George Washington University Athletics
GW/Coppin State Post-Game Quotes
11/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2009
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
November 19, 2009
@ GW 69
Coppin State 59
Post-Game Comments
GW Coach Mike Bozeman
Opening statement
"What you saw was an example of both our talent level and also our inexperience. When we get that all-important experience under our belt, those 14-point leads, those runs we were going on in the first half -- we'll be able to sustain them. And we'll be able to put teams away."
"I give credit to Coppin State, though. They didn't come in here to roll over. Coach Brown does a great job. He's been in the NCAA tournament with his teams several times, so they're not a slouch. They came in here to get an `upset.'"
"We went through a lull in the first half where we got comfortable, and I attribute that to our youth. That will be a challenge to our coaching staff -- to make sure we stay energized, continue to shuffle players in and out, try to keep fresh legs and keep the energy high. But the problem is the players I'm putting in are young too, so the same problems that are already out there are with the players I'm putting in. But we're going to get better with that. You'd rather learn our lessons winning than by losing, so I'll take this close win."
Was it a conscious decision to scatter your "veteran" players across the line-up?
"Exactly, I have to try and blend them in. I have to give credit to Sara Mostafa. She's a sophomore, but if you moved up in your class status according to minutes played, she's still a freshman. But she's taken on a leadership role. Her aggression is incredible for someone who came from averaging four minutes last season to something like 30 minutes now. She was in there against a young lady who was strong, to say the least. Sara is getting better and better. Her mental fortitude, despite getting tossed around at times, is a credit to her."
What are you liking about Danni Jackson's game so far?
"I like eight assists and one turnover. I don't have to say anything else. Her points are a bonus because she's so hard to guard. But eight assists and one turnover, that's an 8-to-1 ratio, and I'll take that any day of the week."
What did you tell your young team when Coppin State took the lead in the second half?
"All I could draw on was our last game against North Texas. `OK, we've been here before. Just relax.' I really felt that overall, top to bottom, we had the better talent. We just had to make a stop and put in a score. I'm not worried about scoring. My main concern is at the defensive end. If you're going to try and outscore us, I think we can hang with most teams...Once we stop you, I think we can get a bucket because we have someone capable of scoring at every position. That's something we're going to try and capitalize on for the rest of the season."
You applied a lot of full-court pressure early in the game. Will we see more of that?
"Yes. With the skill-sets we have, once we get healthy, I'll be able to do that for longer stretches. But all of our players have had to spend time off the practice court with injuries. We're covering some of that up with talent, but the future is bright. We have the ability to put a lot of pressure on the basketball, and as you saw, we're pretty good at it."
Sophomore guard Tiana Myers
You had a career high 18 points tonight. How did you feel out there?
"I felt pretty good. I just did what the coaches always tell me to do, which is pretty much keep running. I tried to be a leader out there for my fellow sophomores and freshmen."
This game was closer than last year's game against Coppin State. What made the difference?
"I believe youth played a role in a close game. We didn't execute well toward the end, especially with one-on-one moves, but that comes with learning, sticking together, running plays, and executing plays. I believe we're on the right path."
Sophomore center Sara Mostafa
Your role on the team is much bigger than last year. Are you settling in well?
"It's definitely a big change, but I've been working hard in the off-season and all of the pre-season. It's good to see the change out on the court with my teammates helping me out, and with getting amazing passes from Danni [Jackson]."
Was it difficult to guard Coppin State's center, Jeanine Manley?
"At first, it took me a while to get used to what she was doing. I wasn't playing her right. It got better, once I started running what the coaches told me to do. But it was tough."
