Postgame Player Quotes
Syracuse vs. Rutgers
January 6, 2009
Carrier Dome/Syracuse, N.Y.
Erica Morrow, sophomore guard:
On how the win over Rutgers ranks:
“It is a big win, obviously for the program. Rutgers is a great team. We come into every game expecting a win. We have a great bunch of girls and a great coaching staff and they prepare us well for every game. It is a big win for the program, but we still have 15 games left in the BIG EAST.”
On what was the key to winning the game:
“I think the key was that we had to match their physical play, rebound the ball and limit our turnovers. We go over our own stuff and we have to execute our game plan, not blow any assignments that we had that coach gave us in practice. We just have to play hard, and that is all coach asks of us each night, to play hard.”
On Rutgers early runs:
“Basketball is a game of runs. Rutgers is a top 25 team. We expect them to make a run, but great teams make a run back and that is what we did. That is what kept us in the game. “
On what coach said at halftime:
“One of the things we always talk about in games is not letting up and keep grinding. These last few games we have come out flat, and dig ourselves a hole. That is one thing we did not want to do tonight. We could not dig ourselves a hole early, because Rutgers obviously is a great team. Going down the stretch in the BIG EAST like what happened at Georgetown, we are not going to be able to get out of those holes. We had to come back out at halftime and just give more. Keep going at them, and keep going to the basket. We had to keep executing.”
Nicole Michael, junior forward:
“I mean finally. It does not mean much really. We have fifteen more games, so hopefully I will score more then, but it is a great feeling. My mom can call me now and say finally.”
On her role changing from freshman year to now:
“I feel like I am more of a leader to the team, for one. I am playing hard. I do not want to say as good as my freshman year, because I played great my freshman year. I just have to keep playing my game. If I keep playing hard, I will be just as good as I was my freshman year. I have great teammates that will give me the ball, so I just have to keep playing my game and play hard.”
On what her mindset was going into playing Rutgers:
“My mindset was just to compete. Play just as hard as they do. They are a very physical team, and they are very good at being physical so my mindset was just to play physical, to play hard, box out and rebound.”
On the play of Rutgers’ taller line-up:
“I don’t know. I know that for us, we guarded them. We just had to play physical. They have a very physical big post. So our goal was to play physical against them. I did not see any difference. We just played physical.”
On getting confidence in BIG EAST play:
“It took time. We have new players on the team, so for everyone to get comfortable, it just took time for us to know that we are a good time and to play comfortable. Coach said before the game do not think bad, think good all the time, no matter who we are playing against. I think we all did that as a team, and we came together. We made a sacrifice to play hard and keep scoring.”
