Texas Tech University Athletics
Women's Basketball Press Conference
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 16, 1998
I thought this morning I might could come in here and tell you guys to rewind all of this from last week and run it again since it's exactly the same people just the second time around. First a couple of things about last week, I really felt like we handled both of those games the way that we need to begin to play. We got some help from people off the bench that I think is really important this time of year because it helps you so much in trying to rest some people just a little bit, maybe taking some pressure off of them of having to play so many minutes. Second, I thought Thompson was such a huge go to player. She really handled it the way you hope an All American and someone who is going to have to carry you through the playoffs will handle it this time of year. I was really proud of her and thought she did some great things for us.
We were pretty balanced in the fact that past her we got some help from a lot of people. I thought particularly on the offensive end of the floor maybe saw some things from Keitha Dickerson that really helped us a great deal and will continue to help us throughout the rest of the season.
It's scary this week to go back and play exactly the same schedule again. I think particularly the Oklahoma game is scary. The fact that we really had to play well and do some different kinds of things to them to win in the Coliseum. The fact that Whaley had 30 against us there and to go up there on Thursday and try to do it all over again is pretty difficult. I think when you're the one that won the first game and you have to go on the road the second game it gets harder. You feel a little bit better about the A&M situation simply because you're going to get that opportunity at home and you hope that will take care of some of that for you. The other thing that is a little different for us this week is that we have a fairly long layoff here and don't play until Thursday. They wanted to stay away from their men's game on Wednesday night and so we're going to play up there on Thursday and then have to travel home on Friday, prepare for A&M on Friday and play on Saturday.
It'll be a short turnaround for us and we will have to really be ready to go against the Aggies on Saturday. But you a couple of games again like we've said the last six or seven weeks that you just have to go win. If you want to win the Big 12 you have to go win these two. In think our players know that and certainly we're trying to get ready to go do that.
I thought it was a great weekend. Anytime you beat A&M you're excited and our players certainly were excited to do that. The second thing that happened was that for the first time in eight times we were on time on a plane getting home and they were really excited about that and then the third thing we got off of the plane and got to a telephone and found out that Iowa State won. So three things in one day that were really a help to our basketball team. They were really pleased and I think that cushion really gives you some help and gives you an opportunity to go control your own destiny even a little bit better and gives you a little bit of breathing room and we were really pleased about it.
I know it's been in the back of their minds. They really understood that they couldn't afford to lose because Iowa State was right there and we obviously had to win one more game than they did because of the way the schedule worked.
I think now that they're in a situation where they understand that there are a lot of things on the line for them. They want to win the Big 12 but they also want to protect a seed in the NCAA tournament. I think they are mature enough that they understand the importance of winning not only to win this conference race now but to try to do a good job for themselves in the seeding department for the Big 12 tournament as well as the NCAA tournament. I think they'll play hard. Now whether we can win or not I don't know. Some nights you're just not sure how you're going to go out and handle it, but I don't think it will be because of a lack of effort. I think they will go play as hard as they can play every time they get on the floor now.
