Player Postgame Quotes
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
March 1, 2010
Carrier Dome – Syracuse, N.Y.
Juanita Ward, Senior, Forward
What sparked the run in the second half?
"The atmosphere calmed down a lot, it is senior night so what can you expect?"
How much momentum did you have going into the second half after a 16-7 run?
"It gave us a lot of momentum. Any time our team can get a great run and everyone is playing well together, it is a great feeling. Our drive increases when that happens and everyone wants to get on board. It is just a great feeling."
Did you have to alter your game at all with four fouls?
"I was very confident. I was begging Coach on the sideline to put me back in and I promised him I wouldn’t get another foul. When you go out with four fouls you have to play on a very mature level. You have to go out there and show the freshman that you can go out there and play with four fouls, but you just have to play a little bit different."
How important was offensive rebounding to the team tonight after such a cold start?
"We had to come together because we all knew that things were kind of shaky and the atmosphere was different because it was senior night. We just stayed together with each other. We were just out there encouraging each other and saying that we still had the power to win this game."
What did you think about Erica Morrow's performance tonight?
"She is a great player. Anytime Erica is on the floor it relaxes me a lot. She really puts me at ease."
What does a win like this do for your confidence going into the BIG EAST tournament?
"It boosts out confidence a lot. They are No. 7 and we just beat them so it helps us out a lot. We are just going to stay together. We can't get separated going into this one."
Erica Morrow, Junior, Guard
What was your mentality coming into this game after being forced to sit out at DePaul?
"It was tough not being with my team. Not being out on the floor with them at DePaul and then for them to lose felt like my fault. So I just came out there today and played hard."
You guys have had difficulty finishing out games in the past, but tonight you guys finished out well, what made tonight different?
"I think it just revolved around our confidence. Even if we are up by 20 or down by 20, Coach is always on us and telling us that we can win the game. After halftime we talked and said that we needed to come together for this win. That can not be the face of this program, we have to go out there and finish out games. I think we worked really hard as a team."
Can you comment on your shot at the end of the first half?
"At the end of the St. John's game, the shot clock was winding down and I turned the ball over. I am trying to learn from that. Coach has always told me that if you have the opportunity even when time is running out to take a good shot then you need to in order to avoid the other team regaining the possession."
How did you set the pace for tonight's game?
"I talk to the coaches a lot about basketball. I talk to Coach Moody a lot about how and when to make the right plays. I also listen to Coach Q a lot. We are in college and shouldn’t need to be given baby steps, but I try to watch and listen to what the coaches are saying so I can make the right decisions at the right times."
How big was it to be able to finish out the game without Nicole Michael?
"It is a little different without her out there, especially because we play the same side on defense. We have some great players that were able to come in and step up – Carmen (Tyson-Thomas), Kayla (Alexander), Tyler (Ash) and Juanita (Ward). Everyone really stepped up and played there part, but it definitely wasn’t the same without Nicole, but she is tough."
