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MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 10, 2006

DENVER, COLORADO

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by TCU head coach Jeff Mittie, Adrianne Ross and Ashley Davis.
Coach, if you want to begin with some comments on the game.
COACH JEFF MITTIE: Well, I thought that the start that we got was almost the exact opposite of the start we had against Wyoming. We dug ourselves such a hole, and BYU was certainly -- defensively they were excellent today. We did not get many open looks. We tried to speed the game up, and that's where we had success. But the bottom line is we got fatigued and we had trouble keeping the intensity and keeping the pace up enough to get them out of control.
And credit goes to BYU. I thought they played excellent today. They are an excellent basketball team. They've been a tough match for us all year. Kubik was outstanding today. We did a good job on Anderson, but in doing a good job on Anderson, Kubik was able to get us low and she was the difference in the game today. The credit goes to their team. They did an excellent job of getting the basketball where they needed to in critical times when we were making runs at them.
THE MODERATOR: Open questions directed to student-athletes.
Q. Can you talk about when did on defense. How did that keep you out of sorts in the first half and going on the second?
ASHLEY DAVIS: We talked about how they like to run a lot of help towards the ball, and they kind of stopped their penetration early. We just really went in the game focusing on (indiscernible) passes and moving the ball getting and getting on different sides of the floor.
Q. For each of you as well, just how do you feel about your NCAA tournament chances at this point?
ADRIANNE ROSS: Well, at this point I think that we did all we can do. We had a good couple last couple of games, and we're fighting hard. And it's always our goal, primary goal, to go to the NCAA. Now we did our part and we can just keep our fingers crossed.
THE MODERATOR: Ashley, do you want address the same question.
ASHLEY DAVIS: That's definitely been a goal since the beginning of the season. We're going to take a couple of days off and enjoy the last couple of weeks we had. We ended really strong and just feed off of that and see what happens.
Q. Can you talk about how they were able to get the ball inside that was a little bit of difference in the game?
ADRIANNE ROSS: Definitely. We put a lot of our effort into stopping Ambrosia which you have to do. Then they went to plan B, which is Kubik. And they did a good job of getting into her. We were unfortunate trying to stop. And she's a big body and she is solid and she did a great job tonight.
Q. Do you guys feel like with the schedule you guys played that will benefit you as far as the selection committee is looking at all y'all's resume?
ASHLEY DAVIS: Hopefully that will help us as team. Personally we know that's made us a stronger team, playing the top-notch teams that are out there. I mean, in our minds it's definitely helping us. Hopefully it will help that committee deciding if we make it or not.
ADRIANNE ROSS: Not only like the tough games that we had before conference. You know, our conference is pretty tough. It is really solid and we impressed by the switch-over. That ought to benefit us as well, playing teams like Wyoming, New Mexico, UNLV, BYU three times. So we'll see from there.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, ladies. We'll let you two go. Questions for coach.
Q. Can you talk about what you did on Anderson today how that fed over to them getting Kubik involved?
COACH JEFF MITTIE: Well, we denied her the ball, we denied some touches, but when you do that certain times on the floor you're not going to be able to run as much help. And BYU does a great job of moving it. They ran some good stuff against us to get some mismatches down there. A couple times when we were switching, they ran, you know, pretty simple guard-to-post screen and got her not against her post but against a guard. And it's pretty simple but they executed it very well. And they were quick with it. Timing is a big issue in that. And they had excellent timing today when they did those things today.
Q. Can you talk about their defense and what they were able to do?
COACH JEFF MITTIE: Well, I felt like we were sluggish early and felt like the ball movement and player movement was going to be critical. And early in the game we weren't getting either. We would skip it but then everybody would watch the skip pass and stand so we weren't getting active after we moved the ball.
We went to the press because we needed that game, I wanted to get BYU scrambling some. I wanted to get the floor more open. Unfortunately we made some runs, but we also made some turnovers that allowed them to get the game back in the half court.
So when you fall behind like that and you need the game in a different speed, we did what we could and then I thought we got fatigued down the stretch. And Kubik continued to make basket after basket. She's big and strong down there. I mean, I -- I'm not sure -- I'm not sure we could play her the same way with what they were allowing her to do. Is that correct enough without getting me in trouble?
Q. Could you also assess your NCAA tournament possibilities and do you feel like you belong?
COACH JEFF MITTIE: Well, I am -- the way I look at it is when you put the RPI numbers, that's based off the toughest schedule. I didn't create the formula. I just put together a schedule that would match up with people in the country. And you put together 18 wins and you have the last couple weeks that we've had, I feel good about our chances. And I feel very deserving.
I think the thing that has been outstanding, and I'll get to this, Adrianne touched on it a little bit, is that the league has been so good this year. It's not just about non-conference scheduling; it's about the quality of games we got within the league. Because the top 6 teams in this league, we played 14 games against those, and those are all RPI inside the top 60. That's a lot of games inside the top 60.
I like our chances. I'd love to have two more wins because I'd be sitting there on Monday and then I'd be worried about where we're going. I guess now I'll be less picky. We'll see TCU come up on the board. So, I hope so. We finished -- we finished third in the regular season. We get to the semis here. I think our league is deserving of 4, 5 bids. I feel like we're definitely in there.
Q. Are you not nervous about it?
COACH JEFF MITTIE: I'm nervous. I'm nervous every year. I was nervous when we had the automatics because then they put you in the last bracket, and you're going, is there any chance they have forgotten? Or somebody -- so, no, I'm always -- this one will be, because of where we came from, I think we finished so strong though. The way our schedule is set up for us, we knew it was going to be really tough down the stretch, but that should be a benefit come committee time. They want to see good wins down the stretch where we beat Utah on the road, who doesn't get beat there very often. We come home, beat a very good UNLV team. We beat an excellent Wyoming team. And then we ran up against the team that's proven to be the best team in the league all year long.
Q. How is Vanessa?
COACH JEFF MITTIE: You know, I don't know. Did you ever have won of those little operation games when you were a kid and you couldn't touch the sides? That's how Vanessa -- we got an elbow injury, we have a head injury, and she's got an ankle. She's banged up. I was nervous it was a knee, you know. And you see that a lot in women's basketball. But it's the ankle, and my guess is it's going to be a pretty good ankle sprain for 3, 4, 5 days.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, coach. Good luck Sunday.

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