MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 12, 2005

Lindsey Arndt

Don Flanagan

Dionne Marsh

Mandi Moore

COACH FLANAGAN: Evidently it was a defensive battle. You know, I never thought we could keep them in the 30s. Our goal was to keep them in the 50s. Had we done that, we wouldn't have won the game. I am happy that we kept them in the 30s. Mixed up our defenses quite a bit. Tried to delay them in the back court. They run a great offense and set a lot of screens. They've got some outstanding scorers. We were just trying to delay them down the floor, hopefully they'll run out of time, which they did a couple of times with 30-second clock. The other key was blocking out. Don't give them second shots. And then take way their transition game, which I thought we did pretty well. So it was a defensive game. It was workmanlike, blue collar. I am proud of what we did today.

DIONNE MARSH: I thought that I wasn't making time. I was missing a lot of little lay-ups that I usually do better in making. I guess we did show a little bit in making lay-ups and things like that. Overall, I think we did pretty well.

DIONNE MARSH: A little bit. I got a few shots to the face in this game. They were thinking this could be their last game. I guess you have to expect any and everything. But, it was a little more physical in the second half. We all stepped up as a team and we still won.

MANDI MOORE: We were saying in the locker room, you know, we have got to win at Utah, we've got to win at Colorado State. Why not make it a three-peat? It's never been done. Kind of a team of making history. We didn't want to stop here.

LINDSEY ARNDT: It was similar to the Pit. It is not quite as loud because the Pepsi Center is so much larger, the sound travels a little bit more. We have great fans. They are so loud and consistently loud. Throughout the game they are always loud. That helps us a lot. It was a lot like a game at the Pit. Nothing compares to the Pit, but it was close.

MANDI MOORE: You know, the Pit is a crazy place to play. It is rowdy. Everybody is down in on you. Nothing really can compare to the Pit. We had an amazing turnout here today here at the Pepsi Center. Nothing beats the Pit, but today was pretty good.

MANDI MOORE: I wasn't paying attention I guess to know if it was the dagger. I don't know. You never know with Utah. They fight until the very end. They can be down ten with a minute left. We saw it at Utah two weeks ago I think. It is never over until the buzzer rings with those guys. It kind of strengthened our momentum and they had to start fouling.

LINDSEY ARNDT: I think a six seed would be very nice. Anyway, I think a six seed would be nice. But you never know what the committee is going to do. I would like to advance further in the NCAA. The first time last year we won one. This year we would like to win more than one obviously and keep progressing through the tournament. That is our goal as of now.

DIONNE MARSH: A lot more than I expected. A lot of people ask me that. No, actually there were like seven girls ahead of me. I was going to take whatever I could get and be happy with it. It was a learning experience for me. The things I got today I am more than happy with.

DIONNE MARSH: Today I don't think so. I think it was an adrenaline rush. The first half went by fast actually. I think I got knocked around a lot in it. It kind of got to me. I kind of got a little sore. Today it was just an adrenaline rush. We could win and be champions three times and coming in to my first year, that would be great.

COACH FLANAGAN: Yeah, but you know, really, as I said and I believe this, she is a mismatch for anybody in the conference one-on-one. We didn't ask her to carry us, but we were throwing her the ball an awful lot. She is not going to mentally -- she is not going to worry about that. She kind of gets focussed on what she has to do. She is not worried about carrying a team. Actually, Dionne averaged more points this year in her first year at college than she did at her senior year at high school. That is very, very unusual. I think as she said she is a very humble person. She will do what you ask her to do. She comes from an excellent family. Her upside is quite good obviously.

COACH FLANAGAN: Anything I say would be speculation. I know one thing. I know we're going. Other than that, we're 26 and 4. We played a pretty good schedule. You know, I think we ought to be around that. I mean, I would like to get a six seed. Personally, I think Lindsey would like to get a six seed also.

COACH FLANAGAN: This team has been a great team of poise and character. I think what happened to both teams today, we had a real physical game yesterday. It was a difficult game yesterday. You see a lot of cardiovascular fatigue. I think everybody by the end of that game was beat up a little bit. Nobody was really playing as sharp as they played early on in the tournament. So, it might have been Katie's shot. I was hoping it would have been Abbie's free throws. I don't think it was nervousness. She missed some free throws that she normally doesn't miss. Lindsey follows as a three-point shooter. She could have made a better decision on that. That is okay. Lindsey did just fine.

COACH FLANAGAN: It can become a focus. They play a real physical brand of defense. It was hard to get the ball from one player to the next. If you put it on the floor, they are bodying you all over. They are denying passing lanes. We try to use the full floor and make cuts and set screens and move. But evidently the only person we could get it to a lot of times ended up being Dionne. This was one taking the big shot. That doesn't bother me a bit. You have got a chance to get fouled if you are inside. Also you have got a chance with the ball going inside to get an offensive rebound. I think it is a high percentage play to get it inside especially since the defense was so physical and so tough.