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Women's Basketball
vs Countdown to Craziness
Quotes: Duke 81, Florida State 67
3/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: It's a very physical game. I really like our team's aggressiveness, and poise. And obviously, in the second half just coming together with a variety of people making very, very good plays. Abby gave us enormous lift, I love her 7 rebounds and 7 assists. And I thought Chante was a warrior throughout out the game and I thought it was very physical. And I thought she found away to convert sometimes past one and a half to two people. But mostly I liked the team rebounding. I liked the team energy. And just getting to the free throw line and being aggressive and attacking the entire game.
Q: This question is for Abby. You are saying offensively being in a little bit of a funk for about 30 minutes. You made the steal, go all the way, and suddenly you are perfect the last ten minutes. What happened?
ABBY WANER: You know, I think more than anything it was an entire team lift. You know, I guess that steal started our run, but from there everyone contributed. Jaz made that excellent hustle play and was wide open for a lay up. That is what it comes down to our teammates finding each other when we're open and when we have the ball.
Q: Coach Abby hit that long three and it seemed to change the way the game was going. What it did do for you all.
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: Abby has a great ability to shoot the basketball and exciting to see the teammate thrive in something she is good at. Any time a team member steps up whether it takes swatting a block or if it's Abby hitting a long 3. Those things are important. Because teams want their teammates to do well and it's exciting and I think that is what it's all about. It's just bringing the best out in each other and being very excited when your teammates do well. And something goes well for them and I think that the team really fed off each other and had fun doing so. And that is what this time of year is all about.
Q: Freshour hits a three pointer at the buzzer with 11:45 to go and there is a TD time out, and all of a sudden everything goes your way. Do you remember what was said in that huddle?
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: Nothing significant. I think the players at that point in time there was something said about the 3 made, but I think the players got excited and played off each other. I would say at that time it's time to make a push and I love that 12 minute push that last 10 minute push. I thought everybody was a part of that.
Q: Coach, your defensive game plan coming into the game was. I noticed they had a lot of wide open 3's with only 10 minutes left they couldn't get anything open. Did you change your defensive focus the last ten minutes?
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: We made defensive errors at times without a doubt. I think it was a team's executing defensively in that ten minutes. There was no dramatic change in defense that was the players that executing whatever we were in in that last ten minute segment making big plays executing and making big stops and that is what it's about.
Q: For Coach and also for both players, thoughts about Maryland and particularly the problems they present on the interior?
ABBY WANER: Well I have Chante Black sitting next to me, I'm not worried about the problems on the interior. I have all of the faith in the world in our post players. Maryland is a very good team and they have good post players and as well as permanent players.
CHANTE BLACK: We'll come ready to play tomorrow. So, yeah we're ready.
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: I think for me every team you play at this time of year is outstanding. It doesn't matter who you play. Everybody is good.
Q: What changed your mind-set around the last 11 or 12 minutes?
ABBY WANER: I remember one specific moment we were sitting on the bench and it was KJ, it's now or never we can't wait until the last two minutes to beat them. I said this all night. Our entire team I haven't felt something like that. We have come together this season, but that was powerful in those last like 11 minutes. We don't want to go home we're ready to play tomorrow.
CHANTE BLACK: We got energy and consecutive stops within the time frame and we're able to take over the game.
Q: I need to congratulate you on your first ACC Tournament victory and ask you how great that feels. And I want to comment on the black patch on the uniform?
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: That is a Virginia Tech black patch and maybe now for North Carolina. , And things like that when bad things happen. In terms of me, ACC is a great conference. It's a terrific tournament and it's extremely well run and it's excited to be here. And I got a big kick out of the team again in that last ten minutes. They just played together. It's at that point the coaches are just making it be about them, playing together and it was great to see. So that was a very fun exciting way to have a first victory in a tournament.
Q: Coach you seem to take a little deeper in your rotation tonight than you have been in your last few games. Was that a result of sort of the results the last few games or were you trying wear down a team that was tired?
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: A couple of things. We are trying to use everybody and wear people down. We want to wear people down. That is definitely true. They were playing zone a lot as well as man. Trying to match up you know Brit has had so much good practices hitting shots and being the leader out there that she basically has earned her way to get out there. And of course they played some zone as well. It's a combination of getting everybody the opportunity. We like to play all 11, I would like to play all 11 and almost was able to in the same point as being active defensively. It's a different night that you can play nine for sure, and 8 for sure, and 10 and 11. Well, that depends on maybe what is going on on the floor. But I thought they practiced well and Brit has done some good things and others have too. But it's pretty much what is being dictated by the game and some adjustments there.
Q: Coach, when Abby made that 3-pointer your face just brightened up and you seemed to look at her. What was going through your mind and it seemed that it was a very deep shot and you seemed to be almost shocked.
JOANNE P. McCALLIE: I was happy. Just happy. Again when you see your players do what they love, you know, I know shots do grab attention, I understand why they do, but some of the passes that Abby made were just as fabulous and bring the same emotion. That ball flipped around so fast on a couple of occasions it was fun to watch. And so I think it's when you see people do what they do, and do it well it's very motivating, and it was. Abby has worked really really hard and she has done a lot of great things this year. You know you are happy. That that is a fun thing.
Q: We have upper classmen in here. Talk about Jasmine's development with this team.
CHANTE BLACK: Jas comes in as point guard that is a tough role and I admire how she is learning how to take composure and take charge of the game. There is still times like that we saw tonight where she needs to bring the ball back out. As a player taking control of the team and getting the ball where it needs to be shows her IQ of the game and it's tremendous.
ABBY WANER: The coach said something tonight that pertains to Jasmine, and she said, you need to have a heart of a 12-year-old. That is what Jasmine has. She plays her heart out game in and game out. That is something you need. You need a little spark and pick me up and Jasmine does that for us.
Players Mentioned
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