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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 1, 2007

DULUTH, GEORGIA

THE MODERATOR: Joining us from Florida, head coach Carolyn Peck, Marshae Dotson and Sha Brooks.
Coach, if you could open with a comment.
COACH PECK: I would say that right now I've got to be the happiest coach in America. I have a group of nine young women that are going to leave it on the floor. (Tearing up) I'm going to make it through this. They're battling so hard and they're playing and showing a whole lot of heart.
I just appreciate the effort they have put in, what they've put in. We had two very good days of practice. Both practices lasted about 45 minutes because their focus was where it needed to be. My motto is: Why beat a dead horse? They were doing it right. They were working hard. 45 minutes, it's over. We shot our free-throws, we're out of there. And it carried over.
Our game plan, their focus, all nine players came in and did what we needed them to do. None of us want this to be over, and they showed that tonight.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Peck or the players.

Q. Marshae and Sha, can you talk about the emotion of the last few games, what's maybe clicked for you the last couple games?
SHA BROOKS: Like I said, every game we're not taking lightly. We go out there, we play our hardest. Coach tells us to penetrate, try to get to the basket. We work in practice on free-throws because we penetrate in the game a lot, we have to hit our free-throws.
All nine players, like coach said, we're giving 110% because we don't want this to be over. That's our emotion, we're not ready for this to be over.
MARSHAE DOTSON: I'm just glad we played it out, you know, the whole 40 minutes. That was the big deal this whole season, us coming in, playing hard in the second half and pretty much not the first. Kind of carried it on throughout the year and just put it all together. And, of course, we don't want it to be over.

Q. Why do you feel like the results are coming now that weren't coming a few weeks ago?
COACH PECK: Well, you know, I just felt like it was a matter of time for it all to click together. We've had so many different things to happen this season. Now we have the continuity. Everybody in that locker room is on the same mission. They are very unselfish. They're very passionate. There's a lot of love. That's why I think, you know, now it's clicking and paying attention.
I think also we've experienced some success now, and I think that that experience has been a great teacher for us, showing us what works, what's good for us, what our strengths are.

Q. Marshae and then Sha, at a time when no one would blame you for worrying about your future, what helped you stay focused on the present?
MARSHAE DOTSON: I don't know. I mean, I love the game. You know, a lot of people who are in my ear, Just keep playing hard and you can get to the next level, whatnot. I'm right here right now. I'm thinking about now pretty much not later.
SHA BROOKS: I don't really focus too much on the future because I just take it a day at a time. I guess our whole team just take it done day at a time. This is how I take my days.

Q. Coach, can you talk about the defense, especially when y'all had that stretch in the second half where you were able to hold State scoreless for a while?
COACH PECK: In everything that we did, whether it be man-to-man or zone, we had to play with a team concept because Mississippi State will post your guards up. We got to have help there. Then you have Jackson, who can post up big inside. On the three-point shot, we mixed up between our man and our zone.
I think a big part, a big key to that had a lot to do with rebounding. I think Marshae played a big part in that. I think Sharielle Smith did, too. I just looked at the stat sheet. She ends up with 11 rebounds for the game coming off the bench. That's a lot of work. I think that also happens when, you know, you have your guards like Kim Dye and Jennifer Mossor boxing out, too.
I think the intensity of all nine players, because they all played, the intensity that they brought I think definitely helped us.

Q. Coach, what are some of your concerns about Vanderbilt?
COACH PECK: You know, I think my first concern is getting my team home and in bed tonight. I think that's our biggest concern. We know that they have great size, they've got great scorers. Dee Davis I think is one of the top point guards really in the country. Then you got Caroline Williams who can shoot it. You got Carla Thomas who plays big inside, then Liz Sherwood, woman of the year, came in. So the size factor I think, you know, is a concern.
The turnaround time for us to get ready I think is our biggest concern. It's why we want to go home and get to bed tonight and start letting the team prepare for Vanderbilt tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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