Post Game Quotes
12/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Recap |
Box Score |
Notes |
Photo Gallery 
Head Coach Robin Pingeton
Opening Statement...
"I just want to say I'm really proud of our players. During that first half, we just couldn't get anything going; the timing in our offense was a little off. We had watched a lot of film and really talked to our players about attacking them and getting them on their heels a little bit, but I felt like early on, we started to massage the ball a bit too long. They didn't get the ball reversals to create driving opportunities; that's not on the players, though, that's on me. In the first half I felt like we were attempting to make some hustle effort plays but in the second half I felt that not only were we able to create them, but we took advantage of them. I thought our girls played with a ton of toughness. It wasn't one player; it was a collective effort. Really proud of our team; it was a good win for us."
On how the way the team played today was an improvement over previous games...
"In the first half, I really wasn't pleased with our defense. I felt like we were on our heels and we weren't making as many of the 50/50 balls that we needed to. I was also frustrated because I didn't feel like we were assignment correct. I really challenged them at halftime on that, too. There's no excuse for that because our scouting reports are very thorough. If they do something that isn't on the scouting report, then that's on us as a staff, but if we're going to guard kids a certain way then we have to make sure to communicate on that. It's a tough time of the year, though, with finals coming up. They have a lot on their plates but we still need to do a better job of taking ownership. The positive note is the way they responded after halftime. I thought it looked like a whole different team out there. We still didn't score a whole lot of points, but there was a new sense of urgency and better communication, more energy and more passion. That's all I ask out of them for 40 minutes; whatever happens on the scoreboard, happens on the scoreboard."
On how the team bounced back after Kayla's injury...
"I thought Kayla had some great minutes coming out of half and she was a big part of the spark coming out of halftime. One of our keys all year long has been our depth. We have a very unselfish team; our bench has been outstanding in regards to allowing them the opportunity to get some minutes on the court."
On the girls came back after being down so far in the first half...
"Number one, I think they kind of just dug in a little bit and played with a lot more toughness and grit. They're fighters. They weren't please with the first half; it felt like we were down 25 and not 12. We had a chance to regroup in the locker room and bring new focus and I felt that collectively we played much better as a team in the second half."
Mizzou Player Quotes
Senior Guard Morgan Eye
On the defensive effort tonight from the team...
"It was a lot better the second half and there was a lot more fight in us. We went through a lot of their plays during practice so it was just us communicating. At times we were good, at times we weren't but once we started to communicate we got into it."
On the boost from Kayla McDowell...
"She gave us a big boost with her aggressiveness to the basket and by not forcing anything, but understanding when she had a driving lane; she attacked it and finished strong. It was a good boost at a good time when we really needed it."
On what was going through your mind when the team didn't score for 5-6 minutes ...
"You don't realize the time that's going by. You're pressing so hard because you know you need a basket, but that's when you have to take a step back and trust your offense."
Sophomore Forward Jordan Frericks
On how you think you and Kayla were able to find more success in the paint during the second half ...
"At first we were hesitant with them playing off of us, but eventually we knew what they were going to do, and we could attack. Kayla did a great job doing that in the second half."
On how did you out rebound Colorado tonight..
"We knew coming in that they were a good rebounding team. We knew what we had to do by boxing out every time on offense and defense. We executed that."
