Marquette University Athletics
UConn-Old Dominion Notes And Quotes
3/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 25, 2002
Connecticut 85, Old Dominion 64
Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma
"We played some good basketball that first 20 minutes was about as good as you can hope to play. I'm glad we did play that way but we took a little step back there in the second half. Part of that was due to Old dominion's play that half, but this is probably as proud of a Connecticut team as I've ever been in my time here. I'm really happy for them."
"They're pretty special, if you put them together, they play off each other's strengths and hide each other's weaknesses pretty well. I'm not ready to call them the best ever, but maybe after next weekend."
"It's more a function of the way we were playing was how happy I was. The ball was moving, people were moving, it was totally different from the way we played the other night. You're not jumping up and down about how you did in the first half, but what you've got to do in the second half."
"When we signed that class four years ago, it was like preordained, they're going to four final fours, four national championship. It usually includes going to the final four. Maybe if sue hadn't gotten hurt, maybe they'd have gone to four final fours. You have to appreciate the ones that do come your way because it's so hard to get there. I understand a lot of people bought their tickets in September, and I appreciate that about our fans in Connecticut, but it's just as easy to call Priceline to get your tickets to San Antonio now. "
Sue Bird
"I wish I could pinpoint the one reason because I'd like us to play like that every game. We knew they were looking forward to this game and we were looking forward to proving ourselves and putting what they were saying to rest."
"That's just what we practice, it's great to see what we did in practice clicking in games. Everything was clicking, we were really clicking tonight. Again, I wish I could tell you the one reason that happened."
"Joy, even though there was a lot of pressure to get back to the final four. I'm just happy we're going back, and if we had lost this game it would have taken a piece of us away."
Tamika Williams
"I felt like everything was clicking. Everybody was moving, I couldn't get an offensive rebound because everything was going in."
Old Dominions Quotes Head Coach Wendy Larry:
On contesting shots: "Absolutely not. Make reference to the fact that on the first two possessions, we missed shots on the rim. We crashed hard hoping to get second shots and we didn't finish. We had four people under the rim and they were going the other way. So we didn't have anyone contesting, really. There first two possessions on transitions were about four-on-ones and three-on-ones."
On UCONN's passing: "Sue's passing was phenomenal. Her voice was louder than anyone's bar none. We'll miss her. Thank God for the WNBA so she can play on the next level."
On the game: "We didn't get back in transition, and we dug yourself a huge hole early and didn't get back together. Connecticut's first 20 minutes was some of the best basketball I've ever witnessed."
On Connecticut's first half shooting: "A buzzsaw."
On ODU's season: "We were a seven seed coming in and we're in the elite 8 and that's a positive thing for our program. To play the number one team for a shot to the final four, that's tough. Our path was not easy, this was probalby the most difficult game of the season."
Guard Hamchetou Maiga:
On what's going through her mind at end of career: "I was excited as a team wanted to go farther. If you look at it at one point, we did better than what was expected. But we could have gone farther. I wish I could still be playing for ODU."
On Connecticut's first half: "They were playing really well together and we didn't start out strong. We didn't answer their run in the first half, that's what got us in trouble."
Forward Lucienne Berthieu:
Containing Sue bird: "She's a leader on the floor. We knew that coming into the game. We knew we had to put the pressure on her. She just had a good game against us. We tried to put different people on her."
On her early foul trouble: "I wish I had a chance to get it back. That's something I'm going to have to take with me, and it hurt my team very much."
Post game notes:
- Sue Bird set a career high with 26 points (25, vs. Holy Cross 12/6/01) and a career high for free throws made with eight (7, vs. Boston College 1/26/02), Bird also recorded her second double-double of the season with eleven assists
- Connecticut connected on their first 13 field goals, they didn't miss a shot until 9:38 remained in the first half
- Connecticut set a new NCAA record for assists in a season (911) and also set a new Mideast Regional Record for team assists with 25 (22, Tennessee, 3/20/86)
- Sue Bird is now averaging 19.2 points per game in the tournament, and 23.3 points per game in the last three games
- Diana Taurasi is now averaging 15 points per game in the tournament
- It was the fourth time this season that Connecticut had two 20-point scorers
- Connecticut had their most outstanding shooting performance of the season, connecting on 63.8 percent of their field goals
- Old Dominion outscored Connecticut 31-30, the first time all season that Connecticut had been outscored in a half
- Connecticut advances to their third straight Final Four and sixth overall.
- Connecticut had four players named to the Mideast Region All-Region Team, the first time that happened since 1996
- Asjha Jones is now averaging 16 points per game in the tournament
- Connecticut set a new Mideast Regional record with 11 blocked shots. Asjha Jones had five blocked shots, tying the Mideast Regional record
