Pitt vs. Connecticut Postgame Quotes
2/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2008
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PITTSBURGH -
Quoting Pitt Head Coach Agnus Berenato:
"I'm disappointed in the outcome for sure. Coming in I wanted to win and I wanted to compete, but obviously Connecticut is very talented. We knew it would take a perfect game, but on any given day anybody can accomplish anything, so there's always hope. The game really turned midway through the first half, when Shavonte Zellous and Marcedes Walker both picked up two fouls. The foul trouble got so bad that eventually we had five non-starters on the floor at the same time. You can't throw that kind of line-up on the floor against UConn and hope to compete."
On the play of Mallorie Winn:
"Mallorie really stepped up tonight and believed in her heart and soul we could win this game. I thought she battled the whole time, regardless of what the scoreboard showed. Towards the end of the game, we set some other goals for us so we could learn and take something away from this experience. We wanted to score more than 48 points, which is how many UConn averages giving up, and hold them to 100 points. We did both of those, and Mallorie was a big part of it. When you play a team this good, you have to find ways to get better."
On this stretch of Pitt's schedule:
"This is an incredibly tough stretch. I don't think the average fan realizes how good some of these teams are. We could have been ranked as high as No. 5 in the country and still not be expected to win two of our four conference losses. We have to battle through though and remember we're a team that beat some good teams in going undefeated in January. This can't set us back. We have to learn from this, and I think we will."
On how to snap this losing streak:
"We have to remember that we're very good right now, and still off to one of the best starts in the program's history. Our student-athletes are great players and hard workers who will do what it takes in the coming days to get back to doing what we do best."
Quoting Pitt's Mallorie Winn:
On how she can respond to losing three straight games:
"After the West Virginia loss, Coach Shea (Ralph) told me that I'm the kind of player that leads by example, and that I haven't been doing that. I'm not a vocal person or someone that yells and screams, but I lead by how I go about my business. That's what I need to focus on from here on out."
On how UConn defended her after she made four three-pointers in the first half:
"I'm not completely sure what they did defensively. I did notice that they started to guard me full court, but I don't think that explains completely what changed."
On UConn's 18-0 run to end the first half:
"I didn't think the game was slipping away right there because it was still relatively early. However, I could tell they were making a run and it needed to be stopped. I think our foul trouble really allowed them to keep the momentum though, especially the way they hit their free-throws."
Quoting Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma
On the number of three-pointers made by Pitt:
"We talked a lot about that after the game. We can't depend on half of our team. Everyone needs to contribute. Our bench players did what I hoped they would do coming into the game. They are mentally and physically part of this team."
On getting a lot of easy shots:
"I don't think that statement is true at all. All of our shots were contested today. The first 10 minutes, we just played bad. Pitt had something going there. They got us in different spots and were covering us really well. The last 30 minutes of the game, there, they played us differently. Pitt's a good team, though. They weren't an easy team to play. They're physical and tough. That was some of the best basketball we've played this year, and we needed to do it to win today."
On defending Pitt's Shavonte Zellous and Marcedes Walker:
"Charde [Houston] did a good job of defending Marcedes Walker today. She was able to keep her off balance, which helped keep her scoring under control. Renee [Montgomery] wanted the job of guarding [Shavonte] Zellous. That was all her, and when I tried to make a switch, she told me she wanted to stay with her and that she was up to the assignment. I really think [Montgomery] made a good effort tonight."
On Kaili McLaren's performance coming off the bench:
"There's no doubt that she provided a big spark coming off the bench for us. You've got to be versatile when it comes to your bench if you want to win in this league. Brittany [Hunter], Tina [Charles] and Charde [Houston] do different things. They all push different buttons, and tonight all of those buttons were working for us."
On Pitt being an NCAA Tournament team:
"This Pittsburgh team is definitely an NCAA Tournament team; some have even said a top-four seed. They're going through a little bit of a low right now. They've had a tough stretch here, playing some really tough teams, but they're not going to have any trouble making the tournament. I won't be surprised to see them win a game or two. Actually, this stretch of games they're playing now is probably tougher than playing in the NCAA Tournament."
On the past 20 years of growth in the Big East:
"[The Big East] has really grown over the past 20 years. There's no doubt about that. We used to be lucky to have three or four teams selected to the NCAA Tournament. Now, we expect to have eight teams there. No league in America has the same depth that the Big East does. A lot of teams could go really deep in the tournament, and there's no other conference that can say that with confidence."
Quoting Connecticut's Renee Montgomery
On today's win and guarding Pitt's Shavonte Zellous:
"Today was a really good win for us. I knew it was going to be a tough one for me, guarding [Shavonte] Zellous. I just tried to take her left side away from her and stay down. I knew I had to contest her shots. She's a good player and she makes her shots so I had to stay in there and contest in order to play well."
On keeping Pitt's field goal percentage low:
"The whole team stepped up today, and we got pressure from everyone. Not letting them score was something we knew we had to do."
Quoting Connecticut's Kaili McLaren
On the Connecticut bench scoring 37 points:
"I had no idea it was that many, but it was definitely nice to get a game like today's in. I didn't realize that we'd scored that many points coming off the bench, but it's great. It's a nice positive to have to build on."
Quoting Connecticut's Charde Houston:
On the Connecticut bench scoring 37 points:
"I'm happy for the mentality of our team. It's great that our bench can be there. Physically, we've been good, but mentally, games like this really help and it's important to keep a good mind set."
On her post-game feeling:
"I feel good. We've got a good attitude about things right now and I'm just here for my team to contribute and do anything I can to help. No matter what the situation is that we face, we need to bring energy and we can't always rely on going into the game with a lead. We need to play hard each and every possession."