Feb. 28, 2004

Recap| Final Stats| Notes

Toledo Head Coach Stan Joplin

Opening comments:

"We had to stop the bleeding and we needed a win. It seemed like we were on 16 wins for a long time. Having only 10 turnovers really helped us and we shoot the ball like we did we're pretty good. When Ricardo and A.J. play the way they did it takes us to another level because we don't have to rely on our freshmen all the time and that's something we desperately need. Today we got it and that made a big difference. When we score inside that really helps our perimeter game."

(on the importance of the win)

"I don't think we have been playing bad recently but we just didn't finish any games out and didn't have anything to show for it. The players needed to be rewarded and it helps the morale of the team."

(on Ricardo Thomas' two back-to-back dunks in the second half to give UT a 75-70 lead with just over six minutes to play)

"I thought the dunks were a shot in the arm and got the crowd and the players really into the game. It was big for us and really got the crowd behind us."

Senior guard Keith Triplett

(on the importance of the win)

"This game was a must win for us and we wanted to win it for our seniors in their last home game and put a show on for the fans. This gives us a lot of confidence because we had lost a lot of close games that we should have won. This puts us on the winning track and hopefully we can get hot for the MAC Tournament."

(on the team's aggressiveness in the final seven minutes)

"I think I came out aggressive this game and I wasn't really into it in our last two games. When I play well we usually come out with a win."

(on playing with his mask)

"I was a little more used to the mask this game but the sweat was burning in my eyes so I had to wipe it off almost every other play. The shots were falling for me today."

(on the seniors' play today)

"A.J. and Ricardo played a big role for us today and hit some big shots. They scored our first 12 or 14 points today and we fed off that.

Senior forward Ricardo Thomas

(on his two dunks in the second half)

"I was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. The ball just came to me on the first one and the second one I was looking at Chauncey all the way down the court and he threw it to me and I went and got it. To see the teammates jump up and down really gets me pumped. The big thing was to get the stops and I just happened to get the dunks."

Senior center A.J. Shellabarger

(on the importance of the game)

"We had lost our last four games and losing a fifth wasn't an option for us today. We had to come out and play as hard as we can and we wanted to send a message to the rest of the MAC that we're for real."

Western Michigan Head Coach Steve Hawkins

(on the impact of losing Mike Williams)

"I don't think that was the reason we lost the game. We've played without Mike before for extended minutes because of foul trouble. I thought it was Toledo playing a wonderful basketball game. They really drove the ball well on us, finished shots and Keith Triplett was terrific. Normally our defense wasn't as porous as it was today but a lot of credit goes to Toledo."

(did the loss surprise you)

"No. We have all the respect in the world for Toledo and we had played a really good basketball game when we beat them 10 days ago at our place. They've only lost once at home this year and we haven't won here in quite a while. They play very well at home and they're very tough to beat here."

(on Ben Reed's play)

"He tried his best with Mike Williams going down. He was really shooting the ball well and was very aggressive offensively. Our problem wasn't on the offensive end because we shot 57 percent and scored 84 points. We just couldn't get Toledo stopped. They drove it and drove it and drove it on us. They're the best three-point shooting team in the MAC so you have to extend a little bit more. In our first game, we were able to stop the drive and when they kicked it out to the shooters we were still able to get there. Today I thought Toledo had better spacing and we had a lot further to go in terms of help and recovery. They just spread us out and drilled a lot of threes in the second half and that was when the game was decided."

(on how much the loss hurts)

"This loss kills us. We're fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth coming into here and we still think we're in a pretty good position. But with all the mid-majors they're looking for anything that can knock us off the bubble. It's something we have to regroup from."