KU Postgame Notes

Feb. 6, 2007

Recap | Final Stats | Notes |

Kansas Postgame Quotes
Kansas 70, Colorado 68
February 6, 2007

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
On the crowd:
“It was a great crowd. In overtime, those kids (Kansas) need their help and we appreciate it. That was awesome. We appreciate all the energy in the Fieldhouse tonight.”

On first conference win:
“We told them before the game, `shut your eyes and go through what it feels like to make a shot, and go through what it’s like to slide and make a stop and take a charge. Then go through what it feels like to win a basketball game.’ I asked in the locker room if that is how they thought it felt like, and they just started screaming again. They deserve that. I told them keep celebrating and keep screaming. It was Sharita’s (Smith) best game of her career; makes free throws and chases that ball on the bounce pass. There is something special about a kid whose minutes were limited earlier. Coming to practice everyday to try to get it right and do what she was supposed to do. I thought she did a great job on (Jasmina) Ilic in the first 30 minutes, and then gets a stop on the last possession when they (Colorado) have got a chance to win it in regulation. I’m just happy for her and, obviously, for the kids.”

On struggling to make 12- and 15-foot shots:
“That is what we have said before, you have to play with some fortitude. Rebecca Feickert is our genius. I asked, `Feickert what is the definition of fortitude?’ and she had it. You have to be able to have strength through adversity. At times we have not been as tough as I thought we were. To win a basketball game when you don’t shoot the ball well, but still do the little things, and make free throws and get stops. In a one possession game, every little simple thing is a big deal.

On Shaquina Mosley and Colorado’s Whitney Houston:
“It was a great battle back and forth. I give Houston credit. She did a nice job and had great poise for a young kid. She did what she needed to do for her team to be in a position to win. Both teams deserved to win.”

On good free throw shooting:
“It was about stepping up with some confidence. We changed how we have been shooting free throws in practice, trying to put a little more pressure. I’ve said it all along that we’re the best free throw shooting team in practice I’ve ever had. Then I’m looking at one of the worse free throw shooting team in a game I’ve ever had, and that’s confidence.”

Kansas Player Quotes
Senior guard Shaquina Mosley
On her final shot:

“I saw that I had a lane. They (Colorado) were hedging and really didn’t commit to me. So I just took it to the basket. I was trying to at least draw the foul, and I thought to myself do not settle for a jump shot. I was trying to pull the defense and then kick it or finish it at the rim.”

On the win:
“We had to step it up tonight and do all that we could to try and stop the other team. Bonnie (Henrickson) switched it up and put Sharita (Smith) on (Whitney) Houston, and we were able to come out on top.”

Senior guard Sharita Smith
On the game:
“My freshman and sophomore year, I was really discouraged so I tried to learn from that. This year I have tried not to get so discouraged because I am not going to benefit from it. I tell my teammates that if they make mistakes to learn from it and get it right the next time.”

On guarding Whitney Houston:
“We knew what we had to do (a good job) coming into the game. She is really quick with the ball, and I have to give credit to her for that. Her shot was hard to defend because she brought the ball behind her head.”

Colorado Quotes
Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller
On Shaquina Mosley’s gamewinner:

“I’m not sure who set the screen, or who hedged for us, but we talked about getting up and not letting her get into the lane. I thought we had done it many times throughout the game, but she stepped up and made the play. It was a tough shot and it was contested. That was our goal–to make them step up and make a tough shot, and not to put them on the free throw line to win it there.”

On Freshman Point Guard Whitney Houston:
“She is young and she is inexperienced at being in these late game situations, but she made the tough plays that kept us in the game. We only had two people scoring tonight, so we were pretty two dimensional with Jackie (McFarland) and Whitney (Houston), but I’ll take her (Houston). She’s a fighter, she works hard and wants to win. There were times when I thought she strapped this team on her back and made some nice plays offensively and defensively but the maturation process of a freshman point guard is still happening. It is tough, especially to someone that puts forth that amount of effort.”

On Kansas knocking at the door for a Big 12 win:
“I told my team that they had our game circled as the game they felt like they could get, and rightfully so. We had not won on the road and I told my team all along that they deserved to win. They have worked hard. They have been there and really prepared. I thought we fought, and you have to know that this team wanted to win and put the forth the amount of effort, but Kansas just made some plays.”

Junior Forward Jackie McFarland
On Kansas’ late game defense:
“I thought KU did a great job of getting up and playing aggressive defense. I think most of the night we were able to make plays instead of really running our offense. Towards the end of the game we did not make the plays and we got a little shy.”