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Quotes: Duke 71, Iowa 47
12/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie
Opening Statement:
“It was just a really good game for us. A great defensive game, a lot of people doing different things, an interesting game. The defensive intensity was incredible throughout. I really enjoyed seeing that because we haven't always come out of the gates that strong to start games and so I liked that dominance and intensity that we had throughout the game. I like the fact that we took care of the ball. I liked the fact that we created some assists. Different people did different things, and I loved the fact that we had 28 turnovers where we've caused those 28 turnovers and we took away their go-to players because we haven't always done that either in other games we've played this year. There was some great development, I thought Shay [Selby] gave us a lift and did a great job playing the two and playing the point. For somebody who has not practiced the point guard position I thought she did very, very well. Abby [Waner] was incredible creating with her assists and her steals and her game savvy, and I thought Joy [Cheek] just played with a lot of confidence on the inside and out, and that's important for us to have everybody bring their game.”
On getting the team through the 0 for 13 shooting drought:
“I just think they played through it. You know, you've got to respect the game of basketball. That was incredible intensity. The part that you have to add to that is the fact that Iowa couldn't get a shot. They're a very, very good team. They're very well coached and they couldn't get a shot so there was enormous intensity, and sometimes that intensity spills over to speed on the other end of the floor and perhaps not as much balance or that type of thing. I just thought that the team took care of it, particularly in the second half, everything was more to speed.”
On the change in the point guard rotation:
“I would say fluid would be a good word to describe us in the point guard position. I'm very, very proud of [Keturah Jackson]. I think, again, for a person who never ran point guard one time last year, to log the minutes that she has in running the offense is great. I think the key about it is that Abby [Waner] is always there to run the point guard, there's no doubt about that, so we definitely have that opportunity - she ran the two and the one as you saw today ? but what Shay [Selby] has done to step up is very important to us. You just have to have a lot of people that can handle the ball, a lot of people that can create, and you've got to have that ball handling overall. Iowa wasn't essentially a team that was going to press and perhaps be as quick as a Western Kentucky was, but it's important to take care of the ball, and the team did today. Eight turnovers is excellent and that's a habit we'd like to have.”
On her change in defense since coming to coach Duke:
“I think the student athletes have provided that opportunity. I've always wanted to be at a spot where you could be a multiple defensive team in every sense of the word. I believe strongly that you have to be able to play different defensives in order to be long term successful and so without question, I think [Lisa Bluder] is just echoing my sentiment that by having the great opportunity to coach at Duke, the quality of the student athlete, particularly the athletic side, is just fantastic ? man-to-man, and being able to press. I've always been a pressing coach but the press takes on a new kind of deal when you've got quickness and athleticism. I love pressing, but now the pressing is a little more interesting, and I love man-to-man, I think it fits my personality the most, but I don't think I've always been able to use it at times. I love the match up because I think it can really throw teams off in terms of timing. I love a multiple defensive team, and this team is working very, very hard to be a great defensive team, and this is by far the best defense we've played as a team, as well executing the scatter report to a T. I mean really taking people out. The student athletes provide that opportunity and I'm glad that [Lisa Bluder] could say that.
On Karima Christmas' injury during the game:
“It was just a contusion to the knee. She banged her knee. I'm told she's fine and she's going to have to be fine. She's fine. She's fine.”
Senior Abby Waner
On how they responded to their difficulties shooting the ball in the first half:
“We talked about it at half time, and we said that we're O-boarding [offensive rebounding] really well. I guess that's what happens when the ball doesn't go into the basket, but at least we were crashing off the misses. I specifically remember Coach P [Joanne P. McCallie] saying, as we came back from the first media timeout disappointed, ?You guys are playing great defense.' She immediately flipped the direction on that to good defense. Which we did, I second what she said, I'm really proud of how our team played defense tonight. You have to look at the positives of it and look at what you can do. Those were some shots that we normally would make and I doubt you'll see a 0-13 start from us again.”
On what it says about the team being able to weather the beginning shooting drought:
“It shows a level of maturity. You definitely don't want to go into a shooting drought at the beginning of the game but to be able to turn it around and focus on other things, focus on rebounds, defense, which was exactly what we did.”
On the defense and how it impacted the offense:
“I think it was important to look at the matchups too. They're a very good shooting team, but they're also a little bit slower. From the get-go we used our athleticism to get them out of what they're used to. I think that was huge, they could never get into their flex offense because we were constantly denying passes that otherwise have been there for them. They really didn't start hitting from the outside until late.”
On the differences in preparation the past week:
“This week we've had some great practices. Our practice guys have not been around, which normally we cringe at, but we've been going 5 on 5. It's been very competitive, nobody wants to lose, so it's made our practices extremely hard. We go hard at each other, so I think that made a change because we weren't lethargic coming out. We were missing shots, but we weren't lethargic like we have been in the past. So I think that our practices leading up to games are huge.”
Freshman Shay Selby
On how she felt playing point guard:
“I felt ok. I was just trying to get everybody where they were supposed to be and run the plays.”
On her comfort level:
“I would say that this was the most comfortable I've felt on the floor this year. I felt pretty good out there tonight. I was a little nervous earlier in the season. I'm kind of getting into the flow now.”
Junior Joy Cheek
On what was going through her mind when she ended the early drought:
“Just take open shots. There's nothing you can really do about a drought but keep shooting, you aren't going to stop shooting the ball. So when I saw openings I took shots and they just happened to fall.”
On the crowd:
“I think that it's always important to have people there cheering for you. I kind of gets you riled up a little bit, so I think it's really important to have people out there and it is nice to have fan support.”
Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder
On overall emotions of the game:
“I just want to congratulate Duke on a great performance, their defense and intensity, and their physical style really took us out of our game and obviously forced us into a lot of turnovers and that was tough. When we lost Megan (Skouby) in the first half I think people were concerned about her and that was kind of a mental blow when that happened. Luckily she was able to come back in the second half, but by then the damage had been done.”
On what happened to Megan Skouby:
“She just got a fingernail through the left eye and got stitches, but she was able to come back after that.”
On Duke's defense:
“I think it was preventing us from cutting where we wanted to cut. It disrupted our offense because they were just very physical and wouldn't let us cut where we wanted to cut and they obviously got their hands on a lot of basketballs. We're very young, we've got three freshman out there for a majority of the time today. I though Kamille Wahlin did a nice job as a freshman point guard in the second half. I know there wasn't much pressure at that point, but still I thought she did some really nice things. It was nice for us to see Hannah Draxten hit some three pointers, our other freshman that was in there. But right now we're just not knocking down some open looks and we've got some shooters but I just have to believe that better days are ahead.”
On similarities to McCallie's style:
“I think Jo (Joanne P. McCallie) and I have both changed a little bit since she was in the Big Ten. There are some similarities. I think we both ran some similar quick hits and things like that, but her defensive scheme has changed a little bit since she's been here, actually quite a bit I think since she's been here.”
On Iowa's defense:
“I just think Duke didn't shoot the ball very well. I don't know if it had a whole lot to do with us or not, but I thought we did a decent job on our inside game to begin the game, and also did a good job on the boards. I think we did a pretty good job on the rebounds.”
On Duke's defensive pressure:
“I think it was a factor, especially when you get down by double digits. I think that's when you really have to have the depth to come back and the energy level to come back, and they do have more depth than we do. We have a couple players out with injuries out right now, and I know they do as well, but obviously their depth is a little stronger than ours.”
Players Mentioned
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