Mizzou / Texas A&M Postgame Quotes
Mizzou Women’s Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Mizzou 78, Texas A&M 76
Head Coach Robin Pingeton
Opening Statement…
“ I really appreciate our fans that came out tonight. It got really loud there at the end. We talk a lot about them being our sixth man and we need a lot of support. This was extra sweet because of that last tough loss at home. We always want to make our fans proud and just make sure they know how much we appreciate them. I’m proud of our team. This is why you play until the final buzzer sounds. We made some big stops down the stretch. Some of our kids really stepped up and hit some big free throws for us. I never felt like our kids wavered. We have had a couple tough games but we talked a lot as a team that we didn’t want those losses to be empty losses. We really wanted to learn from them about the poise that you have to have down the stretch and the discipline. It’s fun when you feel like you have learned from those situations and they are a little bit easier to stomach. I thought it was a really gritty win tonight and that our girls played really hard.”
On Pat Summitt and her influence…
“She is someone that I always respected growing up. As a kid, I watched her and saw her as a confident female that was a motivator and inspired people. I read all her books and studied her a lot as a coach. She is certainly someone who has made such an incredible impact on so many people’s lives. She won a lot of games but far more important than winning games is the vast impact she has had on so many people. That is really what leaving a legacy is all about. It’s not about the accolades and all the wins. It is about how you impacted people around you and she has certainly impacted a lot.”
On win over ranked Texas A&M…
“Texas A&M has always been a great team. We have a come a long way. We are not there yet but we’ve come a long way. Our last couple games with Texas A&M have been nail biters. That is a team that has a lot of history and tradition. We are moving the needle with our program. We still have a lot of work to do but I am really proud of my team for a lot of reasons tonight. We are going one day at a time. We are not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. This is a big win for where we are trying to get to and it certainly helps your resume to beat a top 25 team. We just have to keep our nose to the grindstone and stay focused one game at a time.”
On importance of the free throw line…
“Down the stretch we need to have players on the court that want to be in those situations. They need to want the ball. They have to be a fierce competitor and want to go to the free throw line with that kind of pressure. I think we have kids that feel very comfortable in those situations. They feel very confident going to the free throw line. They are shooting pretty well from the line.”
Sophomore Sophie Cunningham
On 36 point game….
“Such a team effort. Everyone who came in, there was no drop off. It is just awesome. Like Coach Pingeton said, our fans coming out, that sixth man coming out, that energy and the sound of them was awesome.”
On the game-tying shot to force overtime after missing a shot with seven seconds left...
“I don’t think I redeemed it for myself, but for my team. I know they put a lot of trust in me and I just wanted to do it for them. I got the ball where I needed it and I finished for them.”
What did you see after that timeout and that deflection?
“They were playing good defense. That is probably how we would play them too, just all up in our grill. I do not know how I got the ball, but I just needed to attack because you get a foul and get two free throws.”
On ranking this win in games played at Mizzou Arena
“There has just been some really good moments, but when we have the fans that we do it just makes it so much more sweet.”
On sense of calm in last minute of 4th quarter
“Coach has just done a good job with me just making sure that I just stay even keel. As a freshman, I would have been all around. I just wanted to let our team know that we are winning this game. Losing is not an option. I think from the beginning of the season how people really thought about it and portrayed that it has changed a lot. Just everyone has full confidence when they hear those words. I think that showed tonight.”
Sophomore Cierra Porter
On how tough and physical the game was
“It was a physical game. Hillsman is a strong girl and uses her body well, but that is the SEC. That is part of the battle and that is part of the fun in games like that.”
On starting your offensive game outside of your comfort zone
“I definitely have to get more consistent with my outside shot. When girls like Hillsman are on me I just have to drive it. I have to do better reading the situation and deciding when to drive and when to settle. It is different, but I just have to keep getting better.”
On discussion in huddles…
“One thing we talk about is winning time. There is no ifs ands or buts about it. We are going out there and winning. Another thing that has been like our motto this year is we are going to out-team them. It is not one person here or there. It is all of us. It is the bench, it is the coaches, it is the fans. We are just going to out-team people. That is the big thing we have talked about in huddles.”
On ranking this win in games played at Mizzou arena…
“It is up there. It was a really fun one. I am just so proud how everyone just battled. When you just leave it all out there on the court like that it just makes it so much sweeter.”
