KANSAS STATE HEAD COACH DEB PATTERSON
On the game ...
“It was just one of those games that I thought both teams were battling as hard as they could. I thought Western Kentucky did a great job of playing aggressive. They played great defensively, and made everything we did offensively difficult. I have no question that they wanted the game. Down the stretch it was just going to come down to one mistake and one big play. We were fortunate in that. It was one of those games that you could really not predict from possession to possession who might sustain any sense of momentum. Consequently, it required a great deal of effort and intensity by both teams. It wasn’t at all a pretty game, but it was one that both teams battled with such intensity. I have to credit Western Kentucky for coming into such a hostile environment, ignoring it, and finding a way one possession at a time to stay in the basketball game. They were great on the boards. They struggled a little bit in overtime scoring the ball, as did we. The game was one that turned for us in turnovers, even down the stretch of the game.”
On the amount of Western Kentucky turnovers...
“I think they had 17(turnovers) at half. You have to credit their defense and intensity though. They might turn it over, but they came back and made things awfully difficult for us. They played very smart, very aggressive, and very confidently. I think it’s a great credit to them that they didn’t get overcome by the number of turnovers that they had. It’s extremely rare, and is actually shocking. They were just terrific defensively and hitting the boards. They did not get overwhelmed with their mistakes, and came up with something that would compensate. I really respect them for that. This was a very difficult game because of their mental toughness on every possession.”
On K-State having overtime experience this season...
“I think that the environment here going into overtime, and during the game, was very much in our favor. Obviously, I think that our players didn’t overreact going into the overtime period, but I would say that (Western Kentucky) didn’t either. Neither of us was very good offensively tonight, and yet on the defensive end in terms of competitiveness and toughness, I thought both teams brought it. I wouldn’t say that their lack of being in an overtime game affected them as much as us getting a two-point lead in the last minute and a half. That will put some weight on your shoulders.”
