Postgame Quotes

Feb. 10, 2010

Oklahoma Head Coach Sherri Coale
On the game:
“Amanda Thompson was fantastic. She had 19 rebounds and 19 points, key steals and key plays. Everytime that we had to have a play, she did it. I thought that it was a gutty performance by all of our kids. Abi (Olajuwon) was very aggressive. Nyeshia's (Stevenson) last shot of the game, it was a huge finish. Jasmine (Hartman) provided great minutes off the bench. It was a team effort that I am really proud of. ”

On Oklahoma rebounding :
“Rebounding is typically an effort statistic. I think that we were out-ebounded by them earlier in the year by 12, but we have improved and that is what you are supposed to do. It was not only blocking out but deciding to go get the basketball. And that is so much a part of it. Some of it is technique, some of it is size but it is mostly heart.”

On defending Baylor center Brittney Griner:
“We talked at halftime about being aggressive and maybe getting her in foul trouble ... but you have to give her credit because I thought that, for a freshman, her poise is remarkable. She is a big-time player.”

On the difference in attacking the rim offensively in this meeting with Baylor:
“I think that is what has changed since then and what I am most proud of. We were not afraid or detoured to take it in. And I think that is a sign that our kids are growing because it is a long season and we need to keep on growing.”

Oklahoma Junior Guard Danielle Robinson
On the game:
“I'm so proud of Amanda. Honestly, she was possessed the whole night. Just the look in her eye was so fierce. She was determined to do whatever she wanted and to get every rebound that she wanted. You could tell on the defensive end, she was going to get every rebound. She blocked out like it was textbook. I'm so happy for her and her performance.”

On bouncing back from the Texas loss:
“We were back on our home floor and we knew we had to protect it. We've been in this situation before, we've been down and we have been in overtime games already this season. I think that our experience as a team and our will to learn from our previous games and to make changes. “

Oklahoma Senior Forward Amanda Thompson
On the her and the team's rebounding performance:
“I felt like it was our determination. Abi (Olajuwon) came out with amazing energy early. That gave everybody else that amazing energy. I was like, 'if Abi can do that, I can do that too,' so I was going in too; I was trying to go get that rebound. It was a lot of me reading the ball coming off the rim. Just paying attention to where they were shooting it from. It was just reading it.”

On her two steals in overtime:
“I knew I had to get over (into the passing lane) quicker. Those couple of times (Brittney Griner) got in there, I was a second slow. I started reading their eyes. I knew my teammates had me on the backside so I went over because I knew where they were going to throw the ball, and sure enough, they threw it there.”

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Baylor Head Coach Kim Mulkey
On the second half and overtime:
“Well it should have never been 12 down. I can't take (Brittney) Griner off the floor and all of a sudden you can't take it close. Took bad shots, took quick shots at the end of the first half the minute I took Griner off, Oklahoma's eye lit up, to the glass they went. Proud of the fact we went into overtime. We competed. Got to learn who's supposed to touch the ball when the game's on the line. We didn't get Griner the ball.”

On how important rebounding was in this game:
“I don't know who outrebounded who; 58 to 41, yeah. Rebounding is big. And give it to Amanda Thompson. Amanda Thompson kicked our butt.”

On experience and winning games:
“Execution at the end of games is always going to be won by the upperclassmen -- the team that has the most experience and senior players. They executed. They got some big shots from Thompson. They got a big bucket from (Danielle) Robinson, a fade-away with the shot clock winding down. I don't know that there were very many possessions in this game where we didn't guard them the whole shot clock and they had to throw up some shots and made them. And we're not making them. Call it experience, call it maturity, whatever you want to call it but they did and we didn't. Hopefully when they grow up they'll make those shots.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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