Bowling Green State University Athletics
Miller Meets with Media
January 09, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, 10-2 overall and 1-0 in Mid-American Conference play, takes to the road for a Tuesday (Jan. 10) matchup with the University at Buffalo (6-6, 1-0 MAC). On Monday, Falcon head coach Curt Miller met with the media before the team bus left for Buffalo ...
(Can you comment on the play of the freshmen to date?)
"Heading into conference play, I'm pleased with where our freshmen are at. They've given us good production throughout the year. Lindsey Goldsberry has been very steady at the off-guard position off the bench for us. Jazz McCall gives us our truest backup point guard that we've had in five years. She missed some shots she's capable of making against Akron, and she was really disappointed with her play, but we're pleased with our freshmen. And, we're really happy to have Jess McKenzie back on the floor, after an extended injury that happened just prior to the start of the season. She's got to get some of that rust off, unlike the others who were able to get some of their nerves out right away. She's going to have to get some of her rust and nerves out of her system in conference play. I don't think you'll see Jess McKenzie playing her best basketball until later in January, but I do believe, before the year is out, she will have a huge impact for us."
(Obviously, you try to get a playing rotation going during non-conference play. How does the return of McKenzie affect your rotation?)
"When you're winning, you always think about disrupting the chemistry that you've got going. But, it's easier to add players than to take players out of the rotation, I believe. I think Jess will make a smooth transition in there. Amber Flynn still deserves minutes at both the 4 and 5 positions, and will be the first post off the bench in the near future. But, Jess is a true backup 4, in the sense that she can go by you off the dribble, she can play in and out, and we're grooming her to be, somewhere down the line, Ali Mann's replacement. Jess is healthier now; she's just got to gain some confidence and be able to listen to her body as she fully recuperates from that injury."
(Can you explain Ali Mann scoring 1,000 points in college after not doing so in high school? Is she a late bloomer, or did she perhaps not need to be a scorer on her high-school team?)
"Ali Mann is an unbelievable story for us. She wasn't highly recruited out of high school; a lot of people questioned if she had the foot speed to play the 3, and they wondered if she was tough enough and physical enough to play the 4. She has been exactly what we were looking for in our program, for the power forward position -- a player that has perimeter skills, but is tough enough to play inside in our conference. We were very fortunate, and she has really continued to develop once she got here. Ali has gotten herself into the best physical condition of her career. Even from last year to this year, her conditioning level is much higher, and it makes her much more dangerous. I'm not sure where this program would be without Ali Mann. She's certainly our leader, our go-to player, and she's making a bid here, early in the year, to be a MAC Player-of-the-Year candidate. Statistics speak volumes here; she is one of only six people in BGSU history to score 1,000 points by her junior year, and that's in a program that has a storied tradition."
(What do you know about Buffalo heading into Tuesday's game?)
"Well, Buffalo has certainly gained attention by winning on the road as much as they have early in the season. They started out conference play with a great road win at Miami, and they're 6-6 after winning four games all last year. So, the first thing that you must talk about is the new coaching staff, led by Linda Hill-MacDonald, a former WNBA head coach. She has certainly brought some pride back to that program, along with an energy level, and a belief that they can win. Statistically, they have had a great year offensively, in terms of shooting the basketball. They have shot over 45 percent from the floor, with three games over 50 percent. That includes one game where they shot 69 percent, so offensively, they've been very productive and very efficient. Defensively, they're consistently holding opponents under their scoring averages, and they are doing a great job. They're a very dangerous team, it's our farthest road trip (in MAC play this season), and it's a short turnaround after Saturday's game. It's a big early game for us. As always, road wins are very important, and Buffalo already got a road win to start MAC play. Heather Turner, the MAC Freshman of the Year last year, is having a great year down low. She's shooting 64% from the field, and has got to be up there among the nation's leaders. They have two freshmen who have impacted them tremendously, and their starting five is playing as well as any starting five in the league. It's a big game for us, to find out where we are."
