Postgame Quotes
March 26, 2013
Recap | Final Stats | Notes |
Bonnie Henrickson, Kansas Head Coach
Opening statement:
“I thought it was a great game. It’s a one-possession game with less than 30 seconds left. For this time of year it’s exciting. We’ve been in a lot of tight games, from a confidence standpoint. I was proud that we were able to get stops and finally get a defensive rebound and knock down some free throws. Give credit to South Carolina. They came out of the locker room and offensive rebounded. They were like a pack of dogs after the final piece of meat on Earth. Our first shot offense was good. We had five shots to their 14 shots coming out of the locker room because everybody went (to the offensive glass). We finally said if we want to advance we have to defend and rebound. We cleaned some of that up. I thought [Monica Engelman] gave us good minutes. [Asia] Boyd gave us good minutes. It wasn’t a lot but she doesn’t let [South Carolina guard Ieasia Walker] score going into the locker room. Monica had 18 at the half. It was similar to the Colorado game in that we were down eight, we take the lead going into the locker room, then it flipped on us. South Carolina threw a punch in the second half. It was a reat game back and forth. These two here [Engelman and Angel Goodrich] were big early and often and played consistently and played tough because our posts were in so much foul trouble. So much of our offense was through them. We just called everything for those two because we struggled to get something inside. I’m really excited for our kids, proud of our kids. I thought University of Colorado, Boulder and the people here did a really nice job. Everybody has been first class and it couldn’t have been better. From a players standpoint, for the fans, for the staff, everything has been first class.”
On the quality of the game:
“We knew they presented a tremendous challenge on the glass. They averaged 24 free throw attempts and obviously that was a concern of mine. South Carolina did a great job. They got us on the glass. They got us in transition. They had a couple run outs. If you look at how they get to the free throw line, it’s because they drive it so hard. They offensive rebound because of their transition. That really bothered us and they took advantage of us there. We played poised and controlled. Chelsea [Gardner] struggled around the rim. She had some offensive rebounds, but I think she padded her offensive rebounding stats and killed her field goal percentage. That’s why all the play calls went to Monica [Engelman] and Angel [Goodrich]. I think Monica’s pull-up jumper on the baseline to put us up two was huge.”
On Kansas’ strategy:
“Both teams love to run, but you earn the opportunity to run by getting a defensive stop. They jammed the outlet. They turned us over trying to get the ball to Angel on the outlet. They turned us over a little early, so we said possession is the most important thing and we let’s be clean about the defensive rebound and outlet. Then we just got out and ran. We said it would be about who could guard the other better in transition. Then it became a half-court game and I thought we executed and made the extra pass. South Carolina just dumped it inside, dumped it inside and we played Santa Clause in the post, just letting them sit on us. It was a battle back and forth and it was about taking advantage. They did at times and we did at times.”
On being the second 12-seed to defeat a 4-seed to advance to Sweet 16:
“I was not aware of that. They told me in the locker room afterwards. We’re just excited to win and have the chance to play again. We enjoyed the opportunity last year. As a coach one of the most special things is just sit back and watch them – just pure joy in the locker room. Not that it doesn’t mean anything, but I’m more of an in-the-moment kind of person. It means more to me that they look like they do in the locker room right now.”
On what’s changed in the NCAA Tournament:
“We’re better defensively. I really think the Big 12 moving their tournament earlier really gave us a chance to clean stuff up with us that we just wanted to be better in. We’ve had great practices. We’ve had great energy and great bounce. Everybody is excited to have the opportunity – clean slate, so let’s go. You just gain a little bit more confidence. It’s been different guys – five different guys in double digits the other night. Now you have this, where [Angel Goodrich] and [Monica Engelman] put up huge numbers because that’s what we needed. They have enough confidence in each other and care enough about each other that they don’t care who gets the credit. Monica doesn’t care that she scored a career high, she cares that we win. Angel is going to be more upset about one turnover than she is happy about eight assists. That’s just who they are.”
On where the momentum shifted:
“I thought the run going into the locker room at halftime. I thought that gave us a little more momentum coming out. They missed some shots around the rim. We tape a box around the lane and we were asking at halftime how many shots had they made outside the paint and it was two. We contested shots a little bit better. They missed some things around the rim and we started to defensive rebound. Then we make a couple players. We make a couple plays at the rim. I don’t know from what minute mark down, it was a one-possession game. We just wanted to stay aggressive and play confidently. We knocked down some free throws, they missed some free throws.”
PLAYERS
Monica Engleman, Kansas Guard:
On her overall thoughts on the win
“These tournaments are all about `Survive and Advance,’ and these three seniors and the rest of the team, we were hungry, and we wanted to do everything possible, individually and collectively, to advance.”
On why KU had so much success against such a defensive-minded South Carolina team
“For me, [senior guard] Angel [Goodrich] made it easy. She’s a great point guard, and she can push the ball, so it makes everyone else run and spread the floor, and we were able to get easy buckets in transition.”
On the importance of last year’s Sweet 16 appearance, this year
“I think we were more comfortable, and I think playing in the Big 12 prepared us.”
On her career-high 27 points
“I was just trying to play and stay aggressive and do what I needed to do to get us the win.
“I needed to be aggressive, and it gets contagious, and when my teammates are aggressive, and we’re doing what we need to do as a team then it makes me feel better as a basketball player and do what I need to do.
“I’m just happy we won. That’s all that I’m happy about.”
Angel Goodrich, Kansas Guard:
On why KU had so much success against such a defensive-minded South Carolina team
“We want to run. We want to push. We want to control the tempo. When we run we have fun, and that’s all we want to do, is go out there and have fun and play for each other.
“We wanted to catch them off-balance, catch them where they weren’t ready and let them set up, because when they are set up they are really good. We just wanted to catch them off guard, get easy buckets and finish at the rim.”
On her mindset at halftime after scoring just five points in the first half
“I’m never really concerned [about scoring]. If I’m not really scoring I want to contribute in a different way, whether it’s getting to the basket and dishing it off. I mean [senior guard] Monica [Engleman] was on fire, so I wanted to get her the ball when she needed the ball, and I wanted to get it to her where she needed it. So, it’s just about doing something else to help our team win. It’s not all about points for me.”
On her postgame exchange with teammate G Markisha Hawkins
“She was just saying, `Sweet 16,’ in my ear and hugging me. She always does that. I don’t know why she picks me. I don’t know if it’s because I’m small or what, but she seems to do that a lot. But, it’s cool. I love her to death.”
On her calm demeanor down the stretch
“As a point guard and as a leader I can’t show my face is worried, because my teammates look to me, and I feel like we’ve grown in that aspect in being really composed and trying not to let anything get to us. We’ve been in positions of a one-point game a lot, so I think we’ve learned to just stay together and get tired.”
On the importance of last year’s Sweet 16 appearance, this year
“The Big 12 really prepared us. It’s a great league, and there are great teams–you have to come every night, ready to play. And I felt like last year we had fun and we enjoyed the experience, and I think this year that helped us be more hungry. We wanted that experience again.”
On her thoughts when forward Carolyn Davis went down in the second half
“It’s always a scare to see someone go down, and when I looked at her she kind of held her knee, and I was like, `Dang.’ I didn’t know what to think really. But for her to get up and stand up, it relieved me a little bit, but when that happens you’ve got to stay composed a little bit and just think about, `We’ve still got time on the clock. We’ve still got a game to finish.’ I’m glad she got back up and she got back in the game and she did what she needed to do.”
