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BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 4, 2016

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Texas Tech - 89, Iowa State - 84

THE MODERATOR: Okay, we're now joined by Iowa State, head Coach Bill Fennelly, his two student-athletes, Seanna Johnson and Bridget Carleton. Coach, your thoughts about tonight's game?

COACH FENNELLY: First of all, I want to thank the Big 12 and everyone in Oklahoma City, amazing event, great to be a part of it. I thought it was a great game, both teams played hard, both teams offensively, I thought it was entertaining, we couldn't find enough defense at the right team. Very proud of our team and very proud of what we've tried to do and certainly these two guys here were as good as any players as we have had all year and played that way tonight.

Congratulations to Texas Tech and wish them the best of luck moving forward.

Q. Bridget, at some point tonight did it seem like you were in a 3-point contest going back and forth all night long?
BRIDGET CARLETON: For sure, they shot the ball well from the 3. I was feeling good from the line. It was fun, definitely could have gotten some stops that way but that's okay, it was fun.

Q. Seanna, were you surprised that tech came out the way they did? They scored just 5 points fewer than they scored the entire game the last time in aims, the shots falling. Were you surprised they were that hot coming out of the jam?
SEANNA JOHNSON: You can never be surprised when you play a team three times it's not always going to be the same outcome and they came out ready to play from the jump, and they hit shots, especially Japreece, she played great in the first half, and as a team, I think we didn't find a way to adjust as we should have. But you can never be surprised.

Q. Seanna this is for you: How tough is it to play a team for the third time in season?
SEANNA JOHNSON: It's extremely tough. Like I said before, you're never going to have the same outcome and a team is not going to let you beat 'em twice in a row especially how we played in aims. We played great, so I think coming to this game they had the mind-set that if you play hard and you hit shots, I think -- and that's what they did, they came out aggressive and I think at the end of the game they got stops when we didn't.

Q. Bridget, you and Japreece had huge games today. You both were considered for Freshman of the Year, got four years going forward, is this the start of a rivalry between you two?
BRIDGET CARLETON: Yeah, Japreece is an awesome player. We kind of gave each other a "good season" at the end of the game. She is fun to watch. She is a good point guard. It's good competition, fun to be a part of.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, ladies, thank you very much. Questions for Coach Fennelly.

Q. Coach, I was going to ask how hard it's going to be this off-season, but now you've got your cargo there. What's it going to be like this, kind of heading into the off-season this early?
COACH FENNELLY: You know, Fletch, it's not good. I'm not going to lie about it. It's disappointing that we're not going to be playing in March, and I feel bad that I let so many people down.

But he doesn't care. But I really appreciated the effort of our kids, our team played really hard. Our administration has been so supportive of all year of what we've done, forever, for all my time but it will be different, Deb, my beautiful wife and I, we're going to go somewhere, do something. Get an early start on recruiting, I guess. How you been, Fletch?

Q. Good to see you.
COACH FENNELLY: Good to see you, buddy.

Q. Sorry I couldn't bring you luck.
COACH FENNELLY: That's all right.

Q. You switched from zone to man-to-man defense, how do you think that helped you adjust the rest of the game?
COACH FENNELLY: Not great since we gave up 89 points. We were trying everything we could. We tried to mix and match, but they hit some big shots and you gotta give them credit. Basketball is a great game. It's a shotmakers' game. We made a lot tonight that gave us a chance to win and they made more and you gotta gave them credit.

Our kids completed but both teams, I thought, played above and beyond what they usually do offensively and that's a credit to the kids and the way they competed.

Q. One more parting shot for the Conference before you head off. Your thoughts of the league moving ahead to the NCAAs? Who is playing well? What do you like going forward?
COACH FENNELLY: I think we should have six teams easily in the NCAA Tournament and that doesn't mean that TCU and Tech can't make a run here. We just played West Virginia, very impressed with them. So much in the women's tournament, can you get a home game and who do you match-up against? It's like -- styles make fights. I think all six of our teams that make the Tournament could be in the Sweet 16 or beyond if they get the right match-up and stay out of a certain bracket. I've been very impressed and had look forward to supporting them and rooting for them and certainly hope they get a good draw on Selection Monday and do the things that Big 12 always does and represent the league the way they should and will.

Q. Meredith and Bridget got a lot of minutes this serenes how important is that moving on through the next few years?
COACH FENNELLY: I think it was huge. Bridget has played well all year and Meredith got thrown into a tough shot and I told them they were taking graduate-level classes an a freshman and you play the minutes they had to play. They're great kids. We're lucky to have 'em and they're just going to get better because they want to get better and I think you saw tonight what Bridget is capable of doing. And Meredith will be the same. So tough for them to learn on the job, but they will be better for it and hopefully down the road they will look back at this and when they get to be seniors and they're taking it out on some other freshman, hopefully we'll laugh about it down the road.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.

COACH FENNELLY: Thank you, everyone, we appreciate your time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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