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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 8, 2019Sharon VersypTamara FarquharAe'Rianna HarrisIndianapolis, Indiana Rutgers, 64 - Purdue, 49 SHARON VERSYP: I was just really proud of our kids this week, just really had a clean slate, came in, regrouped, really had a great postseason run, and it was nice to -- they just had a different sense about them, togetherness, energy, communication. It was good to have a clean slate. Just really proud of how hard we played the entire time. These two just were amazing the entire tournament, defensively, offensively, rebounding. They stepped up for their team three straight games they delivered. So it's just nice that these two obviously will be back next year. Q. When they hit the three-pointer at the end of the third quarter, how deflating was that and how tough was that to overcome in the fourth quarter? AE'RIANNA HARRIS: More of an energy thing, us trying to maintain our energy and then moving on from it, executing offense, just going forward. TAMARA FARQUHAR: Well, we knew that she was a shooter, we just needed to be more focused, and I mean, it obviously gave them the momentum to get into the fourth quarter. Q. Ae'Rianna, how difficult was the press that Rutgers ran? AE'RIANNA HARRIS: They were just intense. They got after it every second. We knew it was coming. They just played really hard. Q. Tamara, obviously you had a tough task to try to play five games in five days to win the championship. What has to happen next year so you're not in this position so you get a more favorable situation to be in when you get to this tournament? TAMARA FARQUHAR: Well, definitely not being an 11 seed. I think that we're definitely way better than that, and we should have taken care of certain games, and we just lacked focus. So just being mindful of what we went through this year and making sure that we remember it next year and do better. Q. Ae'Rianna, how do you build on the kind of year that you had individually and translate it into a better year for the team next season? AE'RIANNA HARRIS: I mean, my year is because of the team. I can't score points if they don't give me the ball. Defense comes to all of us, but I've said it before, it's a decision you make. I feel like I made that decision, my team has made that decision. So just moving forward, taking that next step, going harder, getting in the gym, little stuff. Q. Sharon, just with the game, the three-pointer kind of seemed to change momentum. Was it hard to get a little more energy out of your club in that fourth quarter? SHARON VERSYP: Well, you know, we're on our third game, and they're on their first if we both played the same -- just one game like we did at Rutgers, obviously you have a little bit more legs that fourth quarter. Just like us, when we stole the ball against Illinois the other day and were able to score, it does, it's a momentum change. You know, it was one point, and then it's four points, and then all of a sudden we miss some shots because we're short and we weren't able to get back on defense. KT did, but we didn't get that second person back. And they can score in bunches, especially in transition. But that was obviously a changer. Q. You talked a little bit about how this was their first game but this was your third game. Do you think that really helped them out, especially when they were kind of switching five in, five out pretty much the whole first half? SHARON VERSYP: Yeah, that's what they do all year, so if both teams are fresh, obviously you get fresher legs, you're going to make lay-ups that we missed, make a few more shots in transition. You know, you want to be able to do that, make those shots in transition and lay-ups and stuff, so hopefully they'll take the pressure off a little bit. But they do a great job. They move bodies in and out. But I thought we handled it fairly well, but when we attacked, we needed to finish, and that's when we didn't finish, and that's when we got beat a little bit. Q. You've got such a talented young core. It seems like the only thing missing is the depth this year. How do you feel about that going forward? SHARON VERSYP: Yeah, thank you for noticing that. It's kind of like we're kind of that one or two kids short with the depth, with some losses from last year. The biggest thing right now is now we'll have two seniors that will have better leadership. We really have three kids coming in next year, and we're adding two. We're going to all these babies that came off the bench, they obviously now have gone through it, and you don't know what you don't know until you experience it, so I feel really good with our core and our leadership has to step up even more. So actually I'm pretty excited with returning everybody and adding three to five people. Q. Coach, neither team really shot particularly well from three-point range, and I know you guys were kind of forcing some shots at the end, just trying to get back in the game. As far as you guys shooting 4 for 23, did you think that was more of just your defense or you guys were just taking difficult shots? SHARON VERSYP: We had no legs. I mean, Karissa and 'Nique only shot 4 for 20, 5 for 24 or -- when they struggle shooting, we struggle. It was more by that fourth quarter and stuff, we were short all the time, and that's just legs, and then it kind of gets in your head. Q. What has to happen to make sure you're not in this position as far as being an 11 seed or being forced to play five games in five days to win a championship next season? SHARON VERSYP: Pretty much echo what Ae'Rianna said, everything that she said, and then in February we should be playing and having the togetherness like we had. But when you have six new ones, they don't get it. At least we came together and finished strong. So I'm happy about that, but now we can't be -- next year can't be a young and immature team. We'll be a lot more mature next year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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