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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 joined on the podium by the tech re Coach Candi Whitaker is with us along with Japreece Dean and Dayo Olabode. Coach, your opening comments and then we will take questions for our student-athletes.

COACH WHITAKER: Proud of our team, how we fought, how we played. I thought we shared the basketball really well, obviously shot it well, rebounded it, especially in the second half, I that you had Zuri Sanders was terrific on the offensive glass.

But we had several people step up and make big plays for us at critical times and keeps -- kept at it, you know, when they would make a run and get down 5 we would come back so huge win for our young kids to be here, to get to stay in the tournament and continue to play and proud our seniors get another opportunity.

Q. Japreece, can you talk about controlling the tempo of the night and how important that was with y'all's game especially restarting off the game the way you did?
JAPREECE DEAN: The coach has really emphasized for me to push tempo and find people and just go, so that's what I did.

Q. What were you feeling like out there?
DAYO OLABODE: Actually it started off a shootaround this morning. I came off a bad night of shooting at my last game, focussing on the rim and being confident in my shot this morning and that's -- I carried it over to the game pretty much. And I was trying to hit my shot.

Q. Japreece, can you talk about after they came back to a 5-point lead somewhere in the second to third quarter. Can you talk about coming back and staying with it, keeping your momentum to finish this out?
JAPREECE DEAN: Everybody was saying we're in this, we got it, we've got to go and I feel like we were composed and people made big-time plays at the end.

Q. You mentioned playing down the stretch playing with your heads. I mean, without going through all our box scores I don't know how many times you've had to do that, lately, but talk about just having to play with your heads and make big plays down the stretch. Has it been a while since you guys have been in that spot?
JAPREECE DEAN: I feel like the past few games a lot of people have been really confident in their shot and we've been pushing tempo a lot lately and I feel like that's a big factor in our tempo and people just being confident when they shoot.

Q. Dayo, last time you played Iowa State they took it to you and shot very well. They did that again tonight. But what were you all able to do to pull this one out? What was the difference this game? Were you shooting better?
DAYO OLABODE: Yeah, we got -- I think we got more shooting attempts and we were all just really focused and justly ready to play.

The difference between last game and this game is the way we played hard. So last game we didn't really play too hard but this game I felt energy from everybody on the team, the bench was there, I could see in everybody's eyes that they were ready to play. We just handled it pretty well.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies, congratulations on the win. We will see you tomorrow afternoon. We will take questions for Coach now.

Q. Coach, you guys talked about tempo, sharing the ball, but 43 points in the first half, just five less than you had the entire game last time at aims, just the shots dropping, was there energy? What was the difference?
COACH WHITAKER: Yeah, this team, there is no disguising when they're good and when they're bad and it typically is directly related to their energy and their effort, how hazard they are playing, how locked in they are, you know, and the tempo that they play with. We can show them, it's very black and white with them.

When they're in games and competing and playing hard, they -- you know, the results is usually -- we're at least in a game if we don't win it. When we haven't been in games it's been because we found a lack of energy within the team and it's a young team that's really -- they've searched for leadership all year long so that's been a battle but definitely proud how we finished our season, that we figured out a lot of things out, that we figured out we have to bring energy every day in order to perform at the highest level.

Q. Coach Whitaker, talk a little bit about what a win in the Big 12 Conference means to this young team?
COACH WHITAKER: We talked about it a lot going into it because I wanted them to have a great reason why they need to win and they needed to play hard and show up to win. It's different for a lot of people. For our seniors it's an opportunity to play the game they love again and stay alive and continue to battle for that opportunity. For our returners, it's huge for them to see this tournament, see this tournament, understand the environment and the league that they're in and what it's about.

I'm really proud they get that opportunity to not just be here one day.

Q. Coach, your bench scored 27 points. Can you explain how important your bench was to your overall game tonight?
COACH WHITAKER: I felt like every time we called on someone they came up with a play. Obviously Dayo coming off the bench was tremendous and we know Dayo has the ability to play like that. She has had a bit of a rough sophomore season cared to her freshman year, but I'm proud of how she battled here late and not giving up. But really everyone, obviously Jamie comes in and plays limited and comes up with that huge charge. Rayven hits two free-throws at the end in a pressure situation. But a team effort and a team win and everyone impacted us.

Q. Coach, talk about the change that Zuri Sanders has brought to this team, a double-double, and just seems like energy is much better when she is on the floor?
COACH WHITAKER: It is, and I should have recognized that sooner. Zuri is a freshman that was learning a lot adjusting to the league and when she went to K-State and gave us 8-8 is when I feel like she made the change and she was starting to just really come on at that point and when she is in the game we are better, we are better defensively, and we are better on the boards.

Q. Short rest, preparation for Baylor tomorrow? What's your approach?
COACH WHITAKER: Sleep, scout, play. We will probably eat at some point, too, right?

Q. Coach, is this your best quality win of the season?
COACH WHITAKER: You know, probably so, because we had to battle so hard because Iowa State played very well as well offensively so it was such a battle, had to have multiple people have fantastic performances. Japreece Dean has had a great year, no question, for me, the freshman of the year in this league. What she has had to handle as a freshman for this team compared to other freshman in the league, being a point guard having to direct traffic, take a majority the shots, get the other people shots. She has just been fantastic with 28 points tonight, 5 assists and 5 boards, just so proud of the freshman year she has had.

For sure, I think this team and probably since I've been at Tech, probably the best one.

Q. Coach, you talk about scouting, eating and sleeping. What else are you going to have to do to beat a team like Baylor that's playing as well as they are right now?
COACH WHITAKER: If it was that easy, we would be in good shape. Baylor is extremely talented. They wouldn't be what they are. They're going to get a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament, very, very deep inside, they just keep coming at you, if you're going to upset Baylor you're going to have to shoot the ball extremely well, be hot from the perimeter and make a lot of first attempts because you're not going to get second and third opportunities in your possessions and you're going to have to take away easy points for them, fouling them, putting them to the line, giving them easy put-backs and giving them second and third opportunities, you're going to have to hope that you shoot lights out.

Q. Coach, talk about how important second-chance points were tonight and of course, the 3-point shooting?
COACH WHITAKER: I think the second-chance points are probably the difference in the ball game. We were pounding the glass. I told them on the radio we have 'em right, what they're doing well and auto what they're not doing so well at halftime and they put that they were offensively rebounding well, and I said you guys have three so we probably need to do a better job and they obviously went out and did that getting 13 in the second half with Zuri leading the cause there.

No question I think that's the reason we won the game and definitely love to see the ball go in. We have shooters. We just haven't shot the ball well this year but shooting with confidence and most of that was Dayo and Japreece stepping up and hitting threes.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, congratulations. We will see you tomorrow.

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