Head Coach Marsha Sharp Comments from Jan. 25 Press Conference

January 25, 1999

LUBBOCK, Texas - Quotes from Marsha Sharp during Jan. 25 press conference:

"It was the best times and the worst of times for us last week as far as our two games were concerned. We had a real big win against Iowa State - it was one we needed to get in order to have a chance to contend for a Big 12 Conference championship. We had a great approach and our players came out and really responded to the things we felt that we could do against Iowa State. We tried to defend them extremely well on the perimeter and take away their three-point shot. Create some offense from our defense so we wouldn't have to look at their zone all night long. I thought we did that, especially at the first half, maybe as well as we have all year long. It was a huge win for us. Its something we have a lot of pride in. Our crowd was great. They were a huge help to us to here at home. We hoped that this was what Big 12 basketball is about for us on the women's side for the rest of this year and the future."

"And to back that up with a difficult trip to Kansas. Not a lot of turnaround time, but I thought our players had responded well I thought they were ready to play. We had a couple of good practices. We shot ball around well Friday night at practice in Kansas. We did some things up and down the floor there that led us to feel that they were ready to go play. The bottom line of that game was that we just didnt play well enough to win. We didn't shoot it well enough and we didn't rebound it well enough to win. We just didn't get enough point production, particularly in the first half. Kansas was in a situation where they knew they had to win to stay in the race for the Big 12 championship. They had lost all three Big 12 conference games on the road, but they're still undefeated at home. Obviously, they're playing better at home than on the road. Kansas is big and physical and we just didn't handle that as well as we should have."

"We now have to go to Oklahoma and get ready to play. It sure would have been nice to have a home game this week so we could try and regroup, but we don't have that luxury. We have to go back on the road and play an awfully good Oklahoma team. They have not won on the road this year, and have lost only one game at home. So that tells you a little bit about the difference in their basketball team. This game scares me - we're going to have to play very, very well. This is the kind of game that Oklahoma will look to make their season. We're going to have to fight that off and really come from really the biggest disappointment we've had this year and respond. This game will be a big step for us. It'll define our maturity. I hope we'll rise up to the occasion and handle that challenge and come back and win."

"To back that up, we have to play a team (Baylor) that you beat at the buzzer in Waco, so nothing ever gets any easier in the Big 12. You just go from one challenge to the next and deal with them. We're looking for some people to really step up this week and make some big plays for us."