March 10, 2010
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
LAS VEGAS - Postgame quotes from the San Diego State-Wyoming Mountain West Conference women's basketball game.
San Diego State Postgame Quotes
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by San Diego State head Coach Burns and student athletes. We'll start by taking an opening comment about the game from Coach Burns.
COACH BURNS: Well, I think first and most importantly in March it's about, you know, checking off the box and surviving and advance. So we're thrilled to be in this position. Wyoming is a very good team. They have five three point shooters on the floor at all times, run great offense. I think that going into the game that's your biggest concern, you expend an awful lot of energy. As you saw, they have a couple of people who do a great job on the O glass, which we didn't get figured out much till about the last 10 minutes of game.
Anytime we value our possessions and keep our turnovers low, I think we have pretty good weapons and we can be successful. I think that was the key to tonight's game. When we took our opportunities, we were able to score. It was a funny game in that we were able to maintain the lead, albeit by one or two points, the majority of the game. It was just a back and forth kind of battle that I think you expect in March.
I'm thrilled our entire team was able to contribute and gain confidence as we head forward toward BYU.
THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for the student athletes.
Q. Jessika, were you seeing anything different from Carlson? I know you had trouble with her the first couple of games. Were you trying to do anything different this time or letting her get her points and stop everybody else?
Jessika Bradley: Uhm, I think that our outlook was just change our feet a little bit. We wanted to limit her touches. Personally, I just took it personal to make sure that I did whatever I could to get around, do whatever I can to eliminate her from the offense. Keep her out, because I know she's a big role in what they do.
So if I can keep her from touching the basketball, she facilitates, she finishes well around the basket, that we had a chance, so...
Q. You've been here before. How much does that weigh into March when you've done it before?
Quenese Davis: It's kind of like muscle memory. We know we've been here. We know that we have one goal in mind, that's to cut down the nets at the end of this tournament. If we keep sticking to our game plan, doing what we do, we'll be successful.
Jessika Bradley: What Q said (laughter). I haven't really been here before. But the older players, Jené and Q, I kind of have a little spot in my heart for them because I know they want to get this tournament before they leave. For my team, especially my team, Q, Spin and Kim.
Q. Jessika, a little bit more about your matchup with Hillary Carlson. I know you faced a number of bigs down low. Where does she compare to the other opponents you've seen in this league that you faced up against?
Jessika Bradley: She's a really great player. She is deceptively strong. She has a thin frame, but she's really strong. She steals really well. Like I said, she's a finesse player, so she finishes really well around the basket. You can knock her off the block, but she still finds a way to finish. Those head fakes, man. She's a really good player. She's probably one of the best that I've guarded in this league so far.
THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student athletes. We'll open it up to questions for Coach Burns.
Q. Coach, do you think it's good to start a tournament like this with a really tough game?
COACH BURNS: I thought you were going to say, Start with a win. I was definitely going to agree with you that starting with a win is the best way to start a tournament.
Q. But a real close game, especially when you're going up against BYU and possibly TCU.
COACH BURNS: I said to our team in the locker room, if you saw any of the game in front of ours, this is a pretty good quarterfinal day when you look at Utah, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming. I thought anybody that played today can win the tournament. I mean, this was no you know, it's a 3 6, a one game differential and everyone is split with each other. We knew it was a huge game.
Does that advantage or disadvantage? I don't know. I've only done this format one time. I sat where BYU sat. And it was strange. It was like, Hey, they started, we're still in San Diego. It's a different kind of deal.
With our day off, it makes it not that big of a deal. We're off tomorrow. We prepare. We get ready for BYU on Friday afternoon.
Q. Do you coach any different in March than you do the rest of the year?
COACH BURNS: Yeah, I think so. Because you're done. You know, if you're not successful, you've got to use everything, try everything, do everything. I would kind of echo talking about what J.B. did with Hillary Carlson. Our game plan going in was one way, but I thought our pressure was so good that we decided to use her more as a helper. Like if four people couldn't score and we could get her off the glass, and that was just an example of I don't know that I would do that during the season, but just the way the game was going, it was like J.B., deny touches strong side, but then don't let anybody else get to the rim. I thought she did a good job adjusting to that.
It's like any coaching job, you have to feel what you're doing. You know, I do think you coach a little bit different.
Q. About the rebounding, are you concerned about your offensive rebounding?
COACH BURNS: I was concerned October 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th. I could tell you I hope we rebound. I learned a long time ago that hope is not a strategy. So we are what we are. I think that it's something, trust me, I bet you believe we've worked on it some, talked about it a tad, watched a film on it.
Credit to them for going at it and getting after the basketball. I think some of it might come from we have a tighter rotation, our minutes are a little bit limited, it's that much more energy after you guard. But that's an excuse.
Could I be concerned? Yeah, but all we can do is do our best. At this point in time, you just got to do the best you can.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH BURNS: Thanks, everybody.
Wyoming Postgame Quotes
MODERATOR: We have Wyoming head coach Legerski and student athletes. We'll start by taking an opening comment from Coach Legerski about the game tonight.
COACH LEGERSKI: Well, I think what we witnessed tonight was a tremendous basketball game. Both teams came out and competed for 40 minutes. Every possession mattered. I thought at times San Diego State stepped up probably in the last three and a half minutes, made some big stops. We had our chances.
With the experience of competing against San Diego State, I think it's a basketball game we'll learn from. It felt like playing the No. 1 seed out there. I think San Diego State creates so many problems for you on the perimeter, on the inside. I'm just so proud of my team that, you know, we got off to a shaky start and then we came back and closed down the half down, too, still had a chance with a possession about three and a half minutes to go.
I thought Hillary Carlson was just huge tonight. Literally kept us in the basketball game. Had 17 at half, 25 total, 8 offensive rebounds, played 39 minutes. I tried to give her a break. But yet when she's carrying the load tonight, it was very important to keep her in the basketball game.
I thought the heart showed tonight, Aubrey Vandiver had eight rebounds offensively. It gave us an opportunity when you're shooting 22%, a credit to San Diego State's defense, yet we just kept fighting and finding ways to just stay in the basketball game.
THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll take questions for the student athletes.
Q. Hillary, what was in your mind the last stretch? You took the lead, then couldn't score till the final seconds. Did they do anything in particular?
HILLARY CARLSON: I don't know. Around that time I think we had our opportunities. I had a couple free throws ahead of me. They didn't go in. Kristen had an open three that just didn't go in. Uhm, I don't know. The defense, you know, they always make it tough. Those were the shots that we needed to, uhm, you know, make the play, stay in the game. They just didn't go in for us.
Credit to San Diego State for playing good D.
Q. Aubrey, Hillary shouldered most of the load tonight. Was it just a case where the shots weren't falling for some of you other guys out there?
AUBREY VANDIVER: Yeah. But they weren't falling. I think we got good looks at the basket. For me and Emma, a couple of other people, our shots just weren't falling. I don't think we took bad shots necessarily. They weren't going in. Hill stepped in and helped out a lot.
Q. Such a big game like this. You want to win. What does that say to you, what you were able to do? This was one of your biggest games on a big stage. Does that mean anything to you at this point?
HILLARY CARLSON: Uhm, it does mean a lot. But at the end we still lost the game. That means more, you know. Uhm, I guess I just know in the future I can try to step up in a similar situation and, you know, play as good, make the plays.
But, uhm, we still lost. So I wish we would have won, you know, but...
Q. The résumé looks a little bit better than last year. What do you do between now and Monday to make sure you're not a nervous wreck?
COACH LEGERSKI: You know, I'll answer that one.
I talked to this group. I think they're deserving of a post season bid. But we're not on the committee to make that decision. Résumé at 19 11, as I told them, I've been doing this a very short time frame, seven years, and this is one of the best groups I've been associated with. They put up big numbers; 19 wins is an amazing season.
So hopefully we have a chance still to play. But I'm not gonna lose sleep over it or worry about it. That decision will be made by somebody else. As I tell them, we only worry about what we can control, and that was competing tonight, and I thought we did a great job with that.
THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student athletes and continue with questions for Coach Legerski.
Q. You've seen Hillary put up big numbers before. How big was it for her to do it on a stage like this?
COACH LEGERSKI: Well, we talked that it always is, you know, a team effort. But without Hillary tonight, this game, we don't have a chance in the last three minutes. I thought she just shouldered this group, not only scoring wise but also with her ability to go give second chances. You look at these numbers, 25, 18, 39 minutes for a post player to play in a very physical contest. She really demonstrated the caliber of player that she is and that's she's only getting better.
I'm happy I have her back for another season. But it was just an individually tremendous effort by a young person.
Q. Could a game like this be a springboard to bigger things for her as post season comes along?
COACH LEGERSKI: I think what this game does is, you heard Hillary, she's disappointed. I think she'd trade up quite a few of those points for a victory. That is probably what makes her such a tremendous player. She's a team player.
Hopefully she understands that she can go out and make a game of this each and every night, and just put everything on the line. But yet I'm gonna keep Hillary Carlson.
Q. Does this feel a little bit like déjàvu, close games where you needed somebody to step up at the end, the supporting cast, the shots weren't falling? Talk about the looks. Aubrey said you feel they got good looks.
COACH LEGERSKI: Yeah, I take a look at it. We talked coming into this. Post season play, Mountain West Conference tournament, everybody has to step up. Everybody has to make big plays. You know, unfortunately we did not have shots go down at times from players that baskets have been going.
But I take a look at it. We get 23 offensive rebounds. They were working at it. They were working extremely hard to stay into this basketball game.
I still give a great deal of credit to San Diego State. Very talented, very experienced. It was a contest all the way to the end.
Q. And do you feel like your team should be in. Do you think it will be in the WNIT?
COACH LEGERSKI: I have no idea to be honest with you. We can only do the amount on the court. Yesterday's victory was big to get us to 19. We just keep trying to plug away. There's so many good teams out there. I feel like this team is probably one of the best, 128 in the country. That's how many teams are going to be in post season play.
But yet we're going to go home and take a few days off and get back into school, then we wait and see what happens. And if it does, we'll get right back after it and be ready to play.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.
COACH LEGERSKI: Appreciate it. Thank everybody for the whole season.