Students want to root for a winner and we have a team that is learning how to win. I want to thank the students for coming and hope each time they come that they bring another student. I want this to be an impossible ticket to get in Dutchess County.

Marist junior guard Will Whittington
On the fun of a fast paced game:
That's how we love to play. When I first met Coach Brady, he said he likes to play fast, run down and shoot threes. Everybody loves to play fast. We don't want to slow down and especially not with this crowd we have now at home. We have a lot of guys that can score. Guys on our team want to be unselfish and we are playing unselfishly and playing good defense.

Marist junior center James Smith
Coach Brady has emphasized rebounding for me, so I have been trying to get everything off the glass. I'm 7 feet tall I should be on that. We are a very good team. Coach tells us that, and we are starting to really turn things around.

Jared Jordan
On the streak:
Winning has certainly given us a boost. We have been shooting the ball much better. We knew coming into the season that we had a good shooting team and these last few games we have been knocking down shots.

On the students, dunks, exciting play:
The crowds like excitement and a dunk is one of the most exciting things. You do that and it's an energy boost. We enjoy playing in this atmosphere.

Fairfield Head Coach Tim O'Toole
I think we were horrible to make a long story short. It's 28-26, they go on a big run before the half and that was that. We are playing confused right now. The biggest stat in this game was the offensive rebounds in the first half, giving them a second chance. We've got to have some defensive pride.

On Whittington's performance:
This is relatively straightforward. Was anybody even on him? This isn't hard. You're guarding the second best three-point shooter in the country, you do not help elsewhere on defense. That was not our game plan. No one was supposed to leave him all night.

On the league:
I think there are a lot of good teams...Manhattan, Iona...Marist is as good as anybody, they have fire power. Saint Peter's will beat people and Loyola is playing pretty well. It will be very interesting. This Marist team beat the tar out of Manhattan the other night. Now, Manhattan will go out and do that to somebody else. We have not seen Manhattan. It doesn't hurt us so much that Whittington hits eight alone, but we need to have some pride and stop him.

Freshman Jonathan Han
It was my first time playing here at the McCann Center and it might have been the craziest gym we have played in all year. They defended their home court, brought it to us. I think they had a great leader out there in Jared Jordan and they stuck to their game plan, getting open shots for Whittington.