Postgame Quotes
Mar 23, 2010 | Women's Basketball
March 23, 2010
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Texas A&M Quotes
On the game:
Give credit to Gonzaga. They played hard and made the plays down the stretch. We gave everything we had to get back into the ball game. We've been shooting (free throws) 69 percent all year - the best we've shot in seven years, but tonight it killed us. Particularly when Danielle (Adams) made the three-point play and needed the free throw to put us up by 4 in a two-possession game. They made the play when (Courtney) Vandersloot penetrated, made the extra pass and they kicked the ball to the corner and somebody stepped up and hit the three to tie the ball game. We're not used to being behind, but I was so proud of my team because we had to fight to get back into this game. We had some things go our way. We missed some easy stuff but they missed some easy stuff too. It's a shame that one of us has to go home because I think you've got two basketball teams that could go on and be great in the regional. By far this is the hardest second-round game that we've had to play since I've been in the NCAAs. I told our team before the game that we're playing a very, very good team. They executed, we didn't guard very well the first 20 minutes and then we put the pressure on them after the half. Then they started turning the ball over. As a result Vandersloot had an uncharacteristic game of six assists and 11 turnovers. But we were pitching in ourselves. It was a hard fought ball game, the crowd was into it and it was just a great atmosphere. Hopefully the television cameras didn't start going from game to game to game because the game of the night was right here.
Jr. F Danielle Adams, Texas A&M
On the last play of the game:
As I saw Sid (Colson) driving the ball down the lane I popped out because I didn't want to cause traffic. Then she passed it to me and I just shot it. I was hoping it would go in. They're a good team - very athletic and very quick. I wish them the best of luck. Like coach said, this was the game of the night. We were down at halftime and we fought our way back. We had the lead a couple of times and we just couldn't pull it off. I give all my teammates credit. I enjoy playing with them. We just need to get back in the gym and focus on next year. I just love my seniors. Our seniors are probably one of the best classes in the whole nation.
So. F Adaora Elonu, Texas A&M
On guarding Vivian Frieson:
She's tough matchup. She had us on our heels in the first half. I think we did a better job in the second half of containing her. She's a very good player, but in the second half we did a better job of not letting her get the looks that she did in the second half.
Jr. G Sydney Colson, Texas A&M
On Vandesloot fouling out and that being a possible turning point:
I thought that we had some good chances down the stretch, but we just didn't make some plays. Number 23 ended up getting an offensive board on one of their free throws and that was a big play. There was no one play that changed the game, but yeah, getting her out of the game maybe a little earlier would've been better instead of like 1:20 on the clock. But she did enough for her team to make sure that they got the win. It's just unfortunate that we didn't take advantage.
Sr. F Damitria Buchanan , Texas A&M
On turning point of the game
"They fought hard the first half and we got down a deficit by half time. Their a great team, it was hard to come back but we made a run and we got back in the game. Their number 12, she's an awesome player and she is a senior for their team and she stepped up and made some big shots down the stretch I think she was the turning point of the game."
Sr. G/F Tanisha Smith, Texas A&M
On Courtney Vandersloot
On the game
"Our turnovers, we turned the ball over too many times at the top of the key that made it easy for them in transition."
On Courtney Vandersloot
"She stepped up and hit some big shots, she did some good things for them down the stretch."
Gonzaga Quotes
Coach Kelly Graves, Gonzaga
On the Aggies...
"First of all I do want to congratulate Coach Blair and the Aggies on a great season. We followed them this year with great respect. He is as classy of a coach as I've ever met. He probably doesn't realize it, how much I have learned from him over the years. He has classy young women on his basketball team."
On winning...
"I am obviously very excited and very proud, and quite frankly very humbled. We were fortunate enough to win tonight." "I'm just really proud, proud that we get to do a first in our program and that is to go to the Sweet 16."
Forward Vivian Frieson, Senior, Gonzaga
On the game winning play and shot...
"Originally I thought on my drive she was going to come over and help so we would have Tiffanie [Shives] wide open in the corner, and who else would you want to shoot the three, she's a great shooter, and she didn't come. So I thought okay I'll come and eat up space, it is something that coach always tells me to do, instead of settling for that longer shot. Step in and take a midrange shot and I did that." "On that last timeout I might have seemed as cool as ice, but in my head I was like we cannot go home. I'm not ready to go home. This is not how I want to finish my senior year."
On leading Gonzaga to their first Sweet 16 appearance...
"It means the world to me, me and Heather have been a part of a lot of firsts at this University. It felt great to go to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2007, it felt great to win our first game last year against Xavier and it feels even better to go to the Sweet 16."
Forward Heather Bowman, Senior, Gonzaga
On earning the victory...
"Coming in we are seen as the underdogs, just being a smaller school, but we played our game. We knew that we were the aggressors. We weren't surprised on bit."
Guard/Forward Katelan Redmon, Sophomore, Gonzaga
On Courtney Vandersloot fouling out...
"We know we are such a strong team, Courtney is a great leader for us out there, but we know we just had to stay together, stay calm and know whoever got out there on the court was going to help lead us to that win."
Forward Kayla Standish, Sophomore, Gonzaga
On the role of turnovers...
"The defense was so good at forcing those turnovers... it was difficult having Courtney out, not having a point guard on the floor." On the crowd...
"The crowd was electric. [They're] so helpful, it's amazing how many fans we had. You can't even hear yourself think out there... It's a feeling I've never felt before."
Guard Tiffanie Shives, Senior, Gonzaga
On the final shot by Danielle Adams (A&M)...
"[I was thinking] 'Please don't go in! Box out!' I didn't know the time ran out, I was just thinking they were going to foul us. I just ran and jumped on the ball."
On the team's mental state coming into the game after Round One...
"It gave us a little bit of confidence because we haven't played a close game in a long time. [We were also confident] because we've played A&M before, we knew that we could play with them, even if we get a little down."
Guard Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga
On team effort...
"We just know we have so many weapons out there. It's one of those things where we know if we put it all together, we can be a pretty deadly team. And I think that's what we did tonight. It was a team effort; it wasn't just five, it wasn't just one. It took the whole team to beat [Texas A&M]."
On turnovers...
"They played a big factor. It's one of those things where it's tough to get into a flow if you turn the ball over... There were some times when I think we couldn't get into a flow because I kept turning the ball over, but luckily we had some players step up and make plays."
