March 5, 2009
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Head Coach Lisa Stockton
"No game is ever over. I thought we did a nice job of coming up with a lot of intensity. We really kind of got the game in hand, and then Tulsa did a great job of coming back on us. The nice thing is that we were poised enough to finish it."
"One thing for us is our defense has been strong all year. We've really been able to hold teams down all year. At the end, I thought we got some good stops and our offensive rebounding really helped us, too. We got those two extra possessions that let us run the clock out. I always feel good when we're on the defensive end. I think we can do a good job there."
On Quarterfinal meeting with Southern Miss
"We've got to take this next 12 hours to get ready. The nice thing is both teams played each other recently. It's always a good game. We go way back with Southern Miss, back through C-USA and the Metro. It's always been a rivalry, even though we're in different divisions now. I think we had a good crowd tonight, and Southern Miss will bring a good crowd tomorrow. I think it will be a great tournament atmosphere tomorrow. We have to play hard. They are a very good team. We did a nice job last time when we played them, and obviously, we want to do those things again. But we know they are going to have a chip on their shoulder and they are going to come after us. So we have to be ready to play."
On home-court advantage:
"It's great that at the end of the game, a lot of fans are cheering for us. It's a great environment for our kids. You can draw on that energy and that excitement. But there's a little bit of pressure that goes with it, too. You're supposed to win, and you want to keep the fans coming back every night. It's a nice balance: you've got to enjoy the moment, but keep it in perspective that you're playing one game."
Senior Point Guard Ashley Langford
"We came out in the first half with a lot of intensity, but then lost it in the second half. They made a run, but we didn't have the same amount of intensity, but we were able to weather the storm."
On her two free throws to seal the win:
"I don't worry about that stuff. I just get to the free throw line, like I do at practice. The situation is more important, but you've just got to keep focus at the task at hand."
On home-court advantage:
"We play very well at home, as opposed to the road, so mentally there's an advantage. It's motivation for us having the fans here and supporting us. Being able to go back to a dorm room or apartment instead of a hotel is definitely comforting. I think that can play a large part for our team."
Freshman Center Brett Benzio
"We got too comfortable with the lead we had, and almost lost it. But we were able to pull it out in the end."
On her offensive rebound with 15 seconds left
"We had a foul to give, and I'm going to go in there and either knock her down or get the ball. It ended up being I got the jump ball. But at that point, stopping the clock was the last thing we wanted to do.
