Colorado University Athletics
Oklahoma-Colorado Quotes
February 24, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Linda Lappe
General
"I thought our players played tremendously hard, they played together and they fought down until the end. Oklahoma made a couple of good runs at us, especially in the second half, and we answered them every single time. That's what teams do; that's what team's at this level do. Our players stepped up and they responded. We got defensive stops when we needed to, we scored when we needed to and I'm so happy for our players that they could get this win against a very good team. I just can't say enough about everybody that played."
On foul trouble in the first half
"It's hard when you have a lot of foul trouble in the first half. We've done it all season long and people step up. Whether it's an injury, whether it's foul trouble, whether players aren't playing well; you have to have other players step up. I thought the players that had two fouls in the first half did a nice job for the most part of not getting that third one, being disciplined in their defense. Coming out in the second half you always have the tendency to maybe play passive a little bit and I thought through the entire game we were maybe passive for about five minutes midway through that second half. They really responded and started attacking again, they started being aggressive and getting to the rim. We didn't let it affect us, which I think is key."
On keeping the momentum going after the win
"We just have to keep getting better. I've said that for the last two or three weeks and I felt that during the last couple of days in practice, we got better at a couple things; especially offensively. We just started to break down some things that maybe you let go during the season and kind of just going back to some basics. We just have to keep the confidence and know that we can't be one hit wonders, we can't be the team that beats Oklahoma and then losses a game that we maybe shouldn't. So we just have to be able to sustain it, we have to be able to stay mentally tough and we need to get our first road win of the year."
On defensive matchups with smaller size
"I thought Meagan [Malcolm-Peck] and had a great game. [Brittany] Spears when she had to guard the other center, she did a great job. Offensively they [Oklahoma] did have a tough time getting through screens. There aren't a lot of teams in this league that are as small as we are, so sometimes we have to use that as an advantage. A lot of times it's a disadvantage and I think tonight I felt like it really was an advantage. They subbed to try and match who we had in."
On the team's energy during the game
"I thought our players were on it. We were on every loose ball. We reacted and we were willing to do tonight whatever it took to get that win. That's just the mentality that we have to have every single game. We can't get tired, we got hit a few times, coming up limping and hit in the face and all of those sorts of things, but I thought that we did a nice job of putting our bodies out there and getting on the ground when we needed to. We were pushing the ball in transition when we needed to. We had a few too many turnovers at different times, but at the same time, I told them before the game to take risks. We're the spoilers, we can't be passive and we have nothing to lose. Sometimes you've got to take a risk in order for there to be a reward."
On the team's focus after three losses
"To the credit of our team, they've been great. They come every single day ready to work. You really wouldn't know how the previous game went. Except for the fact that we want to work harder and make sure it doesn't happen again. I haven't thought for one single second that our players have given up; I haven't thought for one single second that they haven't come ready to practice. There are some days when you may expect it and anticipate that happening, they come and they have good energy and they're mentally ready because they want to have a good rest of their season."
On Oklahoma
"Oklahoma's a really good team. They're always tough and they're always well coached, they're always disciplined, they fight hard, they're physical, they're skilled and we knew coming in that it was going to be a battle and it was. I'm just so happy for our players that they could get this win."
Colorado Players
Chucky Jeffery, So., G
ON PULLING TOGETHER AS A TEAM - "We know we can play, we know we can play good with anybody. If we play all together and we all come together and play, and everybody shows up, we can play with anybody."
ON CONTINUING TO TAKE THREE POINT SHOTS - "I'm sure we will. This is too much momentum to let down. I think we can only go up from here. We can't have anymore back slides. We are up right now and we have to end our season strong."
ON PLAYING SMALL BALL - "We know that they're real quick so we have to attack them before they can attack us. We have to stay composed and know that the pressure is coming and then hit the open spots. If they are trapping and someone is open, if we move the ball, we get an open shot every time."
Meagan Malcolm-Peck, So., G
ON PULLING TOGETHER AS A TEAM - "All of those games that we lost by a lot we had stretches where we were right there and we know we can play with people and we just let down. Our emphasis for this game was to come out and play a full 40 minutes and we all came out and had fun and played as hard as we could."
ON PLAYING SMALL BALL - "We wanted to attack and push at them. We didn't want to be scared of anybody. Our focus was to attack the basket and look for open shooters. I think is why we had so many assists, we attacked the basket. Chucky [Jeffery] and [Brittany] Spears did an awesome job of taking it in there and they all collapsed on them and that's why we had so many open threes."
ON FINDING OUT SHE WOULD BE STARTING - "They didn't really tell me. We just got our scout and who's guard who. It really doesn't matter who's starting. It's who can come in and we all want to play together as a team and we all played so well together and it really has no difference who starts and who doesn't start.
Brittany Spears, Sr., G
ON PULLING TOGETHER AS A TEAM - "We knew we had nothing to lose so we just went out there and played."
ON KEEPING MOMENTUM GOING - "Keep our focus. Practice hard tomorrow and go out with the mindset that we're going to win."
ON GOING AGAINST DANIELLE ROBINSON - "It was fun because it's my first time beating them in my four years here. It was a great win for me to go out on. I was excited that we got the 'W'."
Oklahoma Head Coach Sherri Coale
On Sr., G, Danielle Robinson and Slow First Half -"Two quick fouls, that's why (Danielle Robinson) didn't have anything going on in the first half. She has to keep herself on the floor. I thought we got out hustled for 50-50 balls, and we got hit by every single screen. We didn't avoid and fight through; we gave them way too many threes. We just kind of messed around like we thought (Colorado) would go away. We were ahead and we thought they were going to go away but they didn't. They kept making plays, and I give them credit. They played like the hungrier basketball team."
On Colorado's Program-"They are young, building a program with nothing to lose here."
On Fouls-"Everyone fouled out and that is a problem. Whitney (Hand) fouls out, Carlee (Roethlisberger) fouls out, Danielle (Robinson) has four and it is hard to keep playing that way in that situation."
On Full Court Press-"It was effective and did good things; we just had to answer on the other end."
Turning Point in the Game -"Probably in the first half, (Colorado) went on a 13-2 run to close out the first half and that was probably it, in a nutshell."
On Why the Game Turned in First Half-"(Colorado) set great screens and is very, very physical in their screens and we didn't have enough hunger to fight through and make a difference and guard people."
On Loss-"They are all tough especially this time of year."
Oklahoma Senior Guard Danielle Robinson
ON SECOND HALF-"I think I just slowed down a little bit. In the first half I was rushing things and my feet were a little tangled up on layups. The second half I knew I had to make plays in order for us to stay in the game, I think I did that. I relied a lot on my jumper which is very consistent, something that always helps give our team a little bit of rhythm."
ON 2000th POINT-"I really wasn't focused on getting it, just wanted our team to be back in the game and get us as close as possible. It's cool to hit the two thousand mark. A lot of great players...I'm just honored to be in that club. I'm disappointed that we got the loss."
GENERAL-"They wanted it more. They won the loose ball battles. They made free throws and we knew they were a good 3 point shooting team and we let them get too many off. They hit shots when the clock was stopped at the free throw line. It's just a credit to them for wanting it more."
"It was us not playing with the same toughness and emotion that we had against Texas. You can't do that on the road, especially against a team that's hungry. They wanted it more."
ON IF OU OVERLOOKED CU-"We knew we couldn't, but they made plays and credit to them. They played hard and a lot of people stepped up for them."
