GW/Coppin State Post-Game Quotes
11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2008
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
November 17, 2008
GW 77
Coppin State 36
Post-Game Quotes
GW Head Coach Mike Bozeman
Opening statement
"I came into this game really thinking that I was going to shorten the rotation tonight. The girls got on such a roll, I saw some opportunities to get some other players into the game...Our practices are very intense, and the players are competing for minutes. They're fighting every second to prove themselves. With that, it's going to be better for us in the long haul. Once we got on such a good roll, I saw an opportunity to work on some things, like our execution. I thought they did a great job with that compared with the first game and the exhibition game. Every time out, I want to see improvement, and I'd say we saw that tonight. I'm not satisfied, but I'm happier with how we're playing."
How did you neutralize Coppin State's inside game, which is their strength?
"Coach Brown does a great job with them every year, and he'll have them ready come March. It coincided that our strength is inside also. Not too many teams will have an advantage on us with Jessica Adair and Jazmine, who was so patient with her moves--she's tough to guard, she's so athletic. And then Ivy Abiona, who's one of the best athletes in the region, is so active down there too, so they cause problems. I'm not sure it's fair to our posts to be surprised about their dominance inside."
You were also putting on a show from the outside.
"That's because they're getting ready. I have a great, great group. I enjoy this team. We can sit around and watch basketball, and they're like sponges; they want to learn. It's fun for me to go to practice, it's fun for our coaching staff because they make me want to work harder for them."
What have you done in practice to nurture the chemistry across so many different line-ups?
"We're doing a lot of teaching. It's almost like the expectation in practice is so high. If you want playing time, you want to out-execute the people who are in your position. It's a friendly competition, it's almost like a sibling rivalry. They're cheering for each other; there's no animosity or jealousy going on. It's a testament to the leadership of our seniors. They want this kind of family atmosphere. That's what I wanted when we started; I didn't realize they were going to buy into it so soon."
"It's a luxury to have someone like Lisa Steele, a fifth-year senior with so much experience, come off the bench. She encourages those girls, she helps them out at practice. It's truly a pleasure to coach girls with these kinds of attitudes. It makes my job easier, but we've got some tough games coming up. We don't have a lot of big names, but we have a group that's skilled and wants to work together. This group has the potential to do some special things."
Are you confident these girls can go up against Auburn, Tennessee, and the other tough opponents?
"I'm confident that we'll compete. I don't think they'll back down, out of fear that somebody behind them will take their spot. These guys are going to answer the call."
What did you learn from tonight's game?
"I learned that they're actually listening a lot more than I thought because their execution was better. Stefani Munro is really establishing herself, she's carving out her niche in that point guard position. I was really impressed with her control of the game. With me resting Erica [Rivera], Kayla Miller--she sees the floor better than anybody else on the team. These guys are stepping up, and that's what we need. I need them to get confidence because we're going to get punched in the mouth a few times on this road trip. I need them to believe that they'll support themselves out there, and that'll be a good thing."
Senior forward/guard Antelia Parrish
What do you as a senior get from a game like this?
"It makes me very comfortable and confident. Everybody who came off the bench is a threat, and everybody contributed some positive things."
How does that differ from last year when the team had a smaller rotation?
"This year, anybody can start, anybody can play. It's encouraging to know when you come out of the game, somebody else is coming in and can step up."
How did you neutralize Coppin State's inside game, which is their strength?
"We have some big time posts--Ivy [Abiona], Jazmine and Jessica [Adair]. That let's us to go inside out first and give our shooters a chance."
Coach Bozeman has said he wants you to be more selfish. Did you do anything today because of that?
"I'm used to hearing that from him. I just wanted to come out aggressive, something I didn't do in the last game until the second half. So I wanted to be aggressive, especially on offense, early in this game."
Freshman guard Kay-Kay Allums
You seem very comfortable out there for just your second college game.
"It's not like high school, but it's easier than practice, because we run up and down and do a lot of drills. It's very intense. That makes it easier for me when I'm in games."
