quotes
Dec. 28, 2005
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Postgame Quotes
Kansas 73, Pepperdine 60
December 28, 2005
Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
On the game:
“We got great energy from the crowd. They really gave our kids energy in the second half when the game was teetering back and forth. I was proud how our kids dug down. In the first half I thought we played undisciplined offensively. In the second half I thought we were a little bit better. We took shots that we could make. On defense I have to give them (Pepperdine) credit, because they hit some tough shots. They are a young team that is only going to get better. We are settling for pull-up jumpers and no rebounds, and they are being aggressive and getting lay-ups or getting fouled. Offensively I didn’t think our pace was good, and we didn’t work hard to screen people. They had some very good athleticism on the wings, and they played hard defensively. I thought we were a little passive and a little soft.”
On Taylor McIntosh:
“She was flying around with reckless abandon. She was getting a hand on everything. That is what she has brought to the table since she has been here, and she takes pride in that. We need that from her. That type of play is what we have grown to expect from Taylor and what this team needs from Taylor.”
On handling close games:
“I think they understand the time, situation and score. I thought we took a couple quick shots, but for the most part we are still learning. We are fortunate to have three seniors that all have high basketball IQ’s. Those kids have been good leaders all year, and we need them to continue to be.”
KU Player Quotes
Senior Forward Crystal Kemp
On her play:
“I struggled there early on, but Coach (Henrickson) told me to continue to post and stay long and be strong under there. I got some pretty decent buckets in the second half.
On Pepperdine’s play early in the second half:
“We weren’t able to stop them. I think there were a couple times they went straight to the basket. A couple open shots we weren’t able to defend. After that we buckled down on the defense and were able to execute on the offense.”
On being 10-0:
“We still have 16 conference games in front of us, but we have one more before we get into conference play. We are just going to take it one game at a time and put things together.”
On playing two games in three days:
“It’s nice. It will really let us know how focused we are coming into the game on Friday. We have done it earlier this season so it won’t be much of a problem.”
Freshman Guard Ivana Catic
On conference play:
“It’s one more game until the big show. I am just trying to get myself prepared for the next game and then get ready for the big show.”
On pulling away in the second half:
“I think the difference was that we got into their rhythm, their tempo of the game. It wasn’t something that we wanted. At the time out, Bonnie (Henrickson) said to make an extra pass, be more patient and penetrate more because obviously the other shots weren’t going in.
On her inconsistencies in the game:
“I was frustrated because I was making some stupid mistakes. That was supposed to be something that I should focus on and something I should have gotten over a while ago but it came back. I was mad at myself for not being able to overcome that.”
On her seven turnovers:
“I got called for a walk a couple times, and that was just something that I got frustrated with. Then again this is part of the game and I just have to learn to shake that stuff off. It took me a couple minutes (to shake it off), and a couple minutes in college ball can mean a lot.”
On the play of Crystal Kemp:
“Crystal (Kemp) is like this every game. She is something that we can count on. She is definitely a senior leader that we can count on. I don’t think that she cares so much for the figures. The only thing that she cares about is the ‘W,’ and we got that.”
Pepperdine Head Coach Julie Rousseau
On the game:
“Kansas is a great team, and they play well together. They have a lot of senior leadership, and it showed. I thought it was a good game. They got our post players in foul trouble. (Crystal) Kemp does a great job. She uses her ability to post up very well. She gets in deep, and it’s really hard to defend her. They (Kansas) do a really good job of getting her the ball, and she has a good cast around her. They work really well together.”
On Pepperdine’s ability to stay in the game:
“We attacked the basket. I thought that we matched up well with their perimeter players in terms of our athleticism. I thought we were more athletic, we just couldn’t convert or hit free throws, and that hurt us. It became more of a perimeter game than we really wanted it to be, but that’s where we were getting most of scoring. We got some stops, and that creates the opportunity to score quickly in transition. We were doing well in transition getting to the basket. We are a young team, and we will take the experience and lumps now, but we will learn from it and grow from it.”
