Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU-Kansas State Quotes
March 20, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 19, 2005
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SEATTLE, Wash. - Quoting the players and coaches after Bowling Green's 70-60 loss to Kansas State University Saturday evening (March 19) in the first round of the NCAA Championships...
BGSU HEAD COACH CURT MILLER
"I am proud of our team tonight. We accomplished a lot of the game plan that we set out to do against Kansas State. I was disappointed with the loss because I think we are capable of making some big shots, as we have proven over the course of the season. We had a tough night on the foul line as well, but some of those things we have to credit to Kansas State. Hats off to Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn, as they scored 26 points in the second half between them, almost outscoring us by themselves. Big-time players step up in big-time moments, but I am proud of our kids. We are a very young team, and we realize that we missed our opportunity to pull off a nationally-televised win, but overall, I could not be more proud or more pleased with our team this season."
(On taking the ball inside)
"I think that a statistic for us is points in the paint, and I think that it comes to us in a variety of ways, depending upon how we play. We really tried to stay aggressive off the dribble, to get points that way. They were doubling down on our post, so we needed to go at them. The second option was the fact that Kendra Wecker was in foul trouble. Huddle after huddle, we were pleading to our kids to go at Kendra Wecker because she is such an important part of their program. Points in the paint is always an important statistic, and it is always a part of our game plan."
(On the late stages of the game)
"Wecker made tough shot after tough shot in the second half. We played her about as tight as we could, but we worked our tails off to try and stop her and Laurie Koehn. In my opinion, the play of the game was when we got to the foul line off the dribble at the 7:47 mark. We had an opportunity to go to the foul line for a one-and-one with Kate Achter, who is a tremendous foul shooter. We had the ability to turn it into a one-point game with under eight minutes to go, but we missed the front end of that one-and-one, Laurie Koehn hit the three on the next possession, and suddenly it is a six-point game. In my opinion, that is a five-point swing. We could have been down one to Kansas State, and now they start feeling some pressure, but instead it was a six-point game, so that was a big play."
"I wish that I could have coached a better game and figured out why we missed some of our foul shots. To our credit, we didn't go away, because we still battled back after Koehn's big three. After we missed free throws it seemed like they would go down and hit a big shot, so right there that stops you from getting over the hump. We kept climbing up the mountain and we missed four foul shots down the stretch, and we just never recovered from that. It was a golden opportunity and they took advantage of that down the stretch when we missed some foul shots."
(On the Falcons' free-throw struggles)
"I don't know what it was that kept us from making foul shots tonight. I would put my team in a foul-shooting contest with just about anyone in the country, because I am really confident when we go to the foul line. The moment has something to do with that, and we just had some unlucky breaks at times. We had some shots go in and out, and one of the good things about our youthful team is that they don't know if they are supposed to be scared or not. You wonder if, for the first time all year, they looked at the stage that they were on and saw the opportunity, making that foul shot just a little bit harder."
BGSU SOPHOMORE ALI MANN
(On playing against Kansas State's post players)
"It was a very physical game down low. They had excellent shots, obviously. We missed a lot of shots, and most of that was due to their physicality. They are a great team."
(You seemed to have a smile on your face nearly the entire game)
"This was a great opportunity to come out here to Seattle and play on national television at the NCAA Tournament. There's not a better setting, so we went out there wanting to work hard and have fun at the same time. I tried to keep it light on the court. We were in the game the whole time, so there's no need to get down. I missed a lot of shots, but it helps to have a smile on your face and just keep working."
(What were you thinking when your team was within three points at the eight-minute media timeout?)
"Well, I think that's when my smile was the biggest. Looking up at the clock thinking, `We can really pull this off.' After the timeout, I gathered everyone and said, `This is what it's all about right here.' Their two big players, Kendra Wecker and Laurie Koehn, just stepped up and took it to us. They played great down the stretch."
(On guarding Wecker)
"She hit some very tough shots. It's great to play against an All-American like that, one of the best players in the nation. It was a great opportunity; she showed me some moves. I guess I'll have to go back to the gym and work on some of those moves."
BGSU SOPHOMORE LIZ HONEGGER
"At the beginning of the year when we played Ohio State, we got blown out against a great team. Then we played New Mexico and they were pretty good, but we played with them for a half. Tonight, just sticking with them (Kansas State) and being up at halftime, then playing the whole game pretty much right with them; I think it shows how much we really did improve throughout the year. I am just really proud of that."
(On the future of the team)
"We are really young, obviously. We return all of our starters (next year), and Ali and I and the sophomore class have a great opportunity the next few years. We are going to have our work cut out for us next year, as there will be a lot of people who will want us, but it is just a great opportunity for us."
KANSAS STATE COACH DEB PATTERSON
"I was extremely pleased with the improvement we made competitively in the second half. Bowling Green played very aggressive, and had a real attack mentality all night long. I'm not sure we met that intensity that they brought in the first half, but in the second half I thought we became more committed to execution, grinding it out and limiting a few things on the defensive end that we thought were important. All in all, it was a good first-round victory against a team that played extremely inspired, hard and well."
