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Quotes: Duke 68, Maryland 65
1/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie
Opening statement:
“That was obviously a great basketball game. I'm very proud of our team and our fight, especially our poise down the stretch. We made plays down the stretch. I thought we had incredible leadership and it's very appropriate that Abby [Waner], [Chante Black] and Joy [Cheek] are here. The plays Abby made down the stretch were huge, fun to watch really, plus her eight rebounds were absolutely important to us. Look at what Chante did in terms of her rebounding and toughness and leadership, and of course Joy and her poise and toughness. It was a great team effort, everybody stepped up. [Jasmine Thomas] did a great job as a point guard down the stretch. It was an interesting game ? one that we can feel good about but also get better from."
On defending Kristi Toliver in the final seconds:
“That was just great man-to-man defense by our team. We wanted to make sure she was contested in a multiple fashion, if possible, because you can't get the ball out of her hands, so you have to do something to direct the shot as much as possible.”
On Duke's 26-percent shooting in the second half:
“I think we had some great shots, but especially those put-backs ? you saw those many, many put-backs ? I think we rushed a bit, but made some great shots. I thought we were attacking the rim, which is always great. Credit Maryland's defense, too, it was probably a combination.”
On the play of Krystal Thomas:
“I thought Krystal Thomas had seven huge minutes, and maybe I should have found a way to get her some more minutes. She was a difference-maker in the first half in terms of her aggressiveness, shot-blocking, and rebounds that she pulled down. Our four posts are very talented. I'm always open to looking at posts and getting them in there and playing them, and I've felt that way about KT all year. She had a great game, and was very, very aggressive.”
On Jasmine Thomas' late free throws:
“We worked to get the ball to Jas as an option, and were also trying to bring Abby down as an option as well. We were trying to go in those directions, but I thought Jas handled herself really well and just, again, showed great poise down the stretch. That's very important.”
Junior Joy Cheek
On effectiveness in the post against Maryland:
“I think we just had an attack mindset. We just knew we could score on them so we were just going to take it at them.”
Senior Abby Waner
On the sparring with Marissa Coleman during the game:
“It was nothing. She's a good friend, but on the court not exactly the closest, I would say. She can talk a lot and so can I, but also we just want to play basketball.”
On whether playing against her fires her up more:
“No, I wouldn't say so. If I did, I don't know if that would be the most mature thing - if you would let a friendship like that affect whether you want to play more or not. It's fun and we play against each other a lot, so it's not that big of a deal anymore.”
On watching Kristi Toliver take a three in the end of the game:
“I pulled Jas [Jasmine Thomas] aside and told her ?Make this free throw, because, trust me, it matters'. There are certain things that you learn from losses, and I will never take a three-point lead with a few seconds to go for granted.”
Senior Chante Black
On going up against other big players like Lynetta Kizer:
“I just try to not get outside myself. There were times where I did take shots that were not the best shots, but Coach quickly pulled me in and told me to play my game. [Lynetta] Kizer is a big body, but that's expected. I'm going to go against people who are a little bit bigger than me, but I'm a little more mobile and agile. Overall, I just try to stay within myself and help out my teammates."
Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese
Opening Statement:
“I'm just really, really proud of our team and I can't say enough of the adversity we fought through. Losing two starters tonight, not having Demauria [Liles] available and then losing Marissa [Coleman]. Looking at the stats I thought Duke did a tremendous job on the boards, and with 26 offensive rebounds we still have a fighting chance to win this game and lose by three. I told them in the locker room I treat it like a win. This game was a tremendous game for a lot of our young kids to come into this tremendous environment and play the way that we did in the second half.”
On benefitting from the game long-term:
“To be able to extend our depth with so many players and play, especially in this kind of environment and be down at half-time the way we were, and to come back and fight and give ourselves a shot. That's what you want as a coach and obviously in the ACC these kinds of battles are what really make it better.”
On dealing with Duke's physical nature:
“It was a mystery to me. Three free throw attempts both halves, we told our kids to keep fighting and going hard to the rim. But we were very disappointed. I thought our kids tried to battle and be as aggressive as they were, but Duke's a physical team and I thought they did a better job tonight being physical.”
On what kind of shot Maryland wanted in the last 30 seconds:
“Obviously for a three from Kristi [Toliver]. They obviously were prepared and ready. But again, anytime you're in a position to be able to have that final shot, and with Kristi taking it, I'll take it any day, and I thought we did a tremendous job being ready in that play.”
Lynetta Kizer
On battling Duke's posts Chante Black and Krystal Thomas:
“My teammates gave me all the confidence in the world. With her being All-American, I was just not worrying about the name on the jersey but just going out and playing to beat, against the best in the nation, that's what we play for in the ACC. They put me on the floor for a reason and they gave me the confidence to go out there and compete.”
On her injury:
“My knee just got a little twisted up, and they just always tell me to stay strong, so I just got up and rebounded from it, went back out there and continued to play.”
Kristi Toliver
On missing shots and Maryland's rebounding:
“I think in the first half we obviously struggled a little bit. Me with my shot it just wasn't going down but I think we found other ways to contribute in all, and obviously rebounding is something we're going to have to continue to get better at, that's plain and simple the reason we lost the game. But it's something we can go into practice and get better at but overall I'm just really proud of how we fought back in the second half with the adversity we faced; not having Demauria and Marissa in and out, and having our “special enforcers” come up and step up being ready to play.”
On Duke's pressure defense:
“I think that we just stayed composed and stayed confident. All of our guards and press alike handled the ball really well. We didn't get caught up in Duke's pressure defense and how they like to press and get into people and be physical. I thought we handled it really well, and next time when we're playing we can combine two great halves together I think we'll be in really good shape.” We had to do different things to beat their press, I think sometimes being aggressive just off the dribble and sitting on balls and going off, hitting the middle, and finding the bigs with deep diagonal passes. Just doing different things but always staying in attack mode because the more we keep them on their heels the less effective it is.”
Players Mentioned
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