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Women's Basketball
vs #16 Baylor
Postgame Quotes: Duke 77, N.C. State 57
1/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Gail Goestenkors
Opening Statement:
“I'm just really pleased overall with the team effort. We knew N.C. State was going to be a tough opponent for us. We felt like they were probably a little angry coming off that [North] Carolina lost. They have outstanding players and posed some difficulties because their perimeter players are all very athletic. They can shoot the three and they can penetrate, so they're very tough to defend because you can't take one thing away from them. And then they've got just an exceptional post game, I think similar to ours in that they can rotate several players in and they all give you a little different look. I thought we had our hands full, especially with their post game. In the first half, [Gillian] Goring, that's the best I've seen her play and the most aggressive I've seen her play. I thought she did just a tremendous job for them with the other two post players in foul trouble. But I thought we wore them down a little bit in the second half, so I'm just really proud of the team and the way they responded to a quality opponent.”
On Monique Currie:
“She's obviously a phenomenal player, but she draws so much attention that it helps our other players as well. Almost every time she puts it on the deck she sees a double team. People are really focused on trying to stop her, which allows some other players to step up and hit shots. It's always an advantage when she's out on the floor because everyone's paying attention to her.”
On Duke's interior defense:
“That's something we're going to have to do a much better job with. We'll watch tape tomorrow and break it down and get better. I thought we were just a step slow with everything with our post defense today.”
On N.C. State's post play:
“They were really going into their post players and their posts were really, I thought, having a field day with us. And then when we doubled them, they kicked it out and that's when they hit a couple of wide open threes. We're just going to have to do a better job. We're usually pretty good defensively in the post and tonight we were not.”
On Duke's depth and the distribution of playing time:
“I think we're very comfortable with it now and I think our players are becoming much more efficient. If you look at Monique's game, she played 19 minutes and had 20 points and she was just very efficient with her minutes and I think part of it is because she's able to really to stay fresh. And I think we wear people down that way as well.”
Duke Players
Senior Monique Currie
On running the pick-and-roll at the top of the key:
“Their post player wasn't edging or helping so if their guard didn't get through the screen then I was wide open to take the shot. We noticed that in the first half and wanted to take advantage of that whenever we could.”
On playing a tough game before Tennessee:
“N.C. State is a very good team and we thought this would be a good start for us to get ready for our next game. I think we played really well and will be prepared on Monday for Tennessee.”
On if the team thought about Tennessee and North Carolina throughout January:
“We try not to look too far ahead. We had some big games coming up before those. We had to take care of B.C. (Boston College) and N.C. State first. Now the game is finally here and we can focus on the big game everyone has been talking about. We have been looking forward to it and will prepare ourselves so that we will be ready.”
Junior Lindsey Harding
On Duke's second half run when it was a four-point game:
“They went on a run. They are a great team. We had to calm down and figure out what was going to work for us so we started to work it inside, use our penetration and then we went on a run.”
On N.C. State switching point guards throughout the game:
“After watching a lot of film on them it looked like they switch a lot. Sometimes they run No. 11 (Monica Pope) and sometimes they run No. 15 (Ashley Key).”
On shutting down Billie McDowell in the second half:
“I tried not to let her touch the ball. The whole time I was trying to just follow her around and deny the ball. The only pass that was open was the backdoor but they didn't look for that so I just denied the entire second half.”
N.C. State Head Coach Kay Yow
Opening Statements:
“It's a disappointing loss for us. I think we're a better team than we showed tonight. That's not taking anything away from Duke. Duke has a really great team. I still think this is Duke's best team, the best team that they've had. I think they have a lot of pieces. They play with a lot of confidence and I think that's one of the factors with us. I just felt we didn't play with the same kind of confidence tonight.
“I think our guards really struggled handling the ball tonight. We never really got it going on the offensive end. Late in the game, Duke got a run with their fast break which hadn't happened in the first half. It's disappointing. Everybody was playing hard. It's not that they didn't give an effort, they did and I'm proud of them for the effort they gave. I think at times, it was a lot of activity with no accomplishment.
“I think we broke down tonight on a lot of little things and I take full responsibility for that. We just have to get back on the court and work on those little things because all together, they make a big difference. Hopefully, we can make some improvements in those areas and get ready because we know it's a tough schedule ahead.”
On not capitalizing on second half run:
“We made the run and had it to four but it has sort of been this way all season. Right at the point that we cut it (a lead), we have an opportunity to play great defense, have an opportunity to get the ball and that's when we have the breakdown with the small things. Instead of really soaring for a rebound with both hands, we get it with one and knock it out of bounds and they get the ball back and get another chance. On that possession, Duke scored. It's always little things like that. We're right there, ready to get it but we don't go up with both hands so we don't hold on to it and it goes out of bounds. Then we turn it over. It doesn't take many because just in a matter of a minute, we're back down by 12.”
On N.C. State's point guard situation:
“Our point guard situation is one of three people and they all played tonight. At this point, we're still waiting for one of them to really step up and take charge and just be better than the other two. It's that inconsistency. One might be better tonight but another might be better the next night.”
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Players Mentioned
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