Colorado-Missouri Quotes
January 22, 2011 | Women's Basketball
General-"I didn't think we played our best but I thought we played well and I thought we played well in the right stretches. We did some things right at the right times, and that is what winning teams do and that is what good teams do. It is nice to know that we don't have to play perfect to get the win and it gives us a little confidence. I thought we started well but Missouri came back, they played some tough defense and we had a tough time scoring. In the second half I thought we did a really nice job in moving the ball and getting some open looks."
On coming back after being down at halftime-"I thought we came out strong in the first half but even though we were leading, I didn't think we were playing great. Missouri just missed some shots, but I thought we really turned it around in the second half. We changed our mindset. I thought we changed our thought process on how we were attacking their defense, and then we stepped up defensively. They went on a scoring run at the end of the first half and we came back and our players did a good job in bearing down and getting stop after stop after stop."
On halftime speech-"I just challenged them to step it up and play together as a team and work the ball around. I thought when we were stagnant, the ball was stopping and we were trying to do too much one-on-one. We weren't playing as together as we needed to play offensively and defensively. It is not something that we purposefully do, it is just something that we have to get reminded about, and to these guys' credit, they did a great job coming out in the second half and playing together and doing the things that it takes to win."
On Britney Blythe stopping ReaShara Brown-"She did a great job. She was our unsung hero in the game. She worked and worked. It didn't matter where Brown was, Blythe was right there. When she did score, she had to really, really work at it. Our post players did a nice job in helping on the baseline when she got a step on her, which is going to happen. Our other guards did a good job in helping as well. She had help, it is never one-on-one. We always say it is five vs. one. She worked her tail off on Brown."
On what the win means after a loss-"The biggest thing that we talked about after Oklahoma State is rebound. Rebound in three different ways: offensive rebound, defensive rebound because I felt that really hurt us in the second half of that game, and rebound, you lose a game and be able to rebound and come to our home court and get a win. Our players did that, they stepped up. With the exception of a few too many offensive rebounds for Missouri, they did a great job in every category."
On the team coming together at conference time-"Our players are doing a nice job in that they know our sets, they know our defensive assignments, they are following the scouting reports very well, they are focused and are taking that stuff to heart. My assistants do a great job in the scouting reports, they do a great job on them, and for a team to come out and execute like we do, it is a huge help and I think we know that we have to do that. It is fun because anytime that you have a plan and can execute a plan and it works, for a coaching staff and for the players it is a confidence booster. We know that we are in position at any point in the game to come out with the win."
On Chucky Jeffery coming off the bench-"I think she needs to be able to get back into the flow of our team. Anytime you sit out for a couple of games, it doesn't matter if you sit out one game or a couple games, same thing in practice. I don't know if the games matter as much as not being in practice. Our team is growing every single week. Our team grew a lot when she was gone and now for her to get back into the flow of things and to get back with our team. It is pretty typical for a player to not have a great game after missing a couple of games, but I know she is going to respond and I know she is going to come into practice and work hard and get back into the flow and get her shot back. She was just a little off tonight, it is nothing that I think she could change. I think it was just how it was and being gone and being injured for a period of time."
Colorado Players
Brittany Spears, Sr., F
ON THE WHAT WAS SAID DURING THE HALFTIME SPEECH - "Just stay together, play as a team, and we will win."
ON WHETHER ANYONE CHALLENGED HER AT HALFTIME-"No this is a team effort, I guess. No one challenged me. We've just got to play together and stop playing as individuals. We starting playing together and got the W."
ON WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO HER SECOND HALF PERFORMANCE-"The team, passing the ball, moving the ball around, and I was just getting open because they were setting good screens and stuff like that."
ON HOW THE TEAM HAS GROWN THIS SEASON-"We know each other more on the court. We know if someone likes to shoot or drive, or something like that. We just know everyone's personality."
ON COLORADO'S DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE-"Blythe did a real good job on #23 [RaeShara Brown]. You could tell when RaeShara gets frustrated. She was just trying to force stuff in, and Brittany was just getting in her shorts, and she didn't really like that. They were trying to find other outlets, and Spears was being good. They were just playing good defense."
Brittany Wilson, Fr., G
On HOW THE TEAM HAS GROWN THIS SEASON-""Since we know each other, I know how to read [Brittany] Spears' shot. I might know how it's coming off so I can get the offensive rebound. We just have a faith in each other that we are going to knock down shots, and when times get hard, we know that we can depend on this team that we have right now."
Chucky Jeffery, So., G
ON WHAT WAS SAID DURING THE HALFTIME SPEECH --"Attacking the rim, because we were kind of stagnant at times. That's what she [Coach Linda Lappe] was talking about, and staying together, like [Brittany] Spears said.
ON COACH LAPPE'S ATTITUDE DURING THE HALFTIME SPEECH-"She gets a little fire sometimes. You can tell in her voice, but we know she wants us to change our mindset and stuff and do better. That's all.
ON OVERCOMING A SECOND-HALF DEFICIT BEING A SIGN OF MATURITY-"Definitely, because it teaches how to fight back and not to give up; coming together at times when we're down. Anybody can play together when you're up, so when we're down, we just know that we've got to talk to each other and be together. That's the only way that we will be able to get back into the game."
ON RETURNING TO THE LINEUP AFTER HER CONCUSSION-"I've got to get back the feel. I was out for a week and we got new plays and stuff. They've been playing well together so, you know, Coach [Lappe] just wanted me to come off the bench with energy and provide that spark. We'll see what happens next."
ON HER SHOOTING PERFORMANCE-"I'll shake it off. I have one of those games every now and then. I definitely was rusty, but I'll shake it off. That's what practice is for."
Britney Blythe, Sr., G
ON PLAYING DEFENSE AGAINST RAESHARA BROWN-"I think a lot of it is our team defense. I was guarding her but I had so much help from our post and the guards. Everyone was communicating; we did a great job in scouting them and practicing how to guard them. Credit to Missouri, they are a great team but I thought we did a very good job in scouting in this game. We knew what was coming and we were pretty much ready. We had some lapses but we came back. The biggest issue thing that we are taking charge of is defense. Defense wins games. Our offense might not be there every night but our defense should always be there. I think this was one of the nights when it showed and it was a lot of fun stopping her (Brown). She has a great game."
Missouri Head Coach Robin Pingeton
On Loss - "I think you have two programs that are really trying to rebuild and grow their programs so every win is a big win and it is hard to get wins on the road in the Big 12. It is really disappointing but you have to give credit to Colorado. We knew it was going to be a dog fight, we weren't expecting a pretty game but we knew it would be a dog fight with both teams playing hard. Brittany Spears is one heck of a player and really does a lot for that team. I think she put the team on her shoulders and really willed them to win. Give them credit, they hung in there, they stood the course. It was a game of runs and they certainly had the last one in the second half."
On Second Half Play-"I think you make it awfully tough on yourself when you give up 20 offensive rebounds and shoot 27% from the field. It is going to be a long night for you. I think we took some really nice looks at the basket in the paint in the first half. With their starting inside players we went 7 for 29 and that's not typical. I was really disappointed at the end of the game. It is a five point game and we gave up the free throw line, an offensive rebound, a foul and another offensive rebound, that is just unacceptable. It is a work in progress and it is hard to win on the road. It teaches the girls how to win and how to have a winning mentality...the toughness, the guts, the fight. We had some great defensive plays the second half. Brittany Spears is obviously a really nice player for them."
On Mental Consistency-"It is really time for these girls to step up to the plate. We talk so much about how the next play is the most important play and you could see we would have a turnover or a missed shot and the head goes down, the shoulder goes down and we don't make that effort to get back in the game. That is not the way a game is played and pretty soon you have to grow up a little bit and put your shoulders back and take some personal responsibility. I don't think we have that. At some point you have to look at yourself in the mirror and say enough is enough."
On Lack of Discipline-"If I could find it I would fix it trust me. The problem is I think we have so many different players and they all are in different points with what they are dealing with right now as we try to turn this program around. I say it is a lack of discipline mentally and physically. We certainly had our opportunities. We had some nice looks at the basket and I thought we did a good job of trying to be an inside-out team and we didn't get our shots. You have to shoot better than 27% if you are going to have a chance and you certainly cannot give up 20 offensive rebounds."
