Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech - Kansas State Quotes
January 14, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2012
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Lady Raiders vs. Kansas State
January 14, 2012
Texas Tech Head Coach Kristy Curry
Opening Statement
"Just proud of how we clawed and scraped and tried to find a way down the stretch and not the kids fault thought the kids played their guts out the second half we just didn't do enough to win the second half and we had to come out at win it by 11 and we just weren't able to. So we will just continue to roll up our sleeves and it hurts but you have to continue to just work and this is definitely not a sprint it's a marathon and we have to stay strong and stay together and have as much toughness as we possibly can to find a way."
On how important the level of effort was from the first half to the second half
"It was important, the level of effort the first half was completely different than the second half whether it was going hard to the glass on both ends of the floor or attacking harder in transition, getting the ball inside and getting to the rim driving off the dribble getting to the rim. I thought our kids did a great job but you can't dig yourself that kind of hole and shoot 52 percent from the foul line. So it was a combination of things, free throws and mental toughness and Division I basketball players need to be able to make a free throw, we've worked and worked on them and we will continue to work on them and we just have to have enough toughness to step up there and make them."
On what she talked about at half time
"I actually got on my knees and talked about a few things it comes down to passion and heart and guts and character so I don't feel like I did a good enough job because we lost so it's not as much about me as it is them and knowing you have to dig down deep inside and you have to something different than what you've been doing and I thought the second half we did something a little different than what we were doing the first half enough to fight our way back in it."
Texas Tech Player Quotes
On how important defense was when trying to come back from 10 points down
"Like she said we just wanted to play with effort and we came out kind of slow in the first half and I feel like the second half we just wanted to change the tempo and steal their momentum and one way we could do that was on the defensive end."
On her mind set in second half
"I don't know I just feel like one game can't make you change the way you play the rest of the season everyone is going to have a bad game or whatever you want to call it but making sure you keep the mentality of wanting to win the whole time and not really worrying about stats and making sure you get the team involved and get the W and we didn't tonight so as long as we get the W that's all I'm worried about."
On the offense having more balance in the second half
"In the locker room I just talked to Casey, and all my teammates and told them I'll pass you the ball just shoot it we need more depth on that side so I just gave them positive reinforcement, you just go shoot the ball and I'll just go rebound it for you."
On what Tech needs to do to play a complete game
"I think just the first half we need to go strong the first 20 minutes we can't just come in the second half and try to win the game, it starts in the first half."
Kansas State Head Coach Deb Patterson
Opening Statement
"That was just a hard fought Big 12 game, it was one of those that you knew you were going to have to play until the final seconds of the game. We knew at half time that Tech would make a run at us, I thought we came out flat and they came out very aggressive like the great basketball team you would expect them to be, and it's not easy to claw back from 10 down in the Big 12 and it seemed like in a matter of five or six minutes they had the game back in their court. I'm proud of our basketball team for having to play through the emotion of seeing that lead evaporate and being behind and again just having to battle their way back to the final possession it was anybody's basketball game, and I'm proud of our team for the defensive stops. Jalana (Childs) had a tremendous game for us, especially down the stretch. I'm really hard on wanting her to be perfect and hard on if she shoots 10 go 10 for 10 or if she shoots 12, 12 for 12. She just battled for the entire 40 minutes of that basketball game and I'm extremely proud of what she brought."
On what Tech did to climb back into the game
"I think they created, just spreading the floor and some great isolations inside they got some good open looks at the three ball early in that second half that got them open. I thought the looks that Morris got were just huge for them and was a great emotional lift for them and they played well off of it, and then you had Mallard continuing on the inside and the one look that Barncastle gets in that transition four spot she drops down, so they just made great decisions offensively they got the ball to the open player and they finished shots, at that same time we were not scoring well and that's all it takes. We wasted a lot of possessions and that was again, Tech's defensive pressure I think caused turnovers got us extended and playing the opposite direction and we kind of lost site of the rim for about a six minute segment on the offensive end."
Kansas State Player Quotes
Jalana Childs
On getting her mid range game going
"Yeah, I know each game we play I don't make a lot of those, I haven't made a lot this season, and each game we've played if the team gives me that shot I'm going to take it, and that's not the shot I prefer but I was just feeling good today so it kind of worked in my favor but I take what the defense gives me just got to be smart and pick and choose the right shots."
On the battle between her and Kierra Mallard
"I already knew that she was going to compete hard because I've been playing against her for three or two years now and she's definitely a good player and got a bunch of hook shots to the middle and that's hard to guard, I know because that's my game too but it was just back and forth and you have to answer with something you can never get discouraged if someone is just feeling good on the opposition. You just have to keep battling back, like I missed two wide open layups at the beginning of the half and my teammates were on me and so were my coaches but I was like get out of my ear we have a game to play I have to finish. So definitely tough competition, Mallard is a great player I was trying to focus when Brandy (Branshea Brown) was guarding her and I had number one, Barncastle and I was trying be smart, should I be smart should I go double since I have a three-point shooter, I was worried about her when I wasn't guarding her so very good player and good team."
