Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU vs. Kansas Postgame Quotes
February 21, 2015 | Cowgirl Basketball
Oklahoma State Head Coach Jim Littell
Opening Statement
"That must have been an exciting game for fans and for people to watch. There were a lot points, a lot of offense, a lot of really good plays at key times. I'm proud of our basketball team. We are finding a way to win. It seems like it's a different way every time out. We went to West Virginia and won about as ugly as you could win out there, low-scoring battle. It was a 23-13 game at half and then win in a little bit of a shootout here, 80-76. We did a lot of positive things. I really liked the way we stepped up and made free throws at the end. I thought a key stat in the game was that we got 18 more shots at the basket. We went into this game knowing that offensive rebounding was very important and getting 17 offensive boards was very significant. Also, we got a higher shot total because we didn't turn the ball over. We had six turnovers. A combination of offensive rebounding, low number of turnovers and hitting a clutch number of free throws at the end turned out really good for us."
On the Kansas Jayhawks
"This team, Kansas, is in last in our league and that tells you how good our league is. They played Baylor tougher than anyone. They have two really good players in Chelsea Gardner and Natalie Knight who are really good players. I think if you go back and look at how many games that they've lost between three and five points it would amaze you. That tells you the parody and how strong this league is. That's a good basketball team and they have two premier players."
On the team's effort with five minutes in the second half
"I thought we started guarding harder in the end. I didn't think we guarded smart. We fouled too much. Even when we let them score and then we gave them an and-one and allowed them a stop, that hasn't been how we've won these last few games. We've won by keeping people off the free-throw line. That's an alarming stat to me and something that we have to get corrected because we're not going to win a lot of shoot-out games. I don't think we're that explosive offensively to do that. We have to keep people off of the free-throw line. The last five minutes, I thought we really executed some sets. We got the ball where we needed too. At the end of the game we got the ball into some of our free-throw shooters hands where we wanted to get the people to the line. How we inbounded the ball, at the end, to get it to Roshunda Johnson or Liz Donohoe or Brittney Martin. Those three have been pretty clutch. Shaq (LaShawn Jones) stepped up and made her free throws. There was a nice stretch at the end, where I think it was kind of a battle, where we're going to throw it in and foul (Chelsea) Gardner out and they were going to throw it in and try to foul LaShawn Jones out. Neither one of them fouled out, but neither one of them stopped each other either. It was pretty good offense at the end of the game. I'm really proud of our point guards. When you're two point guards don't turn it over in the whole ballgame you've had a nice night. I thought that was a key stat for us."
On Mandy Coleman and Kaylee Jensen
"Mandy Coleman was a big boost in the first half. She hit the three and came in and was very solid. She did some very nice things. Kaylee Jensen, four points and seven rebounds in limited minutes, 15 minutes and had a couple of assists. She continues to get better and she's a nice option to back Shaq (LaShawn Jones) up. She just continues to get better each time out."
On the upcoming schedule
"We've put ourselves in a position where we control our own destiny. If we take care of our own business we can be where we want to be. We don't have to rely on someone else to lose or whatever so that's a good position to be in, just got win. We have three tough ones left. When you go to Texas it is a very difficult place to play. Texas Tech has been very good at home this year. They're 14-3 at home. Then you finish up with the Bedlam game. They're in second place in this league. It's going to be a tough road and we're going to have to earn them."
Brittney Martin
On winning the game
"We know the last few games have been really ugly, but like our coach said we are finding ways to win. We are starting to play as a team, we believing in each other. I'm proud."
On the mindset in the huddle win Kansas took the lead with under five minutes
"Well, normally we would have just shut down and they would have just creamed us at that point. But we are all coming together and we know what it takes to win. We all want to win and I feel like that really brings us to another level. Especially in hard times like that, we just all come together and we just have to trust each other. You know what you're supposed to do and I know what LaShawn is supposed to do and I believe she is going to get it done. I think we all have just bought in to what we need to do."
On having three different scoring options down the stretch
"I think it's awesome that we can have that many people score and we don't have to look for one person to make that big play in the game. I bet any person that's on the court at anytime could make a big play for us. I think it's really cool that we can have everybody score and everybody make big plays for us."
On Kansas having success getting to the foul line
"We shouldn't have been doing that. We've been winning our last few games because we stopped fouling. We've been trying to put emphasis on not fouling. I think we went back to are old ways a little bit today and just slapped at the ball. We got a little bit lazy."
LaShawn Jones
On gaining more confidence as the season goes on
"I think confidence is a really big issue with us right now because there was just sometimes where I was just going down, down, down and going up and back down. Now we are just starting to build confidence around each other and the more we keep talking to each other and encouraging each other we will start to play better."
Kansas Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
Opening Statement
"Unfortunately, another disappointing loss on our end. We just really handcuffed ourselves here. We have got to get people off the glass and get offensive rebounds. We were minus eight on the turnovers and minus nine on the offensive rebounds. It's a game of possession, math, numbers and angles. Quite honestly, when you score 76 points on the road you think you've got a good chance to win. We just didn't get it done."
On defending Brittney Martin
"I think what's hard is that she has very strong tendencies and she's really good going left. She's really long. I don't know what her wingspan is, but she's a lot longer than she is tall and she can lean back like a guy. Her and Donohoe hit as many shots without a dribble or one dribble as anybody in the league or in the country, as far as being able to hit tough twos. I said to Liz in the line after the game, "That's what seniors do."
On Asia Boyd's injury
"She had some pretty good pop and rhythm from the three and bounce at the rim. She just got landed on. I know she couldn't put any weight on it. When they were taping her up in the locker room I could tell she was wincing and we won't play kids like that. It's not about being a hero. Be smart. If you can't go, you can't go. It doesn't matter what the score is, it doesn't matter, but yeah, she had some pretty good rhythm and pretty good pop early."
On Oklahoma State's NCAA Tournament hopes
"They score, they defend and their defensive numbers are good in the 2-3. We were probably as many points that anybody has scored on them in a while. They've held the last three or four to 50. He (OSU Head Coach Jim Littell) is not going to be happy about that. That's how we are, but they've got pieces, they've got bigs and they've got a point guard in Patton."
