Postgame Quotes: Texas Tech vs. UTSA

Coach's Opening Statement
"First of all I just want to thank our fans for another big crowd for us. It is going to be real important for us to have an enormous crowd on Friday night for our opening Big 12 game against Iowa State. Please keep helping us with that. Credit to our team for their performance, and most importantly finishing the non-conference schedule undefeated. It was a goal of ours coming into the season. It is something difficult to accomplish and I am really proud of this group for completing the task here today. It has been almost a decade since this program has had an undefeated season. Also again, as we rebuilt the program we have the mindset to play in March. This was a major step for us towards that for our team. We obviously share the ball extremely well and we had some big individual performances up here. Brittany continues to lead the nation in blocks, she had seven again tonight. So I am really proud of her individually."

On the 11-0 start of the season… (Brittany)
"It means a lot, especially with my teammates and getting to play with this group of people it is really special. To see all the hard work and just to see this group as well is really special."

On the big run going into second quarter… (Lexi)
"Coach wanted us to win and finish non-conference 11-0 and that's what we wanted to do, and that's what we did. Just to go on that run was amazing and cool. We needed it to jump start our second quarter. It was a huge momentum change."

On being aggressive on the offensive end… (Lexi)
"I just ran the floor and my teammates found me."

On today's game…(Chrislyn)
"I definitely brought energy especially on defense and being a ball handler. I also looked for my teammates in position."

On the importance of Lexi on the team… (Chrislyn)
"She is amazing, she brings something every game and every practice. She is a phenomenal shooter and you can see she can score inside as well."

Lady Raider Head Coach, Marlene Stollings

On the current state on Lady Raider Basketball…
"Well it's a real treat, it's phenomenal. You know when I took the position here, I considered it an honor to be able to come to such a great program. To be in the position we are in so quickly wouldn't happen without a lot of great people starting from the leadership with Kirby and Senior Women's Administrator, Judy, on down to our coaching staff and our players. To do something like this to come out of the deep hole that we were coming out of is difficult and I credit all those folks around me and their commitment to be in the position we are so quickly."

On what it takes to make basketball fun…
"Well winning helps certainly. When you are winning it is fun to be out there. I think our style of play is fun, especially when we are hitting shots and we are defending at the level that we have been defending. We are ranked top-10 in a few categories defensively and I think that really ignites our offense. Our team really gets along great, they like each other a lot off the court and I think that helps the chemistry and comradery between the players."

On the type of defense that you want to play…
"Yes, we need to be very aggressive. Some of our guards are a little bit smaller and shorter than some of the people we will go against in conference, but we are quicker. We have to use that to our advantage, and we have to get up under people and bother them, run through passing lanes, and things like that. It will continue to be a focus of ours."

On surprise talents of the team…
"A couple of things that I have been pleased with is when we have been tested, like against Houston Baptist, is when we have to battle all night and then closing those games. That's probably the one bug bright spot in term of finishing that was an improvement from last season."

On how to set the tone for Big 12 play for newcomers…
"Some of our transfers have played big time basketball, so they have been in big environments and know what it's about. Our freshman we try to immolate it as much as we can in practice. We have our returners share those experiences of what's it's like in the toughness and physicality."

On Lexi's improvement…
"With someone like Lexi it happens before they arrive here. She fits our system and how we like to play. She can stretch the floor and play the four position for us or play the three position as well. She has good IQ and she can see the floor very well. You continue to give her minutes and gets used to being out here it's a win-win.

On imagining being in an 11-0 season so far…
"To be 11-0 after just two seasons in here I would say that I am very pleased with how they are coming along."

On this team compared to her other teams…
"I think they are all unique in their own ways. The thing that makes this team special is that we came from such a deep dig. It took a lot to get to this point and having staff and players around that believed in the system, especially our returners it meant a lot. You look at these 11 wins here in December and it's just a tribute and credit to them in believing in what we were doing and where we were heading."

Texas Tech University Athletics

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