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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 4, 2015Whitney BaysAshley MorrissetteSharon VersypApril WilsonHOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS Purdue – 58 THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp along with Ashley Morrissette and April Wilson and Whitney Bays. An opening statement, Coach. COACH VERSYP: Obviously an extremely exciting game. Both teams didn't get to the foul line very much. And we were behind and our kids kept fighting and fighting and fighting and we've been in about seven or eight games like this when it was this close. And these kids just really willed themselves to a victory tonight. And I know it always comes down to the last shot. It happens with us all the time. And we're very blessed and fortunate, but want to give Wisconsin a lot of credit. They played a great basketball game and made us really work. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student‑athletes. Q. April, you have had personally several chances at the end of games to hit a shot and haven't come up in those. But today you did. Just what's it feel like to finally get one and get in a situation and break the losing streak? APRIL WILSON: It's a good feeling. And it's good to finally win. But last‑second shots are going to happen and you're not going to make all of them. You have to let it go and watch film and then try to correct it. Q. Whitney, just the win, after the ten‑game losing streak and to have that kind of lifted right now. WHITNEY BAYS: You know, people can say what they want about our season. But I think we faced almost every way to lose possible. And I think that has really helped us. We've lost in overtime. We've lost by 20. We've kept it close and then lost. So I think all throughout the year we competed but now it's starting to really pay off and we're working harder and it's a clean slate. We're a team with nothing to lose now. So we're the most dangerous? Q. April, they hit that jumper with nine plus seconds left and you get the ball. What are you thinking there when you're coming up the court? APRIL WILSON: I wasn't really thinking. I know I got the ball and Whitney told me to go, so I went and it paid off. Q. To close the game down the stretch you were down nine with about eight minutes to go, is that just those lessons again that are coming out that you guys went through the last month and a half? WHITNEY BAYS: Yeah, definitely. And just communicating and locking down on defense. I thought our defense was really great today. We were talking. We were communicating and we came out with the energy like we talked about all season that we needed to have. And we closed with the same energy. So I think that really helped us to get the win tonight. Q. Ashley, you had like primary responsibility on Bauman most of the game and after a fast start she kind of slowed down. What were you trying to do to take her out of the offense? ASHLEY MORRISSETTE: She's a great shooter. We were trying to make everybody else on the team score or allow them more opportunities. But we couldn't let her get the ball and score. Q. Ashley, what did you feel like the difference was in the last four minutes today compared to some other games where you guys have come up just a little short? ASHLEY MORRISSETTE: I thought the hustle was great in the last‑‑ the whole game, but definitely in the last four minutes, everybody was getting on the floor. Everybody was going after rebounds. The defense definitely won it for us today. Q. Whitney, that last several minutes, while they're reviewing the replay, what was that experience like for you waiting and waiting and waiting? WHITNEY BAYS: I don't think I can say it on the mic (laughing). But a lot of praying and just looking at my teammates. It's kind of funny because, like, in those moments you kind of reflect back on what's been going on with the season. And just seeing my teammates, you know. It was hard. And you look at the other team and you see how bad they want it. So it made winning even better. But we worked really hard throughout the season to get this win. And our coaches, they prepared us to the best of their abilities for this game. And we executed and did everything right today. Well not everything, but you know close enough. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach. Q. Sharon, what did you like about what they did the last four minutes? COACH VERSYP: The defense. Executed every play that we needed. We got really good shots. But really just executed and kept attacking and getting fouled and getting to the foul line and being able to stop the clock and set our defense. So, you know, like Whitney said, it felt like they were very strong‑willed today and really followed the game plan and executed it exceptionally well. Q. What do you think this means for April to be in this situation and to deliver like she did tonight? COACH VERSYP: I mean, any player that can go down and score and at least get those two points, we've been put in those situations, not just April, it's been a lot of players. It just helps their confidence. And this one was for someone special that's in heaven right now. Q. I'd imagine you had a decent angle on the final shot there. What did you think when it went up and what was it like to wait there a couple minutes? COACH VERSYP: I knew it was in but I thought the ball was still in her hand. I was right there. I saw the red. And it looked like‑‑ I mean, it was close. But they didn't have many angles to look at. And no one made a call. The official didn't say it counted. They didn't say anything. But it was definitely in when it left her hand. But I felt like the light was on. Q. Just to get a win, you guys just haven't experienced this kind of emotion in a long time. Just to finally get a win. COACH VERSYP:  You see the emotion in the locker room. We've been through 100 of these this year. Last year, we were able to be on the other side. This year we haven't. It's a tough conference. And so you appreciate it. You appreciate this one for a long time. Until tomorrow night when we got to get ready to play another one. Q. I'd imagine you had a timeout at the end. But after April got the ball and headed up court, did you just feel like she had a good angle there? COACH VERSYP: She was going. Every other time I called timeout we never scored. So I just tried something different. They couldn't set their defense. And everybody said we have one more timeout. I've done it before. I'm, like, nope, she's just going to go all the way to the hole. Whitney obviously told her to get it and go. And I told her to keep going. Because if they foul you're going to get to the foul line. Sometimes those timeouts, they get their defense set. I just went with a gut feeling and felt April was going to be able to make that play. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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