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PAC-12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 4, 2016

Seattle, Washington

Cal - 75, ASU - 64

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the California Golden Bears, coach Lindsay Gottlieb, Penina Davidson and Kristine Anigwe. Coach, an opening statement?

LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: Sure. Someone told me that this is the biggest upset in the history of the Pac-12 Tournament, and I'd first just like to say I think that speaks to the strength of the conference. I don't know that this conference has ever been this deep or this good. We felt that kind of in some painful ways with our record, but it's also ultimately challenged our players to get better and be ready for this tournament. So that's how I feel about that part of it. Just incredibly proud right now. I've had a lot of really, really unforgettable moments as the head coach of this program, and this is going to be one of them.

ASU is so good. I just told Charli they should use this to try to get themselves to the Final Four which they're capable of. But for ourselves, we stepped up to the challenge. We surpassed what people expected us to do, and we were just a really, really good version of ourselves. We weren't super-human. I said to these two young women up there, we've had a lot of great post players at Cal. I don't know that any two have combined to go 17 for 19 against ASU and dominate the way they did. Incredible team effort. ASU makes you earn it, and our young men and women earned it today.

Q. You guys utilized the lob pass a lot today to try to take advantage of your size advantage on ASU. How were you able to do that?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: My brilliant play calling. Chalk it up there to Kristine. No. ASU put tremendous front line pressure. They really are probably as good in the country because they make you uncomfortable and get you out of your stuff. So over the years I've always said you need an interior presence to sort of be like the safety net for that. Easier said than done, because number one, your guard has to get the ball where it needs to go, then you need players that can catch and finish in traffic. I think these two were committed to that and made it look a lot easier than it is.

Q. Yesterday you were telling me that you thought that sometimes a seeded team is at a disadvantage because they don't get to play the first round game. They don't get to get the jitters out of the way. Do you think that was at all a factor here?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: I don't know. I've only always entered their seat, right, where on that first day that you're playing like you a little -- all the other teams have a game under their belt so we're going to try to use that to our advantage. I will say Charli Turner Thorne-coached teams are always prepared. They're always mentally and physically tough. But I think it was certainly an advantage for us. I don't know if it was a disadvantage for them. But I think our players were able to play through some of the jitters yesterday in the tournament stage, so I think it was an advantage for us. I don't think it speaks to them at all, but I think we knew we had to come out and play tournament style basketball, which it took us three quarters to do yesterday.

Q. The other player who missed only one shot was Asha Thomas who had four threes in the second half. Started right off with three of them. How big a factor was that for you?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: Gigantic. I mean, it was huge. We've been much better all year when we can knock down some outside shots, but to do it under duress. I mean ASU never makes you -- let`s you feel comfortable. So she knocked down big shots. They went to zone briefly there and she hit a three and she came out at the beginning of second half. They went under ball screen and she hit a three. That softened up the defense a little bit and gave us points and points are at a premium when you play ASU.

Q. Penina and then Coach. Penina, you've been cooking here in Seattle in your two games, 29 points. What's been working so well for you? And Coach, what have you seen out of her in these two games? Has she taken another step in her development?
PENINA DAVIDSON: I couldn't have down it without our guys making the passes that they do, getting open, bringing it down the court. Couldn't have done it without Kristine. She throws so much attention that it creates opportunities for other people. So I couldn't have done it without my teammates.

LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: We are so proud of Penina. She's playing like just a Warrior, a beast, all the good adjectives you can think of. But it's nothing that we haven't known her to be capable of. I think it's mentality and it's confidence. When she plays with that mindset, she's so good. She's clearly been a gigantic factor in these two games in helping us get wins.

Q. You had a rough stretch this season. You were really beat up. You lost a couple heartbreakers. These last two days is it kind of like I've been waiting for this? As a coach, do you feel that?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: Definitely. We had flashes earlier on, but I've learned, and this has been a year of learning for me too because you want things right now, is that sometimes young people and teams are going to do it on their own time. We want things to happen at this second. But we're very, very young, and you see it all across sports. There's not a whole lot of replacement for experience. But what I'm really excited about now is that the talent and the togetherness and youthful energy is back. It's hard when you're losing to keep that. But we've coupled that with growing up a little bit and making plays today that we didn't make a couple months ago. Mental things. Understanding the scouting report and knowing when not to foul.

So, yeah, if it happens now, every team's going to write their own story, and it's really neat to see this team right now say let's go after this. We have two more days to get what we want and that's a championship here. But in general, it speaks to who they've been the whole time. Because even when it was hard, nobody quit on each other or me, it was just a process to get where we needed to go.

Q. For both Coach and the players, really rough start to the second quarter. Then it looked like a flipped switch like that. What changed in that stretch to end the second quarter on that big run? You guys really took off from there?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: I know it sounds so simple, but when we weren't throwing it to them, we were scoring. I mean, again, it's easier said than done. They put so much pressure. We just turned it over so many times, I think we just settled ourselves. We had to remind them where the entry points were going to be and just get them locked into where the ball needs to go. I do think it's huge they weren't scoring either. We had 13 turnovers in the first half and only 7 points off turnovers. So I think we did a good job not turning our head or rolling over. So we had to take care of the ball better, and we knew we could score.

Q. Kristine, this is a pretty amazing line score for anybody, but for a freshman on this stage, it's pretty remarkable. What was your thinking going into this game? Did you think at all about the last game against Arizona State when you missed the game because of a coach's decision? I'm not going to ask you what that was about, but I'm just wondering what your mindset was going into this game?
KRISTINE ANIGWE: I just wanted to win. I wanted our team to win, and I felt like our coach wants this so bad so it makes us want it even more. So that was just like my push. Every time I looked at the bench, I was like we have to win. We can't go home.

Q. Lindsay, you said earlier your game plan is often like throw it to Kristine and let her score. But everyone doubles on her. Everyone knows how good she is. How has she improved over the season and what did you see from her today that was different? Anything?
LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: I've said it to people who have asked, I think what she's doing this year is as remarkable of a freshman season I've seen. Because I think she expected to come in and contribute, but I don't know that anyone expected her to be a go-to player that is a focus of defenses. And you have to learn on the fly, right? You have to learn on the fly. Okay, doubles are coming. All right, the game plan is going to sag in against you. Okay, it's this style of play, and that style of play, and by the way, don't get in foul trouble. So yeah, I think it's trial by fire. An incredible amount of time she's come out on this end where you see stat lines like this. Is there growth along the way? Absolutely. It`s hard to handle that. And her teammates have been great, just trying to figure out how to help her be what she needs to be and still find their own roles. But, yeah, I think it's pretty special for us to know that we have a post player going in against ASU saying we've got to go to the ball and she can finish. Most programs don't have that. So, yeah, it's neat to see that come together. I try not to take it for granted. Same with everybody else. You don't win this game unless `Nina comes off the bench and plays like the best player on the floor.

Q. Kristine, you're nodding your head along there. During the season it can be hard to improve on things because you're practicing so much and playing so much. What did you try to get better at throughout the year or are you still figuring everything out?
KRISTINE ANIGWE: I'm just trying to figure it out with my teammates. I felt like `Nina, I don't even know. I don't have words for her performance in this tournament. She does force out. She did what she was doing in the beginning of the season, and I felt like it's all coming together for her and I'm just very proud of our team and not being scared of today. And we're just all trying to make magic.

LINDSAY GOTTLIEB: I will say one thing, she's a film junkie. Kristine's always texting me, did you see this game or that game? So I think she's someone who also practices and when your body's breaking down a little bit, you can't do it physically. Mentally, last night we were finishing walkthrough and we can put the games on their iPads and iPhones and she said, hey, guys, Ryan uploaded Arizona State against UCLA. Whoever wants to watch that, we can watch it tonight. So more mature and basketball junkie-ish than some college players.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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