This game should be a good opportunity for us to work on several things. We still have some work to do to become a 40-minute defensive team.

Pittsburg State is always an interesting team to play because they love to control the tempo, and they pride themselves on shooting more free throws than their opponents attempt. Their talent level isn't at the same place it's been the last few years, but they still find ways to win.

We did a good job defensively, we made it hard for them to score.

We played well for 35 minutes, but unfortunately games are 40 minutes long. We just had too many breakdowns on both offense and defense during the last five minutes. We have to give Southern credit though. They are much improved from last year.

They are a dangerous team, and they will have anyone on the floor shoot at anytime, so it's hard to key on one player and shut them down. They also do a really good job at home. It is definitely a game we need to win. Northwest is right behind us in the regional poll.

We have done a better job on the boards lately. That was a concern we had coming into the season. I think we could go on a run if we could just solidify our defense, do a good job of contesting shots and play smart, team basketball.