Postgame Quotes

Feb. 12, 2011

Oklahoma Head Coach Sherri Coale
On the game:
“I think Robin (Pingeton) is doing a great job with that Missouri program, I really do. They are fighting for her and playing hard, they really understand the way she wants them to play and they get after you especially defensively. We had too many turnovers from the point guard position, but otherwise we valued the basketball pretty well. We moved without it, they made us go a little bit deeper into our offense which we've become accustomed to lately, we did a great job guarding ball screens. So a lot of credit to them and the job she's doing in her first year in a very tough league. It's hard to get going in this conference. I loved the way our post guys established themselves today, definitely the bright spot with what we were trying to accomplish. We had 26 points in the paint, were really good from the free throw line but, overall, Joanna (Mcfarland) and Lindsey (Cloman) were both perfect from the line and Nicole (Griffin) did a great job of getting there and now we've got to finish there. We just did a great job of establishing ourselves in the paint and I was very proud of the guards feeding it to them, the posts getting into position and then attacking to the basket.”

On the focus of playing through the post positions:
“We needed to establish some balance. We've got to figure out how to have more than just three guys carry us in Big 12 play. So it was very refreshing to see us put up 69 points on the board and very little of that came from the three that have been carrying us with Vegas [Aaryn Ellenberg], Whitney (Hand) and D-Rob [Danielle Robinson]. Really good balance otherwise and I think it's going to help us down the stretch.”

On the defensive effort:
“We wanted to try and force them to take perimeter shots. We didn't want the ball going into the post, they do a really nice job with their high-low and I thought our 4's and 5's did a great job of denying that pass to the middle which is where the high-low is so hard to defend from. So it was all the work that happened before they got to the point where they like to score, it was all about location, not letting the ball go where they wanted it to go. Our post guys did a great job of three-quarter fronting and taking away the entry pass. I thought we were more disciplined, we didn't foul as much, we showed our hands better and played more with our feet, which I was really pleased with that. Missouri's not a great 3-point shooting team so we tried to make them play to their weakness.”

On every player contributing:
“I love that and I do think the end is coming closer. We're learning, Jacqueline Jeffcoat's improving every day. The kid will try to go get a rebound, she'll just fly in there and I love that about her. She's learning where to go on offense and what to do and how to three quarter front in the post and it's still a work in progress but I loved her aggression. If every kid was like Kodi Morrison, I could coach until I'm 126 years old. She's an unbelievable kid, to just come to the gym and work everyday. She's getting better. Some people are OK with their role, she gets her role and embraces it, but she is getting better every single day. I'm telling you when Danielle Robinson's not here next season and we need a backup point guard, Kodi Morrison's going to be able to do some of that.”

Oklahoma Freshman Center Nicole Griffin
On her first career start:
"It was different starting, but I've played on the court before, so it's not really that different. I was nervous at first a little bit but after that it's just like practice, just out there playing."

On using the post players to generate offense:
"We have been working on that the last few practices. Just trying to get position down in the post and looking to score. It was part of the game plan."

Oklahoma Freshman Guard Aaryn Ellenberg
On the upcoming Connecticut game:
“It's a great opportunity. They are a really good team and we're a really good team also. I think if we just play hard then we can match them pretty well.”

Oklahoma Sophomore Forward/Center Joanna McFarland
On whether bench players realized OU starters were not providing the majority of points:
“We didn't even realize that they were struggling that much. We were just trying to play together and for each other. So it wasn't really personal like, 'Oh, she only has two points or she has four.' It was just collective. We're all going to play as hard as we can. We didn't even realize how many points anybody had during the game.”

On the entire team's contribution:
“That's the way we have been practicing lately. We have been trying to get everybody in, everybody to contribute, and everybody to do what they can with the time their given. I am really proud that everybody did what they could today.”

On the upcoming Connecticut game:
“We all are really confident right now. We just kind of had fun today and we went back to playing basketball like we all know how. So we have no pressure coming into this game. We are going to try and go and have fun and play hard every single possession.”

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Missouri Head Coach Robin Pingeton
On her team's 3-point shooting:
“It wasn't very good. They played us the way I would probably play us until we proved some consistency from the perimeter. They really took away our dribble penetration and our outside game. Thought we had some opportunities to knock down shots. That being said, I thought we had some chances. And we were still finding a way to hang in there -- that being without our best player, having one of her off nights and really struggling offensively. They have a roster is full of talent, a great environment, the fan support is outstanding. This is a special place and Sherri (Coale) has done an outstanding job building a program.”

On the first-half offensive struggles:
“We have to keep taking them. We are limited on our weapons right now, offensively. I wish we could have started the season where our team is at now. There has been a lot of improvement. Players have played hard. We are the kind of team that we have to shoot before we can turn it over. Those are opportunities we have to take advantage of, and we can't pass up open looks.”

On limiting Danielle Robinson to five points:
“Danielle is a tremendous player. I have a ton of respect for her. I have had a chance to watch her over the years, a very unselfish young lady. They have such a talented team, that if things aren't falling her way you have so many other weapons. You don't have to live and die by her game. I think Rae(Shara) Brown is a good defender for us, I thought it was a pretty good matchup. I thought for the most part we really tried to key on their perimeter players. We did a decent job with our talent level and where we are at today.”

On defensive play:
We were really trying to contain hard, and contest that 3-point shot. We came out aggressive in the first half with our post play. Our post players did an outstanding job tonight. I don't think our positioning was always real strong. We focused more on their perimeter game than our post play. They have a great team.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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