quotes

Jan. 3, 2006

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Postgame Quotes
Kansas 70, Texas 61
January 3, 2006

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
On the game compared to last year against Texas:

“I thought we did a much better job. We made some plays, we made the extra pass, and we executed the box. The difference this year, when we struggle with scoring, we can still defend and not give up buckets.”

On senior guard Kaylee Brown:
“I thought Kaylee Brown was fantastic on Arriaran (Erika). I thought she guarded her better than anyone at Duke, anybody at Tennessee and anybody at Rockhurst. That kid’s a difference maker. Without hesitation she was the high school player of the year, but as a senior, Kaylee Brown was solid.”

On third consecutive game with record setting attendance:
“They (the crowd) were good. They were solid and worked as hard as we did. They had a lot of energy, a lot of noise. I’m telling you, it teaches our kids a lesson. Our point guards better start learning hand signals pretty quick. Taking care of business and finding ways to win, creating the environment that helped us today, it doesn’t help Texas, but it helps Kansas when we are playing at home. Our kids feed off it, and we have great respect for people.”

On first road game against Nebraska:
“I think our kids are excited to go on the road together. They have got to be able to dig down and do what we have done well all year and be better at some things. We need to play with confidence, play hard, play smart and play together, and we’ll live with what happens after that.”

Senior Guard Kaylee Brown
On the game:
“I kind of felt that people weren’t really leaning towards us because of our opponents, but we came in, stepped up and played big and beat Texas. I think that we are going to catch a lot of people’s attention.”

On Texas:
“We were focusing on Tiffany Jackson and Erika Arriaran for a little bit. We wanted to contain them and box Tiffany Jackson out. She is relentless on the boards and is a relentless scorer. I think that we had a really good game plan on both of them and it worked really well.”

On the crowd:
“It was amazing. That is what gave us the energy and kept us going. It was awesome.”

Senior Forward Crystal Kemp
On facing Tiffany Jackson:
“She is one of the players I like to play because she makes me better on the defensive and offensive end. I have great respect for her because she is a great match-up.”

On the last few second of the game:
“I ran into Erica (Hallman) and almost made her turn the ball over. For Erica, Kaylee and I being seniors, it was great to get a win against Texas.”

Freshman Guard Ivana Catic
On Texas:

“How physical and how quick they (Texas) are is the hardest that we have seen all season. They are definitely a great team. The team managed to neutralize their athleticism, and we had to play smart to set the screens on their defense. We played great `D,’ I think. That was the key.”

On Tiffany Jackson and Erika Arriaran:
“We knew that the biggest trouble would be (Tiffany) Jackson and (Erika) Arriaran. We just tried to force them to the right and we did a good job because she (Erika Arriaran) only had seven points. She had been the leading scorer for four or five of their last games. That was one of the keys, and we did a good job. I think that we disrupted their game plan.”

On beating a ranked team:
“We were going crazy in the locker room and kind of celebrating. We are aware that the further into the season these wins are going to let everyone know that Kansas is a serious team. That is an extra obligation for us to play harder every game and to justify why we are 12-0 and how we beat a ranked team.”

Texas Head Coach Jody Conradt
On the game:
“It is a really tough way to start the conference. First and foremost, Bonnie (Henrickson) has done a really great job. They are really playing well and their record indicates that. It is a fact that they are so disciplined and playing so well that they are going to be hard to beat and hard to beat here (at Allen Fieldhouse). I am thinking they are going to be a factor in the Big 12. We have got to get better. I saw improvement from our team from our last outing and the only answer I know is to continue to work and build on what we have. I felt like we were pretty much overmatched at the guard position and it’s a guard’s game. It’s a game that had to be dictated by guard play and we didn’t measure up the way we need to. We are shorthanded there right now, and that’s not meant to be an excuse. That’s reality, and we have to get better.”

On keeping her team in the game:
“I thought we were just trying to hang on and stay close the whole game. There were a couple times when we could have faltered and lost contact with them, and we didn’t. I think one of the positives is that we did a much better job of fighting and staying in it.”

On comparing the crowd to two years ago:
“I can’t be complimentary enough of what this environment was like compared to two years ago. First of all, the renovations, the new floor, the lighting makes it tremendously different. It does make you feel like you are in a special place. You think something special is about to happen when you walk into a gym that has been updated and renovated like this one has.”

On Kansas:
“I know that Bonnie has been building fan support and building a crowd. When it comes down to it, the people who come to the gym only understand one thing, and that’s winning. She did exactly the right thing to build confidence in her team and to get the attention of the people who are going to support that program. I know she has to be pleased with how it’s coming along.”

Junior Forward Tiffany Jackson
On missing key players on the team:

“It has been really hard for us. We haven’t had our full team on the floor at all this year. You can’t build chemistry without everyone there.”