Colorado University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Colorado-USC Quotes
January 31, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Colorado Head Coach Linda Lappe
"It was a growing up moment. We have been in that situation a lot in the past. We had it in our mind that we are going to play free and have fun. We called a timeout and said 'reset and play like you were playing in the first minute of the game, play like you would play in the first quarter of the game, take the shots you would take in the first quarter of the game, let's not overthink what we're doing.' We had had a good game up to that point. You have to credit USC they put on a press and got us rattled a little bit. We did a nice job of regaining that composure. It was a big step for our team."
On Rebounding
"We talked about the box-out and how it gives you a chance to get the ball. Then you have to make the next play to go get the ball. We knew we were going to get stops on the defensive end. We knew we were going to make them take tough shots, and we did. Then it came down to, could we go grab the basketball. The guards did a nice job of rebounding down, our posts did a nice job of being strong in there and getting boards. That's more like us, when you think of our teams of the past, its plus ten plus 12 on the boards, so it was really fun to assert ourselves on the glass like we did."
Colorado Players
Makenzie Ellis, Fr., F
On Learning To Maintain A Lead
"I think the biggest thing we have changed is our attitudes. You make a mistake but we pick each other up and go on the other end and get a stop or a score. We really just go onto the next play and I think that is the biggest change we have made. We have come closer together by doing that and have become a better team. I think those experiences show that when we can come together we can get ourselves a win."
On Playing Her Best Game Of The Season
"I do think that I helped a lot especially by keeping the balls alive on the offensive end and giving us extra possessions. My teammates really helped a lot too by getting those tips from the free throws and being there. Kennedy [Leonard] would come down and be ready to receive the ball and if they were not there to help me then those plays would not have been possible. So having them behind me really helped."
On Rebounding Down The Stretch
"I think rebounding is just effort. Everybody boxed out well and got ourselves in position. For me, every time I saw the ball I went for it and dove at it. I tried to find every opportunity to give our team an opportunity to score."
Haley Smith, Jr., G/F
On Earning The Win
"We have not been focusing too much on past scores. But I think this one has been really great for us because we were finally able to get that break through. We have been so close in the past few games, which gave us a confidence boost. It showed us what we are putting in has paid off. I think it is really powerful in that way."
On Finding A Rhythm Offensively
"We really trusted the flow of the offense and we were not forcing things. We were moving the ball a lot and taking open shots that we practice all the time. I think trusting the offense, moving the ball around and finding the open player was really great for us. It helped by getting some offensive boards and getting easy transition points."
USC Head Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke
On Facing A Hungry Colorado Team
"Absolutely. Props to Colorado. They just did fantastically out there. They played hard the entire game and you could tell that they were hungry for a victory. But we just got outplayed today. The Buffs were strong, very strong."
On Putting An Emphasis On Defending Jamee Swan
"We put an emphasis on protecting [Jamee] Swan because she's a great player. We knew that she would be their leader and try to get some things done offensively. But, there was such a balanced attack today from Colorado. They were a tough customer today."
On Protecting The Perimeter
"We really wanted to get hands up in shooters' face and make them do something different. We didn't do a really good job on defense or defending penetration very well. It was a struggle."
On Their Fourth Quarter Comeback
"We pressed, we started to press and get some turnovers and get some better looks at the basket. I just don't think we had enough gas to finish strong. At the end of the day, at crucial moments of the game, you have to execute and we didn't execute down the stretch and Colorado did."