University of Connecticut Athletics
Post Game Quotes (November 16, 2010)
11/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2010
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Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma
Did you think your team had it in them to come back?
"No, because they'd never done it before. I don't think they knew either, and that's why it's such a great scenario the way it played out. When we got up 15, we looked and acted like and carried ourselves like `We're going to get them and this is what we do to people every night,' and then they realized that they didn't do anything, they just happened to be on the same team with the guys that did it, so you have to figure out how to do it. I'm not sure they thought they could do it. Then all of the sudden Baylor goes on a run, and Tiffany (Hayes) tries to take over by herself and then we start doing crazy, ridiculous things, because they haven't been in a situation where it's not easy. I don't think they thought they could do it. I could tell by the way they were talking that there was a little bit of doubt that Baylor, they couldn't stop them. So, I was anxious, just like everybody else was, to find out. Ok, let's see how we do the rest of the way, let's see what happens. They did exactly what I hoped they would do. They grew up a little bit. When we go to Georgia Tech on Sunday, our freshmen aren't going to be freshmen anymore. It took Bria Hartley 37 minutes or whatever it took, and then she had eight of the biggest points of her life to this point. I think if I could have written the scenario, I couldn't have written it better, for all the things you wanted to come out of the game so you can help your team move on. I can't think of anything. We played great, we played lousy, made big plays, dumb plays, dominated defensively and struggled at times."
On the contributions of Bria (Hartley) and Samarie (Walker):
"Samarie was unbelievable. She really was. She is really something else. I didn't want to take her out. Once she got in there and I saw what she was doing and how she was going about it, I didn't want to take her out. I probably should have and rested her a little bit. Bria, Bria was contributing absolutely nothing. I couldn't decide. Losing Caroline Doty was the biggest loss we had going into this season. We knew the other guys weren't going to be here, but if we had Caroline, Bria doesn't have to do the 37 minutes of nonsense she did tonight, she could just do the stuff she did the last part of the game. So, she was overwhelmed. She and Stefanie (Dolson) were overwhelmed by the situation, by the competition, by everything. Bria reacted exactly like I thought she would react, it just took a little longer. That's why I started her. She's going to make some plays that are going to win the game, I just don't know when. I sort of lost confidence in it near the end, but I don't know if there's been a bigger shot made in her life than the 3 that she made on the wing to tie the game. That had to be the greatest feeling in the world for her."
On what he sees in Samarie Walker:
"She's a competitor. She's big enough and strong enough physically that she can keep people from going where they want to go. She's quick to the ball and she's a pretty good passer. Everything that Samarie isn't good at she hasn't learned yet. There are things about her that you want her on the court."
About the play of Heather Buck:
"I said to Heather the other day, and it might have been the best thing that happened to her, the other day we were playing five-on-five, and I said to Heather, `As long as you're on the court we're playing five-on-four. You've been here three years, and we're still playing five-on-four. So, by the end of today, we're either playing five-on-five with you on the court and you start paying us back for your scholarship, or you leave and never come back because we are going to kill you today.' You know what, I think it helped, because when she went in today, she had a little bit of spunk to her. Maybe that was an important seven minutes for her, because if those guys hadn't fouled out, I might not have put her in. the scenario was almost perfect tonight to show people the things they needed to see. Everybody, including Maya Moore. Maya Moore saw what her role was going to be this year, and it wasn't what she thought it would be."
UConn Players
Maya Moore
On emotions at the end of the game:
"I was just speechless. The way we responded, that was a really big moment for us. It's so early in the season and we haven't really been tested. I thought we responded well. We did just enough to get it done. At the end of the day, a W is a W. We'll learn a lot from it. We made a lot of mistakes that are fixable. We'll be able to see what we need to work on. But big shots from Bria (Hartley) and big plays from Kelly Faris getting that offensive rebound and kicking it out to Bria for that three - that just showed that we have what it takes to make the plays we need at the end of the game"
On Bria at the end of the game:
"I don't know what was going through her head there - I don't think too much. I say that because when you need to make shots, you can't really think a whole lot. At times she overplays and gets out of the flow of our offense. When she hits shots like that you know she's focused and playing to win."
On having confidence being down:
"This year is a little bit different. It's a new group. I don't think there was ever a time where we stopped playing or stopped trying. I think if you looked into our eyes the last few minutes, you could see that we were going to keep fighting. We all were just really excited after I hit that and-one. Coach mentioned it in the huddle. After that, we got together and kept pushing. We proved a lot to ourselves tonight. The way we answered that was beautiful."
On the last five minutes:
It was definitely nerve racking but I knew we'd come through and make big plays. If everyone does the little things, we'd get the win. I was just playing. I was running through our offense and concentrating on what we needed to get done."
On playing the No. 2 team in the country so early:
"It's tough. We just look up to the older girls. They are there to guide us and help all the freshmen get through it. They help us relax and lead us."
Samarie Walker:
On the atmosphere:
"When we were warming up they were so loud and I said, `this is just warm-ups, wow'. That got us all fired up. It was very exciting for me. Being in that type of atmosphere has been a dream for me forever. It pumps me up."
On going against Brittney Griner:
"I was just thinking the whole time - don't let her score. I know in our scouting report it says she wants to shoot over her right shoulder - so that's where I was every time. I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous. But once I got out there and started playing defense, it all went away."
On trying to defender Griner:
"I've never even seen a 6'8" female before. Stepping out there next to here I was like, `oh my goodness'. But once we got out there I totally forgot about the height difference and tried to play her like normal. I didn't even think about her being 6'8" and me being 6'1". It was exciting just to be given the honor to guard her."
Baylor Head Coach Kim Mulkey
On tonight's game:
"We turned the ball over way too many times and you can't do that and beat teams like Connecticut. We had them on the ropes in the second half and we kept turning the ball over and just couldn't make a basket."
"Towards the end of the game we went with the experienced players on the court. We missed some shots but it is early in the season and we know we have things to work on."
On Brittney Griner and UConn's defense:
"Every time we went to Brittney Griner at the basket it wasn't working for us. They were double teaming her and we had to use other options. I don't think the point guard play was bad tonight, the turnovers were mostly entry passes. Tonight's game certainly wasn't pretty but we aren't at our best yet and it's early."
On UConn:
"UConn doesn't have the same depth as they used to have in the past. They are younger this season and Geno finally needs to find the right players to put in and I compliment him because we couldn't shut them down tonight and that just shows what kind of team Connecticut is."
