March 24, 2004
Recap |
Box Score |
Photo Gallery
No. 12 SEED MARYLAND POSTGAME NEWS CONFERENCE QUOTES
SECOND-ROUND - March 23, 2004
Maryland Head coach Brenda Frese
Opening Statement
"It is a shame that a team had to lose that game tonight. I tell you what, I am proud of our team that we hung in there the entire 40 minutes and never gave up. You have to credit LSU. They are an extremely talented team and they not only have Seimone (Augustus) who I was hoping was going to miss a shot at some point tonight, but they have an extremely talented and athletic team to go along with her. They had four other players score in double figures. We had an extremely difficult time trying to stop all the weapons that they threw at us. As I told our team in the locker room, I am extremely proud of them, especially with our seniors for the history that they made in our program this season. They have shown what kind of team that we are going to be at Maryland. We are always going to be a team that is going to work hard, and believe in each other, and always be a team. We are just extremely appreciative of what our seniors gave to this team and this program this season. We are very excited, obviously, about what our future is going to bring to this program."
On getting back in the game after LSU's run to start the game
"It was a rough start for us at the beginning. We had to get our nerves settled and once we were able to start controlling ourselves in the first half we got more aggressive attacking the basket. We drew some fouls and got to the free throw line and it was nice to be able to see us get that burst of energy and be able to relax going into halftime."
On giving up the three pointer to LSU just before the half and whether that was a source of momentum for the rest of the game
"We talked about not making any silly turnovers or silly mistakes and I just really felt like as a team with our style we knew that they were going to go to either (Doneeka) Hodges or Augustus with the last shot of the half. She was pressure you know, Kalika (France) was there. It was a heck of shot but I just thought we needed to be little bit sharper and crisper because it does come down to so few possessions and I just wanted us to play a little bit smarter."
On the difference in points in the paint in the game, after yielding just six points to LSU at the half
"Well I think the difference in the second half was that they got to the free throw line a lot more. We were a little bit more active in the first half defensively. They were hurting us obviously in a variety of ways with their outside game in the first half."
"It starts with (Temeka) Johnson. She is just a tremendous point guard and we knew she wanted to drive and dish and we still could not contain her. She has 12 assists and she was kicking to everyone to get them some great looks at the basket. She makes them go and she did a tremendous job for them tonight."
Guard Shay Doron
On what LSU did differently in the second half
"I do not think they did anything different. They were playing man the whole game so I do not think they did anything different. I just did not have as many open looks in the second half as I did in the first half."
On her freshman season
"I could not have asked for a better freshman season. I could not ask for better teammates. We really just came together so well the last few weeks and were playing our best basketball. We just became a team and it was great that Del (Delvona Oliver) told me that she now has a family for life. These seniors will leave but they will always be a part of this program and this year will always be remembered. We did a lot of great things that no one expected us to do this year."
On her impression of Seimone Augustus and Temeka Johnson
"Well we tried to go box-and-one on (Seimone) Augustus but (Temeka) Johnson killed us. It is good to have more than just one weapon and they proved that tonight."
Forward Delvona Oliver
On where the Maryland program is headed in the next couple of years
"I see the program going very, very far. This is just the beginning. We have terrific freshmen now and the incoming class is also good. They are going to do some damage in the ACC and the NCAA next year."
On how the play was under the basket
"I had a rough night but LSU's post players were smaller than me and I should have taken advantage of it but I was definitely having a rough night. My legs were not underneath me tonight. I did get a burst of energy about 10 minutes into the second half, but as far as the play under the basket it was not anything unusual."
