University of Minnesota Athletics
Quotes
12/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Marlene Stollings, Minnesota head coach
Opening Statement
Butler is a very talented team and they gave us all we could handle tonight. They had five players with double figures and they are a very well coached team. We had great respect for them coming into this game and we knew they shot the three pointer very well. I am so proud of the resiliency of our team. We never gave up and we kept fighting back. We battled for the whole game all the while playing against some adversity. This was our first overtime win this season and I am proud of how our team responded.
On where she feels the team is at following this game...
I think this game spoke volumes about our toughness and competitiveness. We had a great desire to win. We battled against two big ACC opponents on the road and then came back home tonight and play a very talented Butler team. Their record is not indicative of how talented they are as a team. They've played a tough schedule and taken some ranked teams deep into the second half. This game showed that we have a great desire to win.
On getting the crowd into the game and how that factored into the win...
We've said all year that our crowd is going to be huge for us. When we play here we want there to be a major home court advantage. I thought our crowd responded at crucial moments. When Amanda was very animated after one late basket the crowd really got involved in the game. The players feed off of that energy so credit to the crowd for getting really loud in those moments because I think it really helped us get some stops.
On what the team has learned from this game...
It's very early still. Every game we play we are constantly learning and advancing. We want to advance the offense and defense. It's always better to learn from wins but our goal is to still keep advancing each and every game.
On adjusting to Kelley being out...
Not too differently than any other point in the year. We've had some foul trouble this season in different positions and we knew how to adjust. Other people stepped in and stepped up in those roles which was what happened tonight.
Rachel Banham, senior
(35 points, broke record for career three-point field goals made)
On the game-tying three point shot...
We had a secret play that was drawn up nicely. We've worked on that play a lot this season. Shayne found me and Amanda set a good screen which made it possible at the end."
On the block at the end of the game...
We were trying to get our rotation in with high and low post players and I was luckily in the right position to make the block. I got to the ball in time and we handled the game well.
On preparing for Butler...
We knew they were a good team. Their 2-7 record coming into tonight meant nothing. They're a great team that has played a few ranked teams. We knew they would come in here and play hard right from the start. We were able to stay with them and kept fighting.
On how Butler was able to stay competitive...
Their three point shots were hurting us a lot. They had great shooters and they attacked the basket hard. They played hard and we went back and forth battling each other.
On whether she knew she would have to take the last shot...
I knew I would have to take the lost shot of regulation. I was ready for it and I knew I could score it. I was feeling the shot most of the game so I let it fly.
On coming back in overtime...
It came down to rebounding in the end. We made some crucial rebounds and Amanda had a great block at the end. Amanda played well and a lot of people stepped up. We were able to take shots and make stops.
Amanda Zahui B., sophomore
On her role tonight...
My role is to help the team win any way I can. Like Rachel and Coach Stollings have said, it was a fight all night and we showed how tough we were."
On getting fouled at the end of overtime and the importance of securing the ball...
It was extremely important that I focused on keeping possession. We've talked a lot about holding on to the ball tightly and not letting go.
