North Carolina State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes
3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2005
No. 19 NC State 69, Clemson 45
February 28, 2005
Reynolds Coliseum - Raleigh, N.C.
Coach Kay Yow
"Tonight was a game of two halves. The first half, both teams played really poorly on offense. In the second half our defense got going and that really sparked our offense. Everybody knows that our defense is our bread and butter. Once it picked up, the offense came along with it."
"I sensed in practice yesterday that the team just wasn't up like they usually are. I think it was because the ACC tournament seeds are already in place and this game didn't have any effect on that. At halftime tonight we talked about how important this game is, especially as far as which NCAA tournament seed we might pick up. I think the team realized they had worked too hard all season to let things slip away at the very end."
"Our trapping defenses changed the game. We knew we had to make a switch in the second half because the tempo was too reminiscent of the first half and the game wasn't changing. We realized that if we changed the tempo we could get things going, so we switched our defense and everything started to click."
Senior Kendra Bell #30
"I don't think we started off nervous, but our intensity wasn't in place. We got it back in the second half and really started playing well on both ends of the court."
"Going into the season we knew we had a good team with a lot of potential. Our success this year isn't really that much of a surprise to any of us."
Sophomore Marquetta Dickens #12
"We were running our defenses and I tried to be as sneaky as I could be. I was cutting into the passing lanes and I just kept picking off the ball and taking it to the basket."
Coach Jim Davis
"We didn't handle the pressure from the full court defense well * it stymied us. When they turn up the heat, we have got to be more aggressive. Even when we reversed the ball and were on offense we weren't in attack mode. That made their pressure even more effective and it snowballs. It's harder to defend ninety-four feet than it is just the scoring area."
"It's been a hard season. We have been right there in the last eight to ten games. Even at Duke, where we were down five points with seven minutes left. It's been like that all of February. I keep telling the girls we really are just that close. We are having to rely on so many new players and no one has emerged as a leader. We desperately need a go-to player who can get us a bucket when we need it."
"I absolutely hate to lose. I'm not very pleasant to be around, and my players and coaches don't like me. It's hard on the girls as well- not just me. Those kids hurt really bad, and they aren't used to losing. I just feel like I haven't managed the season as well as I should have."
