March 23, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Head coaches and players from No. 1 seed Maryland and No. 9 seed Utah met with the media Monday afternoon in Comcast Center.
The Terrapins and Utes face off at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Utah Quotes
Head coach Elaine Elliott
2 Kalee Whipple, 6-0, Jr.
15 Morgan Warburton, 5-11, Sr.
Opening Statement: "This is just a great tournament. It's a chance for everybody to get some things done. We had a nice first round game and we're looking forward to a second round chance as well. I thought our preparation's good and our attitude is good, so we're excited to play."
Reporter: "Does the Maryland crowd make you nervous or bother you for tomorrow's game?"
Warburton: "We're used to that in The Pit in Albuquerque. There are a lot of fans there and we know how loud it's going to be. We've been around it so I don't think it's really intimidating for our team."
Reporter: "Morgan, what do you remember from the Elite Eight loss to Maryland in 2006?"
Warburton: "It was just really exciting to be able to go that far in the tournament as a freshman and to be able to see what it takes to get there I think was really good. That was just a really hard game. I just remember how tired the players were and what it took to get into that overtime. We didn't end up with the win, but it was a hard-fought game. It was really exciting."
Reporter: "Do you feel like you have some unfinished business against Maryland to take care of?"
Warburton: "I guess you could look at it like that. It's just good to be here and to be able to play. Maryland's obviously a very good team. They've shown that the whole year and in the past. I think we're ready to play, though. We're not going to back down and I know we're going to come and do everything we can. Whatever happens, happens and I know we're just going to play hard."
Reporter: "How do you defend Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman tomorrow?"
Whipple: "They're a really good 1-2 punch. I think just defending them our goal is to contain Toliver and Coleman because I think that they're so good, you're not going to completely shut them down. They're great players so I think our goal is to just contain them and just do our best on them. We'll help each other off of others."
Elliott: "Kristi's the one that beat us three years ago. She went for 28 or 30 points as a freshman. They do what you should do: they give the ball to their best player and they let her make plays, both for herself and for everyone else on the team. There isn't anybody that we would say, `Oh, yeah we're going to put such-and-such on her and that's going to change.' She just is. You always just try to feel like they have their normal nights, but not their fantastic nights. Obviously, those kinds of players will beat you with fantastic nights. If we can hold them to good nights, that's better than not."
Reporter: "Anything from your loss last year at Purdue in the tournament that you think can help you this year?"
Warburton: "For me, just knowing it's my senior year. I want to go out, and whatever happens, just knowing that I played my best and my team played our best. Last year just kind of left a bad taste in your mouth, knowing that you were finished after an incredible year that you had. You just have to look at it that way. They have the advantage, but at the same time, we can come in here and do what we can and see what happens."
Reporter: "Can you talk a little more about the 2006 tournament game against Maryland?"
Elliott: "We were at the line with two free throws and down by one. We made only one of those free throws, so we tied the game. They had six seconds or something and did not obviously score, so it was an overtime game. Obviously, in our estimation, we were a free throw away. Ultimately, in that particular game we could not, over the course of 45 minutes, overcome the difference in mass. We lost in overtime because we just were smaller and they just finally took over at the rim and just got put-backs. We were sort of strong enough for 40 minutes, not quite for 45. In this game, there are similarities. I mean, they're the bigger, stronger team. One of the areas that we must feel like at the end that we didn't get hammered on is the bull pushing us out of the way as they go get their put-backs. That's huge. Three years ago, we had that opportunity and were able to manage that disadvantage, but not for 45 minutes."
Reporter: "Can you talk about how Daron Park, a former assistant of yours, is now with Maryland?"
Elliott: "I have a lot of those assistants on the other side these days and they want to beat me more than probably anyone else they play. That's exactly what's going on on that side. He's kind and has opened his home to families and he's telling them he can't wait to kick our you-know-whats. That's competition and you know we're trying to do the same."
Reporter: "Is Maryland's transition game what makes them more dangerous?"
Elliott: "Rebounding was one of the dangerous things; the No. 1 is their transition game, without a doubt. Maryland's transition game is really more like you're not ready to defend that soon and they're ready to shoot and go at you that soon. That's what makes it difficult is you may have kids back, you may have numbers back, the difference is if you're not ready to defend earlier than they're ready to go, they love that. They're very good at that."
