Houston-Memphis Postgame Quotes
1/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2011
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Head Coach Todd Buchanan
On his initial thoughts following the Cougars' 81-68 victory against Memphis
"I was really proud of our basketball team in the second half. I thought we got off slow start. I credit Memphis for a lot of that. We didn't read their defense very well in the first 20 minutes. We weren't reading that very well, and we can't turn the basketball over that many times and be successful. We need to take care of the basketball better, we need to be able to read defense better and we need to get in our press defense a little faster."
On what he said at halftime
"We reiterated that we needed to read better and understand what's what. It can't just be one player understanding, it's got to be all five. Sometimes I think we have three-point guards on the floor, not just one, and I think that is what makes us really good at times and very versatile."
On where today's second half performance rates this season
"It probably (rates close to) coming off the UAB situation and being down and having to come back fighting. We weren't down at the half today, but it felt like it because we didn't play well or be as aggressive as I like. I would also take it back to the Las Vegas tournament against Marist in the second half, when we were down 14 or 15 and these kids absolutely came out and played their hearts out. We came up short, but I knew this basketball team was never going to quit and had a chance to be really special."
On Memphis' offensive rebounds
"Obviously, we can't give up that many and we addressed that at the half. I knew it was a lot but I didn't know it was 15. I thought it was about 45. I thought that's how they really stayed in the game until we went on our run. Brittney Scott hits a three down here and another three there and before that Roxana Button hit a three. That's nine points and offset as much productivity as they were having and as much success they were having via the offensive rebounds, getting to the line and putting the ball in the basket for second chance points.
On preparing for UCF
"Number one, we need to go shoot free throws again. I think that will help us a lot, especially going back on the road. We need to understand that we can be as good as we want to be. We just need to buy into a couple more things like reading defenses, doing a better job being organized on offense and we need to stay aggressive. When we get out of it, we are mediocre at best. I told them at half when we push the basketball in transition and we keep people on their heels, we have a good chance of being good. Those are the three things that we need to continue to work on. It might be more of a mental and verbal thing than obviously what we work on in practice."
On the game being televised and it affecting the play of his team in the first half
"I think that is a good assessment. Having a bunch of seniors on the team, you hope that doesn't come into affect as much as it did. I didn't address it at half and bring it up to them. These kids have bought into everything that we have done and they are such good kids and want to be successful so bad and sometimes try too hard."
On the team taking a little time to get into the game
"We'll go into some parts of the game when we are only physically there and don't get anything accomplished. Then we go through another period of the game and look really good. If we continue to buy in and guard people the way we have guarded to this point, I do like our chances against anyone and most certainly in this conference."
Senior guard Brittney Scott
On the start of the game
"I don't know. We just kind of started off slow. They came to play us really hard, especially since we have a target on our back now being number one and trying to keep this spot. We just started off slow and they came to play, but we had to pick it up."
On what was said at halftime
"That we just needed to relax, move the ball and stop doing the one-on-one type things, because when we move the ball that's when we score. So coach just basically told us to relax."
On what is next
"Personally I don't feel any pressure, because I knew we were going to be at this level. I think we can withstand being number one and having a target on our back, because we know what we want and that's a championship. I don't feel pressure, and I don't think the team feels pressure either, because we play together and have fun on the court."
Senior forward Courtney Taylor
On Sunday's game being fun
"I was just relaxed, and when everybody's involved it's kind of fun. Sitting back and watching one person isn't as fun."
On the physicality of the game
"Yeah it was very physical, but you expect it to be physical, especially when you're number one.
On what is next
"I think we should just keep doing what we have been doing. That's what got us here so nothing needs to change."
On what is different now than from the start of conference play
"I think the level of play has gone up because people are scouting us and watching us. They see what we can do, so everybody is coming after us ten times harder than the previous games. Everybody wants to knock us off. It's a target."
On aspects of their game that needs improvement
"I think we should take care of the ball better from start to finish. We kind of got sloppy at the end."
Senior forward Lesslee Mason
On the rough play under the goal in the second half
"Basically (at halftime), coach told us to step it up and play as a team. He said he knew what we can do and to just get it done."
