University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn vs. Rutgers Postgame Quotes
1/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2010
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 1 
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Geno Auriemma Quotes
What you tell the team in the huddle when the score was 10-8?
"I don't remember. I was blacking out. 10 minutes had gone by; it was a lot of time. I just thought how the game started, they were much more aggressive than we were. The shots that they were getting compared to the shots we were missing. I kind of reminded them what the gameplan was. We spent 45 minutes yesterday working on this one concept that we were working on and the first time we had the chance to execute it, it completely fell apart on us. I just wanted to get them lined up right."
C. Vivian Stringer stated that after the Marquette game, she was going to let her offense "free flow," did you see evidence of that tonight or was that an exaggeration?
"We played more zone tonight than we play normally so I think that had something to do with slowing them up a little bit. Anytime you play Rutgers, you must prepare for the same style of play that you always see, the play is physical and it's tough to get a lot of possessions and I thought tonight was pretty much the same that we have come to expect."
On the play of the defence tonight:
"It's funny what you just said, its 10-8 and they miss nine straight shots. I'd love to see the film to see how much we had to do with that. Sometimes people miss shots because you're there and you help them miss but other times they miss because they miss. I noticed a couple of sequences in the second half in which we were exactly where we needed to be for the entire possession and it was very difficult for them to get an open shot and there seems to be more of that this year than there has been in the past. Not saying that it wasn't there last year, but we just seem to be playing at a high level defensively. I don't think individually were really good defenders, and maybe that is why collectively we help each other so much. If you want to attribute it to anything, then I think it is because we play defense collectively. "
UConn Player Quotes
Senior Center Tina Charles
What was it that took you so long to get it going? Was it them or you?
"It was definitely us. We always want to be the team that sets the tone of the game. We were getting great shots. Me personally, I missed a lot of lay-ups, shots that Maya would normally make and Kalana. We were just rushing, but then we were able to get the tempo back."
Did coach say to get the ball inside?
"No not really. Coach never shies away from an open shot. He definitely encourages people to take their shots, because it definitely builds up their confidence. Especially players that we know can make them, so I was just under there trying to get into rebounding position. "
Senior Guard Kalana Greene
Talk about the patience you guys showed when you weren't making the shots.
"Whenever we were rushed the best thing is to come down the next possession after the next series and try to slow it down, and get back the tie game. We were playing too fast, or too slow, out of sync. Once we got that rhythm back, it was hard for them to handle us."
What were you able to get done on the defensive end to turn the game in your favor?
"I think at the beginning of the game we had a lot of shots and we didn't make them. Then on defense, we are very confident in our defense. People talk about us being a good offensive team, but I think our defense is even better, and worth talking about more than our offense. So we are confident on defense, and we try to force them to take shots they are not comfortable taking, and get the ball out of their best player's hands."
Junior Forward Maya Moore
On the physical play of Rutgers.
"They're definitely a physical team. It's something I think they are known for, so you definitely expect that when you come in and play Rutgers. Besides that they are going to have talent and they are going to be physical. I tried to go in with a battle mentality and work my tail off."
Rutgers Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer
What changed during the game after your team kept the game close in the beginning?
"We had a difficult time scoring. They are a great team and I do not believe they are given enough credit for their defense. Their offense is a machine. We hung in there for a while like most teams but then we tried rushing shots and UConn started getting points in transition. Instead of staying focused when they went on a run we slowed down. We stopped getting penetration into the paint on offense which hurt us. I have watched many UConn teams and I believe this is the best UConn team. I do not know if this is the deepest team but this team is like a well oiled machine."
How has UConn been able to pull so far ahead of the competition over these last few years?
"First of all, no matter how good a coach thinks they may be, they are only as good as the players they have. Coach Auriemma has highly skilled players that work extremely hard. He is a brilliant coach. They understand the game and are capable of creating plays on their own. With his coaching, his players ability and his system they are able to be an outstanding team. It is almost a shame to women's basketball that they do not play in many competitive games. He does not have to bring the level of his team down but other teams have to be better than we are. Looking at the scores from this game and the Stanford and North Carolina games, it is obvious that UConn is much better. Tina Charles is the most athletic and quick center in the game today. She does not take a break. Maya Moore and Kalana Greene both came to play tonight. All of these players have improved dramatically and it is like light speed out there. They understand what it takes to get it done and Coach Auriemma has done a remarkable job."
