Postgame Quotes
Nov. 16, 2011
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Postgame Quotes
Kansas 73, Creighton 59
November 16, 2011
KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson
On her team’s performance:
“The most alarming thing was the turnovers because we had 25 and our post-players had 14. Certainly we need to handle the ball better because we got sloppy. I thought we were really aggressive early defensively and our balance was good. We forced tough two’s, rebounded and got out. We did some really good things and we did some things that on film will be good for us to learn from in the next couple days.”
On sophomore guard Keena Mays’ play:
“She has practiced better and has been more consistent but there is no doubt we are better when she plays well. But we are not better when she doesn’t practice well because you play like you practice and she has practiced better.”
On junior forward Carolyn Davis’ health:
“Her rhythm was good and I thought she looked great. She has done a great job and our trainers have done a great job. We had her on an underwater treadmill at the football stadium and then as usual on the bike in practice. She is a tough kid, resilient and has been bugging everyone to play in practice, so I figured she was ready. Her minutes will be about how she feels, if it hurts she is going to come out and we will shut her down.”
On senior forward Aishah Sutherland’s performance:
“I thought offensively she was not in a very good rhythm the first half because she kind of double-clutched some things. I thought her rhythm was better but I would still like her attack the glass and get to the free-throw line. I thought her effort was there as she pulled down some tough rebounds when she was all by herself, but in traffic she got found a couple times.”
On her team’s turnovers versus Creighton:
“That is just about making better decisions because it is careless. We got a little antsy and threw some balls we haven’t thrown before, but we have been a little bit sloppy in practice the last couple of days and our turnover numbers have been higher in the last couple of practices. We are very optimistic at times when we pass the ball and it is just not there, so we need to settle down and not waste possessions.”
Kansas junior forward Carolyn Davis
On playing her first game back after suffering a stress fracture in her foot:
“Yesterday the team doctor told me to just go out and play hard, but don’t play timid just because you’re worried. If it hurt, I would have to come out, but it felt pretty good.”
On how she felt playing for the first time after not practicing much due to her injury:
“I was really worried about that (having zero reps heading into the game). I was worried about my stamina, if I was going to be able to run up and down (the floor). I was getting a little winded in shoot around. It was nerve-wracking, but once I got out there, I felt good. I’m sure there were parts (of the game) I didn’t play as hard because of the foot, but I’m still getting used to it.”
On if she worried about playing with her injury:
“It was pretty good. There was a little pain, but it’s going to be (like) that until it gets healed. There weren’t any times that I thought I couldn’t take it.”
On if it was frustrating being in foul trouble:
“Yes; it was, especially since I could finally play. Then I was in foul trouble and couldn’t play again. It was nerve-wracking. I was mad at myself.”
On if it was nice to have everyone on the roster back playing:
“Yes, it was (nice to) have everyone be able to get out there. It’s good, we’re getting through it. I’m glad it’s early in the season.”
On the play of fellow post, Aishah Sutherland:
“I’m so glad. I’ve been getting on her, getting on her, telling her she can get every rebound if she just goes (hard). And today she showed she could.”
Kansas senior forward Aishah Sutherland
On what she thinks of freshman Bunny Williams:
“I feel like she’s very athletic. She’s going to grow in this program and I see her being really good in the future. She’s really good now.”
On her big rebounding night:
“I was focused on rebounding tonight. I do jump higher than most people so it wasn’t as hard to get rebounds. That’s what the coaches told me to focus on tonight and that’s what I did.”
On the team shooting 54 percent:
“We really want 60 percent; it was a goal of getting, but we’re working up (towards that).”
On pulling down the `tough’ rebounds head coach Bonnie Henrickson described:
“I feel like I went after the rebounds that I might not have gone after as hard (on) other nights that I did tonight. I went after the rebounds really hard tonight.”
Kansas junior guard Angel Goodrich
On having fellow guard Keena Mays back on the `right’ page:
“It was definitely (good) tonight because she’s quick, she gives up the ball, she can see the floor while I can run up the side and be an open guy for her. I think she’s on the right page now. She’s been more focused; I’ve been trying to help her out (on) what to do, to be there for her, be someone she can talk to.”
On if she’s ready for the team’s first away game of the season:
“Actually, I am ready to hit the road. I’m always down for road games.”
On how much different it is having Carolyn Davis and Mays back on the floor:
“It’s very noticeable. First of all, I love pushing the ball when Keena’s in there. She’s someone I can push the ball with because she’s always there pushing the ball as well. And then Carolyn, she opens up the outside because people are worried about defending her and throwing it over her, especially when smaller, shorter posts are covering her. They all want to help, so it opens it up more out on the perimeter.”
On Kansas using multiple ball handlers due to Creighton’s pressure defense:
“We can all play the one or the two and obviously, the three, too. It’s good when we’re all out there because we can have someone control the ball and be able to push the ball at the same time; that’s what we want to do. We want to run.”
On the team’s defensive effort:
“We do want to be able to disrupt their offense, make them go out. Being able to pressure the ball handler and be in the passing lane does that. I felt like, tonight, we did that on an average level because we could have done more. I felt like we were more on our toes as far as losing our guys; we lost our guys and that’s when they got the open shots.”
On how nice it was to have the entire roster available to play tonight:
“It was nice. Keena, she pushes the ball just like I do; having her be able to get the ball and (letting) me just run up and be an open guy for her. Carolyn, she opens up the lane because they are worried about her and it opens up another defender.”
Creighton head coach Jim Flanery
Opening Statement:
“Obviously the first ten minutes didn’t go the way we envisioned. Kansas came out and played well, and we had to give some help in a few places, and [Angel] Goodrich hit a few threes. They just shot the ball well early. We fought back and got in position to get ourselves back in the game, but we stumbled at the end of the half. I thought both teams sputtered at the end of the first half, maybe if we could get back into the game a bit at that point, I think we would have been in good shape in the second half. We hung around and gave up a couple easy baskets around the ten minute mark to push it to 14. The tough thing about this game was we didn’t know if [Carolyn] Davis was going to play or not and obviously she is a big factor. We intended to press a lot, we knew we would give up a few things in that, but we thought we could tire Angel out, or do some things to fool them, but their guard depth was a lot better with [Keena Mays] because now they have two really quick kids who love to handle the ball. I thought our kids fought and we forced 25 turnovers, we just didn’t shoot the ball well enough to win and we didn’t quite rebound well enough.”
Sophomore guard Carli Tritz
On what made her successful in the game:
“Making shots gives you confidence early on if you make the first two. The first two games in the season I didn’t really do that, but the rest of the team did. I think we had good confidence on offense coming into this game. We beat North Dakota State by 20, with me scoring four points. We can’t play a Big 12 team like (we did) tonight and shoot 35 percent like we did and win. We have to get easy buckets and get those breaks to get on a run, especially when we are down early. I think for me I had a lot of good screens set for me. I have been working on curling and flaring off the screens. So I think that is the main part, reading screens and having good screens set.”
