March 19, 2006
Recap |
Box Score |
Notes |
Photo Gallery
Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese
Opening Statement
It was great to see so many different contributions from our team. I thought we were extremely unselfish moving the ball. We attacked the glass very, very hard, and it was nice to be able to show a lot of line-ups. I thought we played well defensively, especially in the second half.
Did you make a specific effort to go inside in order to score points?
Yeah, we wanted to come out and bring some energy on the defensive end by coming out in the press. We were able to get some turnovers early. We also had the size advantage inside.
How much of an advantage is it in the first round of the tournament that you can go deep in your bench, rest your starters, and give other players experience?
It's tremendous. Obviously to get that kind of quality rest is huge especially with the turnaround. It's great to be able to see every player be able to get on the floor; those who have worked so hard can contribute to this game.
What did you do to try and control the tempo of the game?
We obviously love to run, so we wanted to make it up-tempo. We changed up our defenses. When we went to the match-up, I was kind of surprised, because it gave us more confidence, especially with the way that we shot. We wanted to change up their rhythm throughout the course of the game.
How did moving the ball inside help open up the perimeter for you?
I think that is so important. Our post players are some of the most unselfish post players in the country. They are really good at breaking the double teams and kicking out to the guards who are going to spot up and be able to knock down easy shots. They are also able to be active and aggressive and make post moves inside. I think it is just a really solid overall game by this team.
Crystal Langhorne, Fr., Center/Forward
Did you make a conscious effort to get the ball inside in order to take advantage of your height?
Our coaches had stressed that before the game, that we had a size advantage over Sacred Heart, and our coaches really worked to stress getting the ball inside.
Did you feel like offensively that you could do just about anything you wanted in the paint?
I guess so. Our guards were just getting the ball to the right place and we were taking advantage of it.
Sacred Heart Head Coach Ed Swanson
With a new son this week and making the NCAA tournament, does that put the final score in perspective?
Oh yeah, we stress to these kids all the time that family comes first. And the final score, I tell the kids all the time not to look at the scoreboard and to just compete in every play. I don't think the score is indicative of how we played or how we competed. We tried this whole possession-by-possession effort level, and obviously talent level falls on Maryland's side. But, everyone in this gym should feel good about themselves.
You talked about Maryland having a rebounding edge and a size advantage. Was this as bad as you thought it would be?
Every time I looked at their stats, I got sick to my stomach. We had to pick our poison. The second half we ran our zone, and [Shay] Doron came up and hit four or five threes. I thought we battled inside, but size wise, we just couldn't get it done. We tried kicking it down, and in the first half we had a good first-shot percentage but it was our second- and third-shots was where we knew we were going to get beat. I thought we battled and when Maryland matches the effort level, they are going to be tough to beat.
Do you think that Maryland played like a No. 1 seed today?
Yeah, they are going to be national contenders. There's not many weaknesses and plus they are young. Inside and outside, they might be young, but they don't play young. They don't make mistakes. Brenda has done an incredible job with their program. We played Maryland two years ago, I think when Shay Doron was a freshman, and just the talent level that she has recruited there, she is to be commended because she has done an excellent job.
