|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 6, 2017Chris GobrechtMariah FordeDee BennettLas Vegas, Nevada Utah State - 46 Air Force - 40 COACH CHRIS GOBRECHT: I thought that it was -- I'm sure not a fun game to watch, but -- unless you like defense. I thought both teams just really dug in their heels defensively and made it extremely difficult for one another. I think that the difference in the game, and she's actually been the difference in the game every time we've played them, is Antoina, she's been a thorn in our side. We're so glad she's graduating. That rebound she had and the putback, that was huge. So I just think she's a very fine player, and she's tough for anybody to deal with. But we are out there trying to get it done with a lot of challenges. And I'm very proud of how my team played. I think the thing I admire most about them is their toughness; we played six people in the second half. We have had to deal with the loss of some very key people, two starters, and a player who probably would have been a starter, but she was injured before the season began. And so we've been very thin. And these guys have really responded. They have just said, Hey, whatever we've got to do, that's what we'll do. And they've gone out and competed every single night. And I think we really have to respect how they would compete even when it's tough, it's so tough for us to score. We have to work so doggone hard to score the ball. And yet it doesn't change how we go back out on the floor the next time. We never falter from that. We just keep plugging away. And so I just -- we're way undersized and yet we just keep scraping and clawing and trying to find ways to get it done. I thought that Dee did a great job on the boards, Mariah delivered some much needed offense. Mariah is out there trying to play point guard for us and score as a freshman. And Dee is out there guarding night after night after night players 4 inches taller and 20 pounds at least heavier and bigger and stronger, and she battles every single night and comes down the boards. The steps we took this year are significant, and we have a lot to look forward to in the future. We're very excited about the future. Q. Dee, you played with such tenacity, very physical, as coach said. Has to be frustrating. Was it more their defense frustrating you in terms of 1 for 13 or were the shots just not falling? Did you feel you were getting good looks or were they stepping up and just frustrating your offense? DEE BENNETT: I got my usual looks, I've just got to finish more. And No. 41 had some really good blocks on me, she's a great defensive player. I have to give her credit, too. They made an adjustment from previous games where she was guarding me this game. I have to give her credit for her good defense. But I didn't finish the shots that I had. They were pretty good shots my teammates were getting me, I've just got to convert them. Q. It seemed like toward the middle of the third and into the fourth that even though it was a close game back and forth, but at some point you guys had stolen the momentum, you had the momentum going. I asked this of them, were those two blocks by Antoina, was that the pivotal point, where they just stole the momentum back, and at that point you were having to play catchup, in terms of momentum, not point-wise? MARIAH FORDE: I don't know that's really like the pivotal moment. I can't remember the exact moment where I was like, oh, we are in trouble, we need to get this momentum back. I think it was multiple possessions, there were a couple of times we had good defensive stops or we foul them and bail them out. So that's what I would say is the momentum killer, is we kept failing at the free throw line. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|