Quotes
Jan. 9, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Notes |
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas Postgame Quotes<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Oklahoma State 59, Kansas 54
Jan. 9, 2008 – Lawrence, Kan.
Kansas Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
On Andrea Riley:
“We couldn’t get any help on the back side, and that’s why she is a great player. That is why she is an All-Big 12 player. Give her credit for making free-throws down the stretch. We had to foul – score and foul and try to get it to a one-possession game. We could have shot a three with 30 seconds left, but we tried to chip away and make them make free throws and try to get a quick hit coming back.”
On lessons taken from the game:
“You make a run, then the other team answers, and then you need to make another run. We couldn’t make that run at the end of the first half. (OklahomaState) just missed shots early. They got pretty good looks when we went up 11-0, they just missed some shots on the perimeter and we did a good job blocking out. Our transition game – we didn’t get much out of that. We didn’t get inside the zone. We have got to sustain good possessions on both ends of the floor. Danielle (McCray) has to keep herself of out foul trouble, especially when we are one man down. You need to make it through tough stretches and find a way to get stops, and we couldn’t score. When we couldn’t score, we couldn’t stop them.”
Junior guard Ivana Catic
On KU’s offensive struggles:
“We struggled to get in the paint tonight. Usually we can either get into the paint with our quickness or throw the ball into Krysten (Boogaard), but she got into foul trouble tonight. We tried to get open-shots on the perimeter, but we couldn’t get open looks and they were able to match up.”
On Oklahoma St. guard Andrea Riley:
“She is one of the best players that I have ever faced. Last year when we played her in the Big 12 Tournament we forced here left and gave her a couple steps. This year we couldn’t do that. Before this game she was shooting 21-51 from three and you have to respect her shot now. She can attack you with the dribble as well. She is obviously a great player and does a great job for them. They are a top-25 team and she is a big part of it.”
Sophomore guard Sade Morris
On Oklahoma St. matching KU’s early-run:
“They just went on a run on us and we didn’t exactly answer it at the correct time. By the time that we finally answered to their run it was too late. If they make a run we have to find a way to answer it quicker than we did tonight.”
Senior forward Taylor McIntosh
On going to Nebraska:
“In the past we haven’t played well there, but we have to grow and learn how to play better on the road so we can come out with a win on the road.”
Oklahoma State Head Coach Kurt Budke
On defending Danielle McCray:
“Taylor Hardeman and Shaunte Smith did a heck of a job on Danielle McCray tonight. We thought that was the key to the game. McCray is a great player and we thought we needed to make her work hard to get what she got if we were going to win. I give all the credit in the world to those two.”
On winning at Allen Fieldhouse:
“I’m very proud of our team. We dug ourselves a hole. We ran into that early in the year at TCU, and we didn’t handle it well. I think the lesson we learned there helped us tonight. We dug in and got a little tougher and played better defense. We have a true star in Andrea Riley, and she came through when the game was on the line.”
On Kansas:
“I love their team. I think Bonnie (Henrickson) is a great coach and I think they have a whole lot of options and they have a true star in (Danielle) McCray. I don’t think there’s any question they’re an NCAA Tournament team. The way they score, they’re definitely an NCAA Tournament team.”
On Andrea Riley:
“Sometimes it’s not fair. She’s unguardable. She’s shooting 41 percent from three (point range) right now. When that’s going down, you can put a big on her and she’ll go by them, or you can put little on her and she’ll go over them. If she’s not the best point guard in the Big 12, she’s in the mix.”
