Postgame Quotes

Feb. 19, 2011

Oklahoma Head Coach Sherri Coale
On the game:
“I'm really proud of our basketball team. I think that our fans overall should be. I think it's one thing to play like that and it's another thing to play like that coming off what we endured on Monday. It takes a great deal of character, intestinal fortitude and resolve and belief to be able to do that and I'm very proud of how we answered that today. This isn't the end all, we can't stop and we still have to improve but I couldn't be more proud of this group of kids.”

On the Sooners offensive ability:
“Well our game plan was very simple. It was basket cut, put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. Our rhythm was just so much better. We weren't on top of one another. We had good spacing and good spacing is what creates those driving lanes. Then once we began to hit a few perimeter shots the driving lanes got even wider. It boils down to doing one thing exceptionally well which creates another option and I thought they really attacked the rim.”

On having multiple scorers:
“We do have scorers on this team. I think our shooting percentages tonight were better than they've been in weeks and it was because making it just as contagious as missing sometimes. Whitney (Hand) got us off to a good start and Vegas [Aaryn Ellenberg] followed suit but we can't neglect to talk about the play of Nicole Griffin. I think she was absolutely huge receiving the basketball, putting pressure on the defense by going to score and kicking it back out and repositioning herself, running in transition and getting position. I thought she was fantastic. Then Joanna (McFarland) was in when they were running the triangle and two and she hit a nice little eight-foot jump shot on the baseline. And, that just keeps teams honest. Tonight for the first time in ages, four guys in double figures. We scored very well it was a great deal of balance and that's what you have to have to beat good basketball teams.”

On learning how to play well without Danielle Robinson on the floor:
“They're growing up, our team is growing up. In the final eight minutes of the first half I believe Danielle and Carlee (Roethlisberger) were both on the bench and you look out on the floor we have primarily freshman and sophomores who were playing and extending the lead against Texas. So they're just playing their way into their own identity and would we have liked that happen in January sure but were young and were a work in progress. We said when Whitney came back in January it's like what happens in November -- it's extended. We're going to keep getting better. Our ceiling is still way up there somewhere but the performance today hinged on effort that's where it began on both ends of the floor, just simple effort.”

Oklahoma Redshirt Sophomore Guard Whitney Hand
On reaction following the UConn loss with Saturday's win:
“We have so many faithful people that follow us and support us and we let everybody down. We let ourselves down. I think when you perform like that you have to be on a mission the next game. You prove who you are by the next performance.”

On outscoring Texas in the first half with Danielle Robinson on the bench:
“We got really good shots during that period of time and normally we don't when Danielle [Robinson] goes out of the game. We all go real stagnant and kind of afraid to do anything. I think that Jas [Jasmine Hartman] really changed the flow of the game. They could not guard her. She made them pay for not guarding her. It made everything else so easy to play around because she was so attack-oriented. I give the credit to her she did awesome. I just took the shots that came that were wide open.

“I was trying to be a leader on the court. I was trying to be involved with the flow of the game. It felt better today. It felt easier that I wasn't pressing quite as hard. And, I think that came from my teammates having confidence in themselves and having confidence in me.”

Oklahoma Freshman Guard Aaryn Ellenberg
On compatibility playing with Nicole Griffin:
“Me and her [Nicole Griffin] are kind of alike in a lot of ways. There are so many different ways I couldn't list them all. We just work really well together. I feel like she understands what I'm trying to communicate with her a lot and it just works.”

On the difference in Saturday's game after losing Monday:
“We pretty much just competed as a team tonight. We bonded a lot over this last week. We are being real with each other at this point. So, it just helps each other a lot when we you when you are not doing something right or you're doing something good. I felt like we kind of connected and played together.

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Texas Head Coach Gail Goestenkors
Opening Statement:
“Congratulations to OU. I thought they played a fantastic game. It was a tremendous team effort on their part. I thought when we got Danielle (Robinson) in foul trouble in the first half would be a good sign for us. But they had players that really stepped forward, specifically, Whitney (Hand) in the first half and Aaryn (Ellenberg) in the second. I am very disappointed with our overall effort. We have a quick turn-around. We need to fix things quick.”

On the game:
“I think I was more disappointed than I have ever been with our effort and focus. Our defense was horrendous. It was the worst defensive effort I've seen in a long time. I give credit to OU. They did a great job taking us off the dribble. We are normally much better stopping dribble penetration than we were today. They reversed it on us. Usually we are the team that dribble penetrates, and we didn't do that.”

On corrections before playing Iowa State Monday night:
“I wish I could pinpoint something. I will certainly be searching for answers on the video tape. It wasn't just one person, just about everybody either on penetration or wasn't matching up with shooters. Our focus and energy was not good. We will watch the film as coaches. We don't have time. We have to watch Iowa State film tomorrow, we travel there tonight. We have to move forward. We have all next week before we play again.”

Texas Senior Forward Kathleen Nash
On the outcome:
“Every game in the Big 12 is huge for us so this is really disappointing, especially our effort and losing by that much and not fighting at all. Right when we came out on offense, they were really aggressive on defense and we just didn't do the same to them. We let them take it.”

Texas Junior Guard Yvonne Anderson
On the game:
“I felt like when Danielle (Robinson) got in foul trouble, we should have definitely taken advantage of that. We should have upped our aggressiveness and it just felt like we kind of went into a shell.

On Oklahoma's guard playing in Robinson's absence:
“Whitney (Hand) she had a great game. We knew she could score, and tonight she showed it. Every which way.

On Texas' recent struggles:
“We expect more of ourselves. After the Baylor game, you think we would learn something about how embarrassing it to lose by this much. Apparently, it didn't affect us. It's everybody; I am not singling anyone out. It was all of us, and that's the worst part.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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