March 4, 2007

Recap |  Box Score

POSTGAME QUOTES

Northern Illinois [76], Eastern Michigan [69]

March 4, 2007 -- DeKalb, Ill. - Convocation Center

 

NIU Head Coach Rob Judson

 

"I'm very happy for these two guys to my right [NIU seniors James Hughes and Mike McKinney] and very happy for our basketball team.  I'm happy that James and Mike will have a successful feeling on senior day and their last time on this floor.  James got off to a great start.  Mike ran into some foul trouble in the first half, but came back in the second half and did a nice job defensively and got rebounds down the stretch.  James got his confidence early and he had a high energy level today.  His last two home games his stats have been very, very good.  We need to take this to Cleveland. 

 

"I did not like the way we played the last four minutes of the first half, but we came out in the first four minutes of the second half and played well, re-established our momentum.  Our offense was more consistent and didn't disappear for a 3-4 minute stretch as has been the case of late.

 

"I have enjoyed coaching this group as much or more than any team I have coached.  They have gone through adversity with injury, illness, a lack of success, and have had a terrific attitude and have come to work hard every day.  Emotionally, they have charged me. 

 

"This is a new season.  It's a time when you are very much in the moment.  One possession at a time, one four-minute stretch at a time, one half at a time.  We're going to be excited to play it out.  You must value every possession.  We want them to be eager, to go there without nerves and to enjoy the moment.

 

"In conference play, when you play a team for the third time, you are so familiar that it's hard to do a lot of new things.  The big thing is establishing within our own group, the belief that you can get the job done. We filled that belief tank a little bit today."

 

NIU forward Mike McKinney

 

"I was excited and probably came out too aggressive.  I'm happy for James [Hughes], that he had the big game today."

 

NIU center James Hughes

 

"It was senior night, the last home game, my mom came up from Phoenix, Ariz. There was a lot of emotion.  The thing that coach has been preaching to me is to have energy and I just tried to get my rest, last night and at shoot around and before the game.  Now, the records start at 0-0 on Monday.  We want to take the momentum from today and take it to Cleveland."