Fresno State Athletics
QUOTES: Fresno State 59, New Mexico 55
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Rodney Terry, Fresno State, Head Coach
It was an honor to have the Tarkanian family here this evening. It was a great opportunity for our community to give back to a man who meant a lot to our university. We got a chance to do a celebration and present them with a jersey in the locker room. It was an honor to have them here this evening.
Everything was predicated off our defense. Our guys came out with really good energy and did a great job earning the game. We were physical with our block outs. They led us to play in our strength, and our strength is playing in open court. That was probably the best start we've had all year in that regards.
We kept working the game. Even in that drought, we had great looks at the basket. We were able to convert a couple of really good looks close in. Even when we did do that, it wasn't so much our offense. We let down defensively, they attacked us a little bit more, and we had to pick it back up.
Greenwood is one of the more clutch players in our league. He's a winner. We have a lot of respect for the New Mexico program. We knew they weren't just going to lay down. They have too much pride, and their culture of winning won't allow them to do that. We knew we had to continue to play and compete at a high level. Our guys collectively as a group did a really good job containing them.
For us to finally break through and get a victory against a program we have a lot of respect for, I think it gives our guys a lot more confidence. We're talking about believing a lot at this point in the year. I understand the urgency you have to play with, and I think our guys have really bought into that.
There's a lot of parody in our league right now. On any given night you have to bring your A game. You've got to come and compete at a very high level, and understand that it's a very competitive league from top to bottom. This is a tale of two seasons. We're at a point right now where a lot of teams were in January or December in terms of really establishing our chemistry and rotation and understanding for each other. I really feel like we are playing like a team and really believing in one another right now. It's taken us a little longer than other teams because maybe not having a guy here or having a guy there. Now we've got our full complement of guys, and I think they all believe in each other. Every night out, we know that we're a dangerous team, as well.
We're going to come and play really hard defensively and offensively. We've got four guys that can score the basketball in double figures right now, and we can score at every spot. When we're sitting down and guarding at a high level and we're able to play to our strength and transition, we're as good as everybody in our league.
My message to the guys right now is to make the right choices. Be really selfish about this time of year and about the team and about wanting to continue and play and make as much noise as you can in our league. It's a great time of the year right now and embrace it all.
Marvelle Harris, Fresno State, Junior, Guard
**ON THE CROWD
"There were times when I couldn't even hear some of the switches on the court, but it was really loud and I think us playing like that kept the crowd in the game, they kept working the game with us."
**ON THE SEASON AS A WHOLE
"We could have had a better start but as it went on it got better and it's getting better and like coach said we just have to stay level and stay confident going into games. Just play our type of basketball and we want to make teams adjust to us so we're not playing their game, we want to play our game."
Paul Watson, Fresno State, Sophomore, Forward
**ON DUNKING
"It always feels good to get a play like that not only for me but for my teammates because like Marvelle said that is a momentum builder. It gets everyone going and makes us want to play harder."
**ON TARKANIAN
"It was nice to see them (Tarkanian Family) and to pay respect to coach tark and I felt like everyone understood and really wanted to go out there and play for coach tark, not only for ourselves but for coach tark and his family."
