Postgame Quotes
Feb. 20, 2009
Virginia Head Coach Debbie Ryan
Opening Statement
“I felt like I was coaching an alien team for the first half. That’s exactly how I felt. I felt like we left Raleigh and started the exact same game here in Charlottesville. I was amazed because we spent so much time working on the things we worked on and we just got ourselves into a funk and couldn’t get out, and then we finally had a little run at the end of the half to get us down by just five. Then in the second half, w started off strong and within a couple of possessions, they pushed it back up to like eight or nine, and we really had to fight to get back. Once we got back, we couldn’t seem to get a stranglehold on anything, we just couldn’t get solid out there defensively. We went from a match up zone to man-to-man and once we got to man-to-man, I just had Britnee Millner try to deny (Shenise) Johnson the ball. That’s really the way we came back.”
On the significance of this win for the program:
“We found a way to win. When we got it into overtime, I think we really showed what we can do. We showed a lot of character tonight. Britnee Millner is really hurt. She got whip-lashed in practice the other day, and couldn’t practice yesterday. She’s really struggling and Lyndra is still struggling with that ankle.”
On coming off the NC State game:
“You have to learn to keep each game as its own entity. One game cannot affect the next game, and you can’t allow your players or yourself to believe that and step into that. I don’t believe in teams going down the drain or teams gaining momentum. I believe you determine that every night you come out with the energy you come out with. We did not come out with a lot of energy tonight. We came out a little bit flat.”
Virginia Guard/Forward Lyndra Littles
On the “no look heave” to tie the game:
“Sometimes you are just in the gym and just throwing shots up – the clock was winding down. I was looking to get the foul, and at the same time, I put the ball up. It just banked off and went.”
Virginia Guard Monica Wright
On responding after the first half:
“I feel like this win was definitely a good thing, coming off two losses. We needed this for fueling us for the rest of the season. The beginning of the game, Miami was phenomenal, if they play like that for the rest of the season, they are going to have some more upsets.”
Virginia Guard Ariana Moorer
On having older players as mentors:
“It always helps to have older players share their experiences with you and you just take it and run with it… When I got in today, I didn’t think. Coach told me not to think, just play. That’s what I did today.”
Miami Head Coach Katie Meier
Opening Statement
“Obviously we came here hungry for the win and planning on it. We really were very focused, and we felt like we had some really good match-ups. I am so deeply touched by my team’s effort and so incredibly proud of them. I have a hurt locker room right now, and I need to be there for them because these kids are special and they played their tails off through a lot of adversity. I need to rally them because we are one team in the ACC that feels like we are just getting better every day. It’s unfortunate because this could have been a really incredibly uplifting win for us. We had 40 minutes of fantastic basketball and we are still going to find a way to get uplifted by this performance. I am sitting here surrounded by greatness and I’m very proud to be here, but very disappointed in the outcome.”
On Lyndra Littles’ game-tying shot
“She hit the shot and it was an amazing shot, and I do want to give her credit. She kept them in it in the first half just by getting herself to the free-throw line. Otherwise I think we would have had a much bigger lead. She played a heck of a ball game.”
On the game in general and Virginia Coach Debbie Ryan
“It was just a great basketball game. It really was. You didn’t see anyone blow it. It was just a matter of players making plays, and I think the people got their money’s worth. Coach Ryan is obviously someone I really admire. I have so much respect for and a long history with her. She recruited me in high school. She’s so experienced and kept her team in it when they weren’t shooting well.”
Miami Guard Shenise Johnson
On the game
“I just want to say I had fun. It is fun being in the ACC. That’s why I came here. There are always nerves, but I just said `I need to hit them for Miami,’ so that is what I did. We tried to clog up the middle to stop Monica Wright and Lyndra Littles and that is what we did. We executed our team defense really well.”
Miami Guard LaToya Cunningham
On Lyndra Littles’ game-tying shot
“She pretty much heaved it, and I was just shocked. I’m still shocked that she made the shot. I just don’t have any words for it. I’ve never made a shot like that.”
