Bowling Green State University Athletics
Quotes From Curt Miller
February 19, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2002
ATHENS, Ohio -
BGSU HEAD COACH CURT MILLER:
"There couldn't have been a better series in the MAC this year. It's been two great games [NOTE: Ohio defeated BGSU in overtime in the teams' first meeting of the season.] I told our team that we were 14 seconds away from sweeping the series and possibly having a home site (for the first round of the MAC Tournament), but they're probably thinking they're 10 seconds away from sweeping us. It was a great series and -- unless something funny happens -- I really believe that we're playing them again. I may be wrong, but I think it would take some major upsets for the OU-BG matchup not to happen in the tournament. We'll go for round three, and hopefully, it would be as good a game for the fans as the first two have been."
"We have no right being in that game. Basketball's a funny thing, momentum and confidence are so big. We have not been playing well since the devastating loss to OU at our place. We've never quit playing hard, but we'd lost a lot of confidence. That potential win (in the first meeting) would have put us one game out of second with us going to (second-place) Miami. We were down five at Miami, with that game all set for second place. Now, instead, we were tied for fourth and leapfrogged by Ohio. We get beat by Miami, turn around and lose a big lead to Western Michigan. Now, we have no confidence and we lose a game at Marshall, and (come into Ohio) with the potential to finish as low as 11th."
"On the other hand, OU's hot, winning four out of five, and playing very well. We come in without our starting center (Pam Brown), who is back home with an injury. I'm going into the game being happy if we get out of here within 25, and don't get embarrassed by their two incredible seniors (Cathy Szall and Lori Moorman), who are playing their final home regular-season game."
"But, that's why you play the game. To our kids' credit, we're one team that will look people in the eye and say, 'We are not as talented as other teams in this conference, but you're gonna have to go out and beat us.' We're gonna scratch, claw, play hard and make teams beat us, and we know we have to work hard for everything. I can't be more pleased with the character of our kids. They never quit, and they could have quit many times tonight and let Moorman and Szall make big plays to beat us."
(On Ohio's Lori Moorman fouling out): "That's huge. Down the stretch at our place, every play was either to Moorman or Szall. Now, all of a sudden, you know that Cathy Szall wants to take the big shot. The last play of the game, we were willing to make anybody else beat us other than her. They got the ball to her, and she wanted the shot. And, that's what pressure players and senior leaders, especially a kid who is possibly playing the best of any senior in the league this year, do in that situation. Fortunately, we made the right read and got the turnover. But, (Moorman's fouling out) takes away a big option on the floor for them."
