North Carolina State University Athletics
Postgame Quotes
11/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2003
Coaches Quotes
NC State Head Coach Kay Yow
"I'm really pleased with the effort our team gave today. It is a loss but it is a different loss than the type we had last year in this event. Our team really battled today. I believe these players can get it done. We have great leadership from our seniors. We had good shots, but some of them just didn't go down. The front line of our team did a great job. Jamie Carey really took over for them when their team needed it."
"Our freshmen have tremendous upsides to them including Marquetta Dickens. I think she really learned a valuable lesson out there today about her defense. She's a great kid and she really wants to do a great job for us. She has to get solid on her defense because we need her on offense. We need all of our freshmen to play this year. I've told them they have got to grow up fast. We have to work on tightening up their skills on both ends of the floor."
"I really feel that we played well enough defensively to win this game today. I think we just have to improve offensively and we will win a lot of games."
"I really liked how the game was called today. It had an NCAA tournament feel to it. I think it gave both teams a lot of things physically which reflect the changes that are occurring in women's basketball."
Texas Head Coach Jody Conradt
"First of all we feel privileged to have been selected to play in this game. Certainly all of us are touched by all of the work that the Jimmy V Foundation does. That was something that was on all our minds as we came into this game. The hospitality has been great."
"I thought that this game was going to be a very competitive game and I think I was right. We weren't exactly a well-oiled machine on offense, but when the game is on the line we had people step up and make plays. Jamie Carey is the player who has consistently done that for us. She is the person who leads the charge and is going to be strong for us down the stretch. This game was sloppy and there were so many things that I did not think we did well, but when you beat a team who played as hard a North Carolina State did, it's an accomplishment."
"Kaayla Chones is very good and she is hard to handle. I thought that their team played with a lot of heart, fire and determination. They were more aggressive than we were on the boards. I thought that we were fortunate to get out of here with a win."
NC State Players
Kaayla Chones (Senior Center)
On the difference between today's game and the Connecticut game in the Jimmy V Classis last season:
"We are a totally different team this year. We have a lot of depth, and everyone is coming along in their game. Compared to last year, we are a completely different team."
On the first five minutes in the second half:
"We knew they were going to come out tough in the second half. We just had to take it to them like they were going to take it to us."
Nanna Rivers (Senior Guard)
On if there was frustration not being able to come closer than four points:
"I won't say that it was frustrating, we had some costly turnovers that we shouldn't have made."
Texas Players
Jamie Carey (Senior Guard)
On what the team was planning for defending Kaayla Chones:
"Before the game, we knew [Kaayla] Chones was strong on the inside, but we knew she didn't really have a weakness. We knew we were going to have to be strong and smart on the post. Our plan was to dig in from the guard to help out the post. To be the most effective we we're going to have to have a complete team effort."
On being 10-of-14 in the game:
"I think a lot of it was my teammates being in position, giving me the ball when I was open. We had to penetrate in this game, and my shots were just falling today."
On the shooting background:
"I don't really notice the setting very much. We were in a Final Four setting last season and that helped us a bit, but I don't notice it. "
On drive when NC State was only in a four point deficit:
"I remember looking up at the score board and noticed we were only up by four. I knew we had to step it up. Nina [Norman] did a great job pushing the ball to me. At this point, our game management was a key part in our success, it wasn't just me."
Stacy Stephens (Senior Forward/Center)
On her injury:
"It was a stiff day. That's what I like to call it. I don't really know what was causing it, maybe it was the cold. It was just a stiff day; it happens a lot, so I just have to get used to it."
