On the defensive effort during the second half:
"At the eight-minute mark when I looked up at the clock, they had sixty-two points and fifty-two at half time. So in twelve minutes, we held them to 10 points. So at that time, we had a chance to get better. We were going to be better if we won or lost. We have gotten better because we needed this experience. All teams need experience and we had none."

On getting a win tonight:
"I am excited. It is always better to have an experience when you win. I thought we had a great atmosphere. Once again, it's a tied game with eight [minutes] to play. With Chattanooga and East Tennessee battling it out, it's always a war."

"We still have four really good players out and to beat a East Tennessee State team that just beat Appalachian. We can talk a good game but, we were not real sure of ourselves coming into the game."

On the physicality of the game:
"I can tell them it's going to be physical but they don't get it and now they get it. I think 'Big D' [DeAntre Jefferson] and Ridge [McKeither] get it, but it is going to be a work in progress all year."

On how Keegan Bell played:
"I thought Keegan played like Keegan, and the good thing is, he is a sophomore. Keegan made some shots early in the second when we were still not set defensively."

Keegan Bell:
On the emotions of the game:
"It was a big game because we have such a big rivalry with ETSU. They are such a big team. They are a good team. I guess you take it personally because coach Shulman really takes it personally. I have a really good relationship with coach and when he takes something so serious and wants it so bad. I feel it in myself. Not only with him but with JO [Josh Odem] and Omar, I love them as teammates and guys. If I go back to my hometown, I want do well, win and beat those guys. Really, my passion tonight was fed off them because I wanted to do well for those guys."

On the rotation in the second half:
"I think that everyone came in and contributed so much. I mean you do have a set rotation. Jeff Smith comes in and plays so well. I mean absolutely the player of the game. Jasper Williams comes in and plays. We were playing so small with him coming in. It really wasn't a set rotation, but those guys brought so much energy. It pumped us up. I thought our group was playing well, but when they came in, they picked us up even more. It was a lot of fun."

Freshman Josh Odem
On playing the team from your hometown:
"It was really rough for me since ETSU is in my hometown, Johnson City. They played well and we played well. There was a lot of competition, so it felt good to play against my hometown."

"I know most of their [ETSU] players. I played against many them. It was great, we had a good time."

On the intensity of the game:
"It was a physical game. I needed it with it being my first year."

Junior Jeff Smith
On how you played:
"That was real fun. I had my hopes on playing the two and the three today. Then Coach [Shulman] came to me during the game and said 'Jeff, you are going to have to play some four.' So I said yes sir. Then, he put me in there and we went from there."

On how hard the team practices:
"Coach says he is going to make practice harder than the game, which he does. So I was prepared for it, even though I fouled a lot. Most of those guys out weighted me by at least 30 pounds."