Kansas vs. Texas A&M Postgame Quotes
Jan. 15, 2006
Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
On the game:
“They did a very good job of creating offense for themselves off their defense. Ivana (Catic) at times handled the pressure well. It was disappointing that we didn’t get on their 3-point shots better. Basketball is a game of mistakes and the team that makes fewer mistakes usually wins and they did today. We missed a lot of lay ups today. We just need to concentrate more and make those lay ups. Although at times we were solid and disciplined. We did a pretty good job at times on offense. We just didn’t contest their jump shots well and a lot of that has to due with a lack of communication on defense. Overall we were very solid on the boards and we were aggressive on offense at times. Crystal (Kemp) did a very nice job for us. This is a very veteran team that has goals and will continue hard to achieve them.”
On Texas A&M’s improvement:
“I was telling the kids a couple days ago how far I think Texas A&M has come and how I think they are the most improved team in our conference. They pressure the ball very well and when we pressured them they handled the ball very well. They have worked very hard in recruiting and it shows.”
Senior Guard Kaylee Brown
On the game:
“Definitely, it was frustrating. Coach (Henrickson) said that we can’t go basket-for-basket and we have to start making runs, and we never did that. We did it for a while. When we were executing and neutralizing their athleticism we were doing well and making runs on them, but we didn’t do it the whole game.”
On Texas A&M shooting 54.7% from the field:
“I will give credit to them for that, but most of the stuff that was happening was we weren’t getting through screens, and they were getting wide open looks.”
On what to do to overcome a three-game losing streak:
“We just need to work harder, and that’s all you can do. Correct the things that we are doing wrong, over and over again.”
On having one week before the next game:
“I definitely think that that is going to help. I know that the coaches are going to start breaking things down for us a lot more.They will get us back into the swing of things. I have faith in them, and they have faith in us. So we just have to go out there and do the things that we’re told and execute. Play hard, play well.”
On scoring 20 points:
“It is frustrating, but I am sure there are going to be those games where you don’t play well and your team wins, but you’re going to feel good about that. I still feel that same way about losing. I don’t necessarily care about my play right now because we lost. So apparently it didn’t help enough.”
Freshman Guard Ivana Catic
On the game:
“They are very good defensively. I don’t think that we took that many bad shots, I just don’t think that they fell in tonight. I don’t think that I handled the ball that bad. I should have continued my dribbling in the second half. I think I did pretty well in the first half. In the second half I started picking it up, and they are real athletic and got in the passing lanes. We started losing our flow when I started picking up the ball. We couldn’t score, and we also struggled to defend. In previous games, when we couldn’t score we were able to defend.”
On the play of Morenike Atunrase:
“We wanted to contest her (shots) and stay with her. And at least if she got the shot off we could contest and box out. We probably didn’t contest any of her threes, which she was five-of-eight. I thought we gave up much more than we should have.”
On what the team needs to do to win:
“Keep our heads up and keep practicing. We just need to stay together and have a great practice. We have a day off tomorrow, and then we know that we have to get down and make some changes. The season is going really quickly, so we have to make changes quickly.”
Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair
On the game:
“I think as the game went on, we went deeper into our bench and we got production. When they went to their bench they were coming up with some pretty good defensive players, but not kids who could put it in (the basket). The gym was so hot in there that we had to keep rotating players in and out. I think that is why our press was not exactly where I wanted it.”
On Kansas’ seniors:
“I thought (Crystal) Kemp and (Kaylee) Brown did an outstanding job. We couldn’t shut down all three, but one of our keys to the game was to shut down Erica Hallman. I thought we did a very good job most of the time.”
On Kansas:
“Kansas is a good ball club. I picked Kansas to win the North because I believe in those three seniors.”
Sophomore Guard Morenike Atunrase
On the game:
“I stepped up my game a lot because I knew this was a road game. (Kansas) was a great ball club and as a team we had to pick it up. I wasn’t hesitating on my shot. I am so proud of our team that we stepped up and hit those crucial free throws.”
