Colorado University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Colorado-USC Quotes
March 02, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Linda Lappe
General
“Well USC is a good team; they have great athletes, they're skilled, they're quick and they have a great inside and outside game. How we came out in the first half really hurt us. You can't spot a good team 12 points in one half. Ultimately, we ran out of gas at the end as well as time.”
On Halftime Changes
“We had to refocus. You would think at this point in the season with every game meaning something, there would be a lot of focus throughout the game. We had to get in the zone, we were all over the place and for us, the free throw line is something you can look at and see really quickly if we're focused. When we're focused, we knock down free throws 70-80 percent of the time. When we're not, we shoot about 30-45 percent from the line.”
On Struggling Offensively in the First Half
“I thought we came out ready, but it lasted about five minutes, and then we kind of sputtered through the rest of the first half. We turned the ball over too much and missed some easy shots. Some of it is just getting in the flow, too. USC is big, they're athletic, they cover ground quickly on the defensive side and we haven't seen that in awhile. It definitely took some time to get used to that defense and how they were playing.”
On Needing Momentum Going Into Pac-12 Tournament
“I felt like we needed to win this game; we needed some momentum going into the tournament. I thought we had great momentum after the second half against Arizona, and we took that into UCLA, but then tonight we just didn't have enough. Are we getting better? Yes, we're still getting better. Are we there yet? No. The good thing about this time of the year, and why they call it March Madness, is that anything can happen.”
On Moving Forward Without F Jen Reese
“Jen gives you depth; she can score the basketball and I felt like we missed her at times in the first half. She's another player that you have to guard on the floor and can score in a lot of different ways. I thought that Zoe [Beard-Fails] came in tonight and gave us some great, tough minutes. Rachel [Hargis] is playing a little bit better as well, especially defensively; I thought she played outstanding. Somebody has to step up and when someone goes down, somebody has to want that opportunity to come in and make an impact. Tonight, Zoe did that and really helped us get some runs going.”
University of Colorado Student-Athletes
Brittany Wilson, Sr., G
General
“I would say [the game got away] in the first half. We were a lot sluggish. We gave them too many opportunities, gave the ball away too much. I think we came out fighting in the second half, and in the end, that's all you can ask for.”
On What Went Wrong
“I wouldn't say anything went wrong. I think we just had to buckle down and we fought. That's all that matters. Sometimes it just doesn't go your way. And that's what happened. It didn't go our way.”
On Returning After a Slow First Half
“I felt it. We were tired, but we were going to fight, and that's one thing that we've done all year. It is hard coming back from a 12 point deficit, but we all knew we could do it, so I thought we did a great job believing that and we gave a great fight at the end.”
On Getting USC's Cassie Harberts In Foul Trouble
“I think when she had two or three [fouls] she wasn't as aggressive. Ashley drove right around her because she didn't want to foul, and Rachel hit that shot at the foul key because she didn't want to foul. So I don't think it's a matter of getting her fourth or fifth foul when she was still a little hesitant with that third or fourth one. I thought, I'll take it. I'll still take the third or fourth foul on her.”
On Team's Lack of Threes
“I think we've found other ways [to score]. I think we drove to the basket. We didn't hit free throws, but that was from our lack of focus. But I wouldn't say it's all about the three. We hit inside 15 footers, we went inside the lane. We got our posts involved and I think that was great for us. I think the middle of the key was right open and I think that's exactly what we took.”
Rachel Hargis, Sr., C
On Her Foul Line Jumper
“It's funny because at the game on Friday, I passed up that same shot, and this time, I just caught it right in rhythm. I actually heard Ashley scream my name, but I was already into the shot, so I just took it and it bounced around. I was ready to grab it if it was coming out, but it rolled it in, so I was glad.”
On Going Into Tournament Play
“I think we have some more positive energy going into the tournament. Before, we were kind of down and didn't know what we could do. We know now that we can be a great team. We just have to buckle down, focus and play the whole 40 minutes, not start off so badly and we just really have to work hard in practice this week to be ready to go Thursday.”
USC Trojans Head Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
On Today's Game Strategy
“Well we knew it would be a very physical game. It was just important that we came out and played tough. Our strategy was to play defense, not give up too many offensive boards and execute on the offensive end. We wanted to get out on transition a little more than we did today and we wanted to play better transition defense. I think in the first half, we played good transition defense, but the second half, the Wilson sisters [Brittany and Ashley Wilson] got out on that fast break and really got some things going.”
On CU's 14-2 Run In Second Half
“For some reason, we can't come out in the second half with the correct level of intensity. I think that's one of the reasons CU made the run. But I thought we bounced back with poise and were able to take it back up to nine or ten points. They just never quit. Colorado never quit and they kept coming after us, so it made for a very entertaining game. As a coach, I was stressed out.”