George Washington University Athletics
Dayton Post-Game Quotes
1/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
#16/13 GW 81
Dayton 73
Post-Game Quotes
GW Coach Joe McKeown
Opening Statement
"It was a conference game that you have to grind out. We got up 14 and Dayton came right back and banged three's at us. We couldn't get enough stops on defense to where we could keep that double-digit lead."
Can you take credit for stopping Dayton's momentum at the end, or did GW get lucky that they ran out of time?
"I felt like we were going to make enough plays to win the game...If we could take away their three's in the last minutes--even if they were scoring inside a little bit--that we were going to win the game. We did a good job matching up with their shooters at the end. And Jess and Jazmine, when they get the ball deep, are tough to handle."
Can you describe what was going on after the technical foul?
"It was a physical game, and I couldn't really tell what happened. So I had to trust what the referee said. Until you watch the film, you can't tell what happened. I just wanted to get the game under control to where it was physical, but well-played, especially by us."
Are you considered about the limited number of minutes from your bench?
"I am. Jamila Bates, Lisa Steele and Erica Rivera all played tonight, but for us to be a championship team, we need to get some offensive firepower off the bench, and not just defense and rebounding. We've gotten it sporadically over the course of the season, but not enough. Some of those guys have to step up, and we have to give them opportunities. It's a two-way street, and I need to stick with them longer too."
A month away from March, are you satisfied with where the team is?
"I felt good Saturday because we played great defense against Charlotte. Tonight, I was really disappointed in our transition defense. We left Dayton open a lot, and when we recovered, we had people in the wrong places. That's something we're going to have to clean up if we have any aspirations of playing deep into March."
On the increasing strength of the A-10
"Teams that are coming into our league are committed to basketball, and they're challenging the traditional powers like us. We were a solid league last year, but I can't tell if we're a better league this season. Teams are going out and playing national schedules, and that's really created much more awareness of the league. The bottom line is how our teams play in the NCAA Tournament."
Senior guard Kimberly Beck
On Dayton's three-point shooting
"They're a different kind of team. When you run back on transition, you expect people to fill the paint. They have so many great shooters that they filled to the outside, which gave us problems finding them. That's why they made a lot of wide-open three's. That's what kept the game close. We need to work on our transition defense. That was very evident tonight."
Do you feel confident that you can win these close games?
"That's what's so great about having so many veterans on this team. We don't get rattled. We've dropped some games that we thought we could've won and should've played better. We attack it in practice and move on. We have great confidence, and as long as we play like that, we're fine for the rest of the season."
You've been playing a lot of close conference games. What does this say about the strength of the A-10?
"This league doesn't always get a lot of respect. But this year, with Charlotte and Xavier and Temple and even Dayton, everybody's working hard and trying to make a name for themselves for the tournament. That's evident every night we play. Everyone's getting upsets, and everyone's coming to play because they know you have to make a name for yourself in the A-10 if you want to get to the tournament.
Senior guard Sarah-Jo Lawrence
You built a 14-point lead in the 2nd half before things slowed down.
"We wanted to take time off the shot clock. They had been making a lot of quick shots, so we wanted to slow down the pace....They kept making tough shots, and we didn't contest a lot of their three-point shots."
What did the three at the end of the first half do for your confidence?
"It made us come out and play harder because we had a lead. We had been trading buckets in the first half. Coming into the 2nd half up three and capitalizing on it was a good thing. The second half turned out to be pretty hard."
Junior center Jessica Adair
On the physical play down low
"It's something that I'm used to being a post player. I know that if I have to play post, I have to play hard. I just have to get used to it and not take it so personally. But basketball is definitely a tough game."
