Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Top Toledo, 72-71
February 26, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2005
Recap | Final Stats
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Quoting the players and coaches after the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team's 72-71 win over the University of Toledo Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26) at Anderson Arena...
BGSU HEAD COACH Curt Miller
"It was a great ending for a senior (Kelly Kapferer) that has been an integral part of our turnaround. What a fitting ending, on Senior Day against your arch-rival, to make the big individual play. That didn't have anything to do with coaching; that was an individual play at the end to win that game."
(On the BG-Toledo rivalry)
"What a great series this year; it always is, but with an overtime game and a one-point game, you can't ask for anything better for the local fans."
(Did it feel like deja vu all over again, after coming back to win at UT in this year's first meeting?)
"Yes, in the first game, they were up four (late in the game) and we made a big three and got a steal. Tonight, we just hung in there. One of the lessons I think we learned was giving ourselves a chance to win. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win at Eastern (Michigan last Saturday). We cut it to one late, gambled for a steal and missed an opportunity to foul. And, they were able to run the ball up the floor and get a three-point play, and all of a sudden it was a two-possession game again. (This week) we worked hard on special situations, and talked about giving ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game. Today, that's what we did, and fortunately we made the big play at the end."
(What is the status on Ali Mann??
"She has an ankle sprain, and we'll find out more as we go along."
(Talk about the importance of winning these close games vs. UT)
"To put it in perspective, if Toledo wins both of these games, they are 10-5. If we lose both of these games, we are 10-5, and they have the tiebreaker for seeding; that's how close it is. Winning close games is such a huge part of your overall success in a season."
(Can you talk about the play of Kate Achter in the second half, particularly the out-of-bounds play where she threw the ball off the back of a Toledo player?)
"We don't practice that. She doesn't dare do that in practice, but she has pulled that out twice now in games. Kate is a special player. I still believe she is the MAC Freshman of the Year. She made big plays when she had to. It is a really tough assignment against Toledo's three outstanding guards, and Crystal Young exploited her at times today. But, Kate is only going to get better, and we wouldn't have been in position to win that game at the end without some big plays by Kate down the stretch. As a local kid, the rivalry means a lot to her. She grew up watching it, reading about it, and as a freshman, has a better sense of this rivaly than most freshmen do."
"For 39 minutes of this game, I didn't feel like we got many of the rolls or the bounces to go our way. Then, in the last 30 seconds, we got all of the rolls, and what a special way for our seniors to end their careers in Anderson Arena."
(It seemed like every time you made a run in the second half, they had an answer, until the very end)
"I've been trying to tell everyone I possibly can that Toledo is the sleeper team of the MAC. When they make 3s and their three guards play well -- and you're always going to get a solid performance out of (Karin) Hoogendam -- they are one of the scariest teams in the league. They have the talent to win four games in a row in this MAC Tournament. Today, it felt like every time we had a little momentum, one of their guards would step up and make a big play. They hurt us time and time again with dribble penetration and kicking it to their shooters. When they play like that, they can beat anyone in this league."
"The seniors came to me before this game. I am a person that believes you start your seniors on 'Senior Day.' But, they approached me and asked me not to change the starting lineup. They said that this game was too important, and that just goes to show you what these seniors are all about. The team, and winning a championship, come over the glory of starting in their last home game. These seniors have accepted their roles. Kelly and Tene (Lewis) are in the rotation, and are integral parts of the program. Sakima (Smith) is one of the hardest workers, day-in and day-out, but unfortunately is caught in a numbers game. She doesn't get the minutes that she deserves, but she never complains and is the ultimate team player. So, for those three to step up and ask what they did, and for a senior to step up and make the game-winner, it just seems fitting because of their unselfishness earlier in the day."
BGSU FRESHMAN GUARD Kate Achter
(On the importance of the BGSU-Toledo rivalry)
"These games are very important. I chose Bowling Green because it is close to home, and my family can come and watch me play. It means a lot, especially today against our rival."
(On the last play, when you inbounded the ball, was Kelly the last option?)
"Yes, at first, but then they switched (defenders) and we had a mismatch there. I got her the ball, and she definitely converted for us."
BGSU SENIOR FORWARD Kelly Kapferer
(How does it feel to hit the winning shot on 'Senior Day' and clinch a tie for the division title?)
"I don't think you could ask for anything better. I would never have predicted this in a million years. This is something you dream about when you are young, and when it comes around, I guess it is just the time to step up. I was happy to be able to do it for Ali and my team."
(On replacing Ali Mann)
"Well, Ali and I are two totally different players. Ali Mann cannot be replaced, no doubt about it. When she went down, I knew I would be coming in off the bench, but I was confident in my role. I knew that I would need to get in there, get some rebounds, set some screens and make sure that (the other players) get their shots. I just needed to play my role."
(On the seniors' decision not to start)
"Tene, Sakima and I talked about it before we went to meet with coach. We just decided that we all know our roles. We're not the superstars, we're not the people that start every game. Why change it now? This is just another game. Sure, it's 'Senior Day,' but we want to win this game. We just decided that we would just continue in our roles. We wanted Ali, Liz (Honegger), Casey (McDowell), Kate and Carin (Horne) to do what they do."