Postgame Quotes

Dec. 31, 2008

Recap | Box Score | Notes

Kansas 73, Houston 56

Dec. 31, 2008

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson

On the game overall:

“It was a great way to close out 2008. Give Houston credit, they battled and competed. They missed a few shots around the rim that would’ve closed the score a little bit in the second half, but we played the second half with only five turnovers and that’s the difference. We’re not getting the ball back and throwing empty possessions and that’s what it takes for us to be successful.”

On starting Ivana Catic over LaChelda Jacobs:

“I have not been really happy with LaChelda. We’re not best friends right now. I need more from her and I need it from her in practice. I didn’t think she responded very well in the second half. She went out struggling and was really tentative. I thought Ivana was fantastic and she had great energy. It’s good that we have two point guards that can compete and play, but this team needs more from LaChelda. She’s got to expect more from herself, but she’ll get it right. I have no doubt that she’ll get it. She understands that her team needs her to be good.”

On the team’s performance:

“I think there are things we need to improve on from a numbers standpoint. The turnovers are better, we’re not fouling so much. But there are some little things that we need to improve. Every game is a chance to get better. Tomorrow’s practice is a chance to get better, and we know we have two more non-conference games. So we have three games after the break to gain some momentum. Play progression is important here, especially in the league in which we play.”

Junior Guard Danielle McCray

On what the team needs to work on:

“Focus and concentration. In practice we talk about how those are the only things that can hold us back this year. I think that we have grown in many areas such as cutting back on turnovers. If a play is not there then we shouldn’t try to force it. In the second half we embraced that and kind of got the turnovers down.”

On scoring eight straight points in the second half:

“There were three possessions where they missed some shots and I felt that I needed to step up and attack. I was being passive at first and I got into some foul trouble. I had to sit a lot in the first half, but then I came out in the second half and I attacked. I was able knock down a couple of shots during that stretch.”

Senior Guard Ivana Catic

On getting her first start of the season:

“I don’t feel like I did anything different to prepare for the game. Just hearing your name called out kind of gives you a little extra shot of adrenaline, so that was nice.”

On the team’s level of concentration:

“We scored three or four times back-to-back, but then we would take shots that we wouldn’t usually take. We just need to settle down and go with the flow of the game. When we lose focus it is going to cost us because the opponent will take advantage of it.”

On the play of Danielle McCray:

“We feed off of her a lot. She can knock down shots and her confidence is really contagious. When she makes shots, then we all start feeling good about ourselves and our team.”

Sophomore Center Krysten Boogaard

On facing Houston Center Cobilyn Hill:

“She is a very big girl and I need work on playing against girls like her. I need to get over the top of them and not play my way through them. It was a good game to schedule to work on playing against those types of players.”

Head Coach Joe Curl

On the game overall:

“We played pretty well with the exception of two four-minute segments. They kind of went off on us. As a young team we kind of dropped our heads a little bit and we gave them a couple of easy baskets instead of shutting the door and keep fighting back. We fought from 10 down a couple of times to get it back to two. We’re young, but that’s no excuse. I expected to be even more competitive today than what it was. I think the score was not an indication of how competitive it was.”

On the play of Kansas’ Danielle McCray:

“(Danielle McCray) and number 20 (Sade Morris) had 12 of the 16 points that their team had in one four-minute spurt. (McCray’s) a heck of a player and she’s going to be better every time she steps on the court.”

On the play of Roxanne Button off the bench:

“She’s started every game except for today. She didn’t not start for something negative, it was just we felt that we had to match up with their wings a little bit. Roxanne Button has been really, really a heck of a freshman for us and can play. She was recruited by the Big 12, ACC, all kinds of people, and we we’re really blessed to have her. She’s just a freshman, so she has a lot of time to get better.”