March 7, 2004
Recap|
Box Score|
Notes
Opening remarks
What a game. Like I told our team in the locker room, this team just refused to lose, and I can't say enough about how proud I am of this team leaving everything out there for 40 minutes. Anytime you out rebound a tremendous team like Duke, commit just 13 turnovers, which is a season low for us, and shoot 87 percent from the free throw line, it's just a tremendous job. We just had a tremendous will to win today. I'm just so very proud for how hard we focused for a complete 40-minute game.
Any doubt on whether Maryland should get in the NCAA Women's Tournament
There should be no doubt. To see us compete the way we did in a semifinal game, we've really in these last four games been rolling with a lot of confidence. We never backed down, even when they went on runs and got to the free throw line a lot in the last three minutes. We kept our focus. We played with the poise and confidence of a champion for 40 minutes.
Asked about Maryland's defensive game plan
Duke's drivers, we really wanted to have them shoot the basketball. We wanted to be out on their 3-point threats. We wanted to play their personnel and take away their strengths and make them play to their weaknesses. We mixed it up a ton, and we were on cue defensively the entire night. Whether we played a triangle and two, or man-to-man, we were really focused.
On the momentum change
Obviously, Alana (Beard) took over. She got some real good looks at the basket. I thought the calls got a lot tighter in the last three minutes of the game, and they were able to get themselves to the free throw line a lot more.
On Duke's tournament experience being a factor
They've been there. They understand what it takes. There for a while when they made that run, we started trading baskets, and they're too good a team to continue to trade baskets with. They went to their go-to player Alana down the stretch, and in my opinion, she should be player of the year. (Monique) Currie is just a strong guard, with her strength factor, tipping the ball. She does a tremendous job rebounding for them.
Difference in last year's team that lost play-in game and this year's team
It's huge. This team has worked so hard. When I look at Shay (Doron) and Del (Oliver) and Crystal (Washington), I know how much hard work they've put into this season. It's really satisfying, and we know it's not over yet. To put ourselves in this position-in our second year to be able to compete with a team like Duke-- is very, very exciting for us.
I had some open looks and I wasn't forcing too many shots. I was just shooting with the flow of the game.
On Alana
She's a tough player to guard. She's obviously a lot stronger than me. I was just trying to focus more on defense in the second half because I knew she was going to come out much more focused.
Gail Goestenkors
Opening remarks
The old adage is to survive and advance and that is exactly what we did, survived. I am very proud of the team and the way they came together down the stretch. I also give tremendous praise to Brenda (Frese), her staff and her team because they played their hearts out and they played well enough to win. I know they are very proud of their effort, and they should be. I thought they had a tremendous game plan and I thought their kids just did a really great job of stepping up. I think it bodes well for the future of their program.
On Maryland's game plan
We've seen everything that they have done; other teams have done it as well. We just weren't attacking the way we normally do.
They ran some triangle and two, they ran some zone where they were sagging, and even when they went man-to-man they would play personnel. They'd really sag off of our players that they don't consider shooters and they pressured the players that they felt like could shoot, so they played our personnel really well.
On spark from Vicki Krapohl
I just finished telling the team that I thought the play that changed the game was Vicki's hustle play where she dove out of bounds for that loose ball. I thought that changed the momentum of the game. A lot of people think it was the three she hit a little later, but I think it was that hustle play.
Vicki has won our heart and hustle award that we give every year and that is what she brings to the team, heart and hustle. We were lacking the hustle today that we needed and I think it just got to the point where Vicki had seen enough. She was just going to put herself out there and do whatever was necessary for our team to win. I think it made a huge difference.
Vicki Krapohl
On sparking the team
I think that is my main purpose out there, to get people the ball and to really hustle, and to make my open shots. Today, shots weren't really falling for us, so we just had to find another way to win. Today, it was getting on the floor, getting the loose balls, and just trying to do anything I can to win.
Alana Beard
On difference in offensive game plan from first to second half
I think the difference in the second half was, not just with me but the team in general, that we attacked. We ran a couple of plays that call for a screen on the ball and in the first half we were just settling for the outside shot, where as in the second half we started to attack the basket and get some easy scores.
On guarding Shay Doron
She is going to be a great player. She is very offensive minded. It wasn't just me guarding her; we did a lot of switching from guards to guards.
Monique Currie
On remaining aggressive on the defensive end after picking up fourth foul
We knew that their guards were going to put their heads down and try to go to the basket and look to dish. We just tried to move our feet. We can never let down on defense because that always changes the flow of the game, and we didn't want to get into their game. We just continued to play as hard as we could and hoped that we would play good defense.
