March 19, 2011
Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese
Opening statement:
"We're extremely excited about getting ready for the NCAA tournament. It felt like a long time coming for us with the last couple of weeks. We're thrilled to be hosting here at Comcast Center and to be playing such a great opponent like Saint Francis, the Northeastern Conference champions, a team for us that is very scrappy, very well coached and can really shoot it. They have had a phenomenal year. They're led by the Northeastern conference player of the year Samantha Leach, a very talented player. Then Brittany Lilley, from the area, has played really well for them, leading them at the point guard position. We're just excited and ready for the 12:20 tip tomorrow and ready to get started."
On Maryland's advantages:
"Obviously, we feel that we have great size and we want to utilize that strength, both on the inside as well as the outside. That's something that we've prided ourselves in, being able to have an inside-outside game, being able to go to the glass, being a top rebounding team in the country. Those are areas for us that we want to utilize, what are strengths are, and hopefully contain Saint Francis' end, that makes it difficult for them."
On the youth of the team:
"Last time I remember when we had a really young team it worked out very well for us in 2006. That has never been a factor. These guys play basketball almost from the minute they are walking now a day. It's a game, and it's about who can put the best game together for 40 minuets. This young team has showed in their 23 wins this season that they are a pretty special team. It's a cliché that I used in 2006 but age is just a number. It's all about being a basketball player."
On communication:
"Again when you are talking about the NCAA Tournament, it's a lot of games that come down to possessions. Communication is critical both on and off the floor. Needing to have great communication on the defensive end is going to be critical to our success. When you are out of the game you need to be just as actively involved in the game on the sideline. All of that is going to contribute to our success."
On Saint Francis' strengths:
"They do so many things well. First and foremost, the way that they shoot it. They are a tremendously scrappy team. They can get shots off of people, they can penetrate and pitch, they are strong in transition and when they attack for threes. For us we are going to have to do a tremendous job on the defensive end. They have a very high basketball IQ so if we make an undisciplined slide they can make us pay for it. We are going to have to be very disciplined on the defensive end."
Freshman Forward Alyssa Thomas
On what's been stressed in practice:
"Basically we just simulated late game scenarios. Maybe where we don't have a time out and we need to make an adjustment ourselves. Basically we are just preparing ourselves for anything that might come ahead."
On playing at home in the Comcast Center:
"I am just excited in general. Everyone looks forward to an NCAA (Tournament) run. To be in College Park makes it even better for me."
Junior Guard Kim Rodgers
On feelings since last time on the floor going into today:
"I think we've grown a lot since our last game, our last game we took the loss against Georgia Tech. I think having the last game you play before the NCAA game being a loss is really going to motivate us to come out hard and to show people that we deserve to be here, and that we're a good team and we plan to make a far run."
Junior Center Lynetta Kizer
On feelings over the course of the week leading up to game:
"I'm pretty excited; I know everyone else is excited. It's been a good couple of weeks on the practice court. We had a lot of time to really work on defense and getting back to the glass and doing the things we need to do to be successful in this tournament. I think we've grown in the past two weeks and it's going to be a lot of fun going into this tournament."
On advice to the freshman and sophomore who haven't played in the NCAA Tournament yet:
"The biggest thing is that it's going to come down to possessions and making free throws. You need to put your whole game together. I think that the coaches did a great job this week letting us go out and scrimmage against each other. We can make the decisions late in the games. Everyone has had a voice the past couple of week. We have let them know how important it is that everyone speaks up and does the little things."
On the team leadership:
"As time went along in practice someone else stepped up each day and said something that they might not have said the day before. As we went along with practice everyone chimed in and said maybe we should but this person on the ball late in the game or something similar. Everyone had a voice these past couple of weeks."
Saint Francis Head Coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl
Opening Statement:
"We're excited to be here, this is the second year for a lot of us and hopefully we can play a lot more relaxed tomorrow than maybe we did last year in that first five minutes. I don't think we're in awe of the whole process of the NCAA Tournament. We just really tried to focus on the game plan this week. These guys have had a tremendous season so far, especially these three next to me, they've really worked hard over the course of their time at Saint Francis. I appreciate all of their efforts and we're really looking forward to playing well tomorrow and excited about that opportunity."
On Maryland's advantages:
"Maryland is one of the biggest teams in the country, from top to bottom, and obviously very athletic. We hope our experience can help us this year and just terms of this being our second year, but we're going to have to rebound very well, we're going to have to box out and take care of the basketball, and we're going to have to have a good shot selection. I think that's going to be critical for success."
On experience factor:
"Anytime you're in the tournament for your first time, the whole experience of it being all new, everything's different than it would be as a normal home game or even a normal conference championship game, I think it's different. I always think it's good to have experience. Usually players are a little more in a comfort zone, they know what to expect, and I think that usually just helps players out in general."
On comparing Maryland to teams previously played:
"Athletically, West Virginia with inside-outside. They have Alyssa Thomas, who is just a big guard, power forward. This team has a ton of potential, Maryland does, as a coach and a former player. We know it's going to take a special day for us to have success tomorrow but that's why we play the games and it's March Madness. These kids have played tough games. Two years ago we played Virginia at Virginia. We have played all over and usually on away courts. That's nothing new for us. We are just really excited about the opportunity tomorrow."
On Maryland's championship 2006 team vs. this year's team:
"I think that team with Kristi Toliver was an unbelievable point guard. Toliver may have been a better point guard at this point in time, but they're young. This team has great size and great length. They are one of the longest teams in the country. That's just different. Length is different than just being tall. That causes a lot of problems or it can cause a lot of problems if you are not on top of your game. You have to be very smart and when you make a decision you have to go with it. No hesitation, no fear."
On keys to the game:
"The first key is taking care of the basketball. We are probably going to experience some pressure defense both full-court and half court. We have to take care of the basketball , we have to rebound the basketball, we have to get great shot selection. I think if we do those three things it will be an interesting game."
Senior Guard Allison Daley
On this year vs. last year:
"Last year we were really excited just going into the tournament, none of us on that team had ever been to the NCAA Tournament and that's something that you dream of as a little girl, watching the Big Dance. I think that was a big shocker to all of us, getting prepared for something that was a dream for us to come true. This year, coach just told us the new focus. Getting to the tournament was our first focus, now it's trying to win a NCAA first round game, that's the new focus. It's been more intense in practice, for the goal has changed from winning to now winning a first round game. Hopefully we'll be able to execute our game plan, we've had a couple more days in practice since our last game was Sunday."
Senior Guard Samantha Leach
On this year vs. last year:
"It's definitely more intense this week, but we have a game plan and everyone on the team I think has bought into it. We know what we have to do in order to win. We have to be at the top of our game and Maryland is a great team."
On leadership/teaching the freshmen:
"I think, especially for the freshman, they have never been through this, just realize it's not like any other game, enjoy the experience, but at the same time you still have to focus on what we are doing. We still came here to play a game. We have to focus on the game plan and do our job."
On comparing Maryland to teams previously played:
"I would say probably Pittsburgh or West Virginia. I mean they are Big East schools and I don't know they are just the bigger teams we have played in our non-conference schedule, would match up to the best."
Junior Guard Brittany Lilley
On playing close to her hometown:
"It feels good to be home, always, anytime. Just like these girls said we know what we have to do and we have to pretty much treat it just like another championship game. Same enthusiasm, same intensity and same focus when we came out when we played the championship game. So it's going to be that tough and difficult."
Georgetown Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy
Opening statement:
"We're very excited to be here today and to once again be in the NCAA Tournament. I think my team worked extremely hard this year and we knew one of the challenges was to get back to the NCAA Tournament, so I'm very proud of my young ladies for achieving that goal."
On end of the season slide:
"If you look at that finish, we played No. 25 Saint John's and we played No. 10 DePaul and we played the No. 1 team in the country twice. You look at it and say you didn't finish off too well, but I think you also have to look at the opponents we played."
On Princeton's offense:
"They have offense with a lot of movement, but it's not the Princeton offense that we think of."
On advantages of playing close to home:
"We went way out to California last year, now we're staying close to home this year. Of course it's always an advantage of not having to deal with the travel, errors that could happen, late flights, canceled flights, and also the fact of having your fans being able to come and watch you play. So there are some advantages. Hopefully, I won't have to come back and tell you any disadvantages and maybe next year we'll go back out to California."
On playing Georgetown basketball vs. focusing on Princeton:
"What we have done we have combined both. We have showed them and explained to them, and showed them and explained to them, what Princeton does, but we combat by saying this is what they do and this is what we need to do. So it's not so much of a focus on one area more than the other. We focus on what Princeton is going to do, or what we think they're going to do, and then we continue to keep the focus on what we need to do first because it really is about how we respond to what Princeton does. We always tell our team it's a game of runs so at any point they can make their run. Everybody stay poised, stay calm and continue to go back to doing the things that we know we have to do."
Junior Forward Tia Magee
On looking ahead to potential Maryland match/focusing solely on Princeton:
"Just Princeton, you take it one game at a time. Really, we're just mentally preparing for Princeton and not worrying about the next game."
On experience from last year:
"Going last year you got a taste of what it felt like and when we lost and being out, that hurt. We've experienced it once, we know what that loss feels like, so the second time around we're going to do everything it takes just not to feel that again."
On playing in California vs. in Maryland:
"Don't get me wrong, California was nice, but the area, the location, isn't really important right now. It's all about basketball. It's about winning, preparing in your mind, mentally prepare yourself. California was nice, but it's not like we are only going down the street. It doesn't really matter."
Senior Guard Monica McNutt
On looking ahead to potential Maryland match/focusing solely on Princeton:
"Princeton's our first game, if we lose our first game, we're going home."
On experience from last year:
"I think we really got a chance to see what tournament play is all about. Teams are bringing their absolute best, there's no time for errors at this point. We know now that we have to come out extremely sharp. I think last year we got off to a slow start against Marist, we were down early, fortunately we were able to make the come back and get that win. We understand that we don't want to put ourselves in that position in any game, but particularly not in tournament games."
On pressure of the tournament vs. having fun:
"Well I have two answers. Our Assistant Coach often says `do right things right first,' so if we are doing right things right, then we are having fun. You can't have fun when you're down. So when we are clicking on all cylinders and doing those things we have worked on so diligently, that's when things are fun for us. Even if it's a competitive game or a very close game, it's still fun because we are playing hard, we are executing, we trust our system, we trust our teammates and we expect to win by the time the time has run off that clock. Secondly, I think when we go through our season and we looked at our losses, in our minds failure has been a permitted response. Those are losses, most of the time, that we caused, whether it was offensively, we were slow, or defensively we weren't sharp. I don't know that we have been forced into many of the games that we have lost. It's been things that we can control so now in the tournament we want to focus on controlling all of those things that we can control."
Princeton Head Coach Courtney Banghart
Opening statement:
"I first want to say how happy we are to be here, this is obviously a premier event in college athletics and one that we're thrilled to be a part of. We're also proud to be here, we set this goal early on in our journey last March that we wanted to have the chance to make right the wrong that we thought we had last year, not playing as well as we could have. When you set those goals you set them with the expectation that no matter what, you're going for them. This group has dealt with a lot of adversity, I'm sure those questions will come regarding some of the injuries that we have gone through. My assistant coach is actually at home for the weekend because she just had a baby, so we are also understaffed. So we could start throwing out all of the adversity, but like I said, when you set goals you set them no matter what happens and the fact that these guys reached their goals is something that I'm real proud of. The second time around I think it will go a lot better."
On possibly being second Ivy League team to win a game in NCAA Tournament:
"I don't even think my kids know that there's only been one Ivy League team that has had a win in the tournament on the women's side. I don't think they see themselves as an Ivy League team, they see themselves as the Princeton Tigers. History doesn't really mean much to this group, they're a young team. Hopefully every coach here realizes that they have a chance, there are no free passes, if there was, we would find one, but there are no free passes to get here so you have to earn it and it's a long journey. This is a battle-tested group, they've brought back a lot from last year's team, they have enormous pride, not only Princeton, but in the work that they've done. So do I think we have a chance? Yes, I can find better things to do with my weekend than come down and lose a basketball game. We're here to win and Princeton expects it.
On the team's momentum:
"We have been talking basically since we got here, which we actually came in here together, and our first game in orange and black together was at Maryland, at this gym, in the first round of the NIT. We kind of feel like it's a good place for us to be now. We have talked since we got here that it's one game at a time and you only focus on the thing you're doing, so you have to take that both ways, the good and the bad. We don't really build on momentum. Every game is a chance to compete finally against someone besides ourselves because we compete pretty hard in practice. It's a chance to do what these kids love, to play together. We will take whatever advantages we can have but I don't know if momentum is one of them."
On Georgetown being similar to previous teams played:
"I think too, we have scheduled by design a pretty tough schedule. Of the nine teams that are in post-season we are six and three, arguably seven and two, if you want to count the Rutgers, the end of that game. These guys are battled and I think that's by design. USC is a really big line up that plays, has a big name. You have Wake Forest who challenges over 94 feet like Georgetown will. You have our league rival in Harvard, who has a lot of pride in their tradition. We hope we take bits of everything for this tournament and that's what makes this tournament so great is that every team has gone on a really long journey. I hope we have prepared them well with our scheduling and these guys have found a way to win all year and I expect nothing but tomorrow."
On keys to the game:
"We have to make sure the game is played within the lines, that all of the excitement is used as energy and not as a distraction. We have to be able to contain their pressure. We also have to, whenever you play against a team that has the quickness and strength that Georgetown does, we are going to have to be able to rebound the ball. I am really fortunate that I am around not only really great kids, but really selfless. That can be a really great thing obviously the other 140 days of the season, but on game days you hope they will take open shots. These guys have come far and it's time now to shine. We are going to get open shots in their pressure because I think we will contain ourselves and contain their pressure well, but we are going to have to take open shots. I think when you are playing against the speed of a team like this you don't get three good shots a possession, so I hope our trigger is a little bit quicker than it usually is and we have to force them to defend us. I don't think they are looking forward to that. We share the ball well, we shoot the ball well, so I think we have to force them to chase us around a little bit and looking forward to doing that."
Senior Guard Addie Micir
On leadership experience/guiding freshmen:
"Coach talked a little bit to us before we came down here, just saying that we're a really experience team now and the only people that don't know what this is going to be like is the freshmen. We tried to take them under our wing all year and tell them, not only what the Ivy League is like, but also what the tournament is like. I think they're ready for it, they're going through their first tournament jitters a little bit, but I think they'll be ok."
On combating Georgetown:
"We know that Georgetown has good, quick guards, but we've really been focusing on us too, it's been a big thing throughout this week, is what do we do and what did we do all year that got us here. So we've been working on that too and I think we'll be ready to play tomorrow."
On Georgetown being similar to previous teams played:
"Well clearly, Rutgers at the beginning of the year. They have very quick, athletic guards and they are an athletic team all together, but that would be one that reminds me the most of them. We went out there and battled against Rutgers too, so that's what we're expecting."
Senior Guard Krystal Hill
On combating Georgetown:
"They are a quick, trapping team and they play really up tempo, and we do too, we play up tempo as well, but we don't trap as much. We're preparing for that and we're working on our press break. I think we'll be prepared to play them tomorrow at 2."
