Jan. 22, 2003
Missouri Head Coach Cindy Stein
on a victory over Nebraska:
"We feel very fortunate to come out of this with a victory. We were a little flat - I think everyone in the whole building was a little flat today. We're fortunate that we played well enough to win, and we know we have to continue to put good games back-to-back. The big thing is we got the 'W.' I think we saw segments there where we can shine, we just need to figure out how to make those times longer."
on establishing post play:
"We felt the post play really could be effective. Melanie said she could pass through a lot of those high-low (screens) to Stretch, and I felt like Stretch was having a really good game and really taking it at them. We wanted to establish our inside game, and they were doing a good job of guarding on the perimeter."
on Missouri's 20-4 run to start the second half:
"We wanted to discourage them early out of the break, because we know that they've been outscoring their opponents in the second half. We wanted to come out and attack, and obviously that start was just what we were looking for."
Missouri forward Evan Unrau
on the development of the younger players:
"I think it's really promising. Last year we had a team where we depending on just a few people, but now you see we have a bunch of people stepping it up and taking the load off everyone else."
Missouri forward Stretch James
on a career-high 18 points:
"I felt really good today. My teammates were helping me out and really picked me up. We're having fun right now."
Missouri center Melanie Fisher
on her 10-point performance:
"I'm just trying to keep working hard and look for my shot. Like Evan said, I'm trying to even out the scoring, and be more offensive minded."
Nebraska Head Coach Connie Yori
on Missouri's post players:
"I though that Stretch James looked like an All-American there for a while. She really hurt us, because we did not do a good job of defending the post, and they did a nice job of throwing the ball in there. They were salivating to throw it inside. They went to them early in the game. I was sure that was their intention to keep going in there. To start the second half they went to them again. They executed in an area that we are not as strong in."
on Missouri's pressure
"They turned up the pressure in the second half, and we did not handle it well turned it over. The game really boiled down to the old clich? about the first five minutes of the second half, but it was really the first 10 minutes. Our turnovers led to easy baskets. And the stats show a dominating performance by Missouri."
On only having seven players
"Well we do not have any choice in that. We are obviously in a position where we do not have a lot of depth. One of the kids we are playing is a walk on and two others on the bench. You have to play who you can play."
Are you proud of the way that they fought back?
"Well I am not proud of the first ten minutes of the second half, but I like the fact that we stuck with it, because the lead could have gone from twenty to thirty. It was nice that we did have a run in the last ten minutes."