Quotes: Duke 82, Miami 58

Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie

Opening Statement:
"[It was] just a great basketball game, a very physical basketball game. I just like our attack. Our attack offensively was very, very strong and defensively, once we sorted out trying number one a little bit, I think there was some great team defense. I'm really excited about how hard our team played and I love how physical these three played: Karima [Christmas], Richa [Jackson] and Haley [Peters]. They really fought out there and their stats show that, but it's because of their mindset. It was a really good game for us. Miami is an excellent team and I thought we got better tonight and that's always good."

On Richa Jackson's development:
"Well Richa's got a lot to make up for. Getting injured is a devastating thing, in particular to a first-year player who is learning everything and excited to play. I think Richa has really carried herself with a lot of heart because it's been hard. I can't speak for her, but I was able to witness and see this. And then coming back, she's been tough in practice and has kind of an attitude about her game and I think that's an important thing; you've got to bring that. It's an edge I would say and she brought that edge today. Her game wasn't perfect or anything like that, but it was a great game. She made things happen on the floor. For us, she's a terrific defender. She's a terrific offensive player and then she got some rebounding work done which we desperately, after last game and games before that, needed."

On team's rebounding efforts:
"It says a lot about the direction we're moving. We've been through a lot. We want to get a whole lot better. For Karima, that just shows Karima's game; six assists for Karima; she's a very clever player. You look down the line there and Chelsea and others and we're a very creative team. We need to take advantage of it. I think our versatility was evident tonight. We've got to be that 22 assists, strong rebounding team so that's something to build off of. I was very pleased, very pleased."

On the time out she called at 49-40:
"I was just trying to get on the team because I think we can be very, very good. We have points where we slip and [there was] a little slippage there. I wanted to talk to them and get on to them for that. There's so much Karima [Christmas] can do with her game and when she gets irritated, that's a good thing. She gets a little bit irritated and she can post up people [and] she can shoot the three. It's just a matter of refocusing. Staying on our team, if I can get that team to stay on each other, that's key. You don't want slippage. In this game of basketball at the level we play, you got to keep pouring it on. We were not. I was very pleased with the way the team responded and where we took it from there."

On Jasmine Thomas:
"Again, Jasmine is a very special player for us. To see others step up and lead and dictate and be aggressive, that only bodes well for the team. That's a great step for us because we need to rely each other and we need to deliver and we also need to, no matter what, under any circumstances. Jas got in foul trouble and had to sit a lot in the first half and I think that might have disrupted some things for her, but she still played really hard and did a bunch of nice things, four steals, etc. For the others, you got to be that kind of team. You've got to be completely resilient, no matter what's going on. You've got to have that resiliency and I think that was very clear tonight that we did."

On the team's versatility:
"I love it. I love working with this team. I just think that our thing is to pressure ourselves to get to our best games when we want them. To take big steps now and really pour it on. Again, I think we've seen everything, I think we've been through everything and it's our job to remember that every single game and drive forward. But as a coach it's a pleasure and an honor; it's great to coach this team and have versatility and mix-and-match."

On Miami's defensive plan:
"They played us pretty much the way Connecticut played us. People try and press us a little bit so we don't get up in the quarter court. I think the bigger key was what we did. Everyone said it best, 'our game.' We dictated our game. A lot of what Miami did was very similar to what Connecticut did, relative to pressing and falling back in their defense. Our team was just totally different. Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do."

Miami Head Coach Katie Meier

Opening statement:
"This was a game of who could respond better. I think Duke's response coming off their last performance was impressive and they put us in a position where we were forced to respond to their runs, and we didn't. I'm really disappointed not necessarily in the outcome. I think this was a tough trap game for anyone coming into Cameron Indoor after knowing that Duke was going to be on their A game. But I just, we were so flat and hesitant. We have so many areas of weakness that we have to cover up, that the one thing that cannot be missing in a Miami basketball game is scrappiness and hustle and determination. And I didn't see it tonight. And I am extremely disappointed that we didn't play with more effort. And that has everything to do with Duke's size, I'm sure. It's easy to watch film but it's a lot harder to go out there any play and try to score around them and over them. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it, and then their defense. But my huddles weren't even what I'm used to seeing with my kids. And so we've got to get together and really fix that because I love this team and I love their mentality. And tonight I really just, I missed them. I just didn't see them as I've seen them all season."

On Duke's depth:
"Obviously, the depth. I mean we went, they went to their bench and they were fine, and we went to our bench and really struggled. So obviously that's a big part of it. I ask a lot out of my starters, and it's no secret. I think when we went, our two post players went into foul trouble of course. But that's something we have to manage. I mean, people are going to do that to us and we have to manage it, but I thought Duke's bench was phenomenal tonight, just phenomenal."

On the combinations of players both teams pulled out:
"Yeah I mean at a certain point in the game my focus went off of Duke. It was just totally on Miami. I mean, I was playing lineups that, forget Duke's lineups, I was playing lineups I haven't had to play all season long in ACC basketball games. I looked out there and said 'okay, this lineup has never been together, and now they're together in Cameron Indoor Stadium.' Like in a hostile environment. So that was a struggle for us too. And I'm really hard on my kids. I'm not a soft coach. I don't just say 'you're okay, you're alright.' I go right at them and I went right at them, at my bench in the locker room, because we called on them and they didn't respond."

On the lessons Miami will take from this game:
"Oh yeah, and I mean that's the ACC. That's, to me, why you want to be in the ACC. I don't look at that stretch and go 'oh no.' I look at it like great. And that's why you come to Miami. But you know, if we don't play hungry, if we don't play hungry, then we're not going to have a shot in any game remaining on our schedule no matter who it is, if we don't play hungry. And that's going to be, we've got to get the loose balls. It's really odd. I mean we usually are first to a loose ball tonight. And if we're not going to get the rebound, we always talk about bringing the game to the ground. We have to bring the game to the ground and then we have to go get it. That's a big key to our success. And that's going to be huge in the rest, the remaining of the season."

Duke Freshman Richa Jackson

On her comfort level on the floor after a difficult start to the year:
"Yeah, in the beginning it was rough; I was going through some stuff. I just tried to stay in there and stay hard, fight, come out with a lot of heart and it's been paying off lately."

Duke Freshmen Haley Peters

On refocusing after the loss at Connecticut:
"I thought it was a really good step. I mean we got punched in the face whatever day that was, and it was embarrassing. Today we took a good step. We need to just keep working because we can get better from this. I mean, it felt good to play well but we can still get better."

Duke Karima Christmas

On refocusing after the loss at Connecticut:
"I think you just got to move on to the next game. I mean, yeah, it was a bad game and we didn't perform the way we wanted to, but we knew that it was back to conference play and we had to send another message to another team in our conference so we just wanted to execute."

On finding her rhythm:
"Just being patient and letting the game come to me. I've been struggling but I don't try to let it keep me down. I just came out here and tried to attack and try to do things I need to do for us to win."

On what is important for the team moving forward:
"Just being focused. Just being able to push through a week of games where every game is tough and every player on each team is going to be a challenge. Next game we have a talented crew down the road but we have to be focused, come out with the same mentality we had today, and just execute, pass the ball, get rebounds and just focus on the things that we have to do as a team."

Miami Junior Riquna Williams

On facing Duke's defense:
"Just long. Took away a lot of our vision. I mean, just a lot of pressure. Nothing like I have seen. I mean Georgia Tech did pretty good, but even longer."

On the flatness of Miami's emotions:
"Yeah I agree with her [coach Meier]. We need our bench players to step up and give us more. Like when the starters can't get it done. Like we need somebody to step up and play a role and to help us out. Because we really needed them tonight and nobody came through. I really did [run out of energy in the second half]."