Bowling Green State University Athletics
Curt Miller Quotes From Athens
February 11, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2004
ATHENS, Ohio -
"We have had some close games with OU since I've taken over this program. They were on a two-game win streak, playing their best basketball. We didn't look 100 percent, we looked a little tired and sick, but to our kids' credit, they got a big road victory. To win by the margin that we did ... I'm ecstatic for that group."
(Were you worried about a letdown after the win over Western Michigan?)
"We really talked a lot about avoiding a letdown. This is a big week for us, with two road games, and we have had some great battles with Lynn's Ohio teams since I took over at BG. All of our games seem to go down to the wire, and I expected that again. I was worried about a letdown. Again, though, to our kids' credit, we came out and set the tempo right from the beginning."
"Going into the game, we were worried that their press would become a big factor. But, it didn't; we handled it for most of the evening. We really emphasized that in practice, and we only had 11 turnovers, and really kept the press from being a factor."
"I've been around this game for 14 years, and -- other than the Colorado State team that went 33-3 and was ranked fourth in the nation -- I have never been around a group of kids that believes they are going to win more than this group. And, it is not in a cocky way, but this group just believes they are going to win basketball games. It is such a comfort, because I am such a pessimist. I'm still looking for everything that we do wrong, and still wondering if (each victory) was our last victory of the year. This group just relayed the message to me that they believe they are going to win games. It is a fun team to coach, because they still know that they have weaknesses and they need to work on things, but this is a confident team right now."
"I challenged Liz Honegger as much as I have all year (during timeouts). She seemed a little sluggish, and she missed some layups that she normally would make. But, despite those misses, she had 16 points and 14 rebounds. She just kept plugging away, and is such a big factor. She played a whale of a game."
(On the Falcons' responding to Ohio's second-half run that cut the lead to 11 points)
"We are maturing, we are growing as a program, and clock management is part of that. We have rarely been in that position. Over the last two years, we have never been in a position where the clock, and no longer the opponent, is our enemy. We talked in the last few timeouts about playing smart basketball, using the shot clock and wearing them down."
"And, we did not get a lot of points off the bench, but they spelled us in big spurts, and they never let OU have a big run at us. When they did try to make a run, we got some big stops and made some key baskets to end that run."
"Any road win in the MAC is a big win. The better teams in the MAC find ways to win on the road. The teams in the upper echelon of the standings are those that can steal some wins away from home. With every win, we are getting closer to our goal of hosting a first-round game in the MAC Tournament. We have a very legitimate shot, now, of finishing in the top-eight. This team is fun to watch, and we hope the fans keep coming out and watching us."
