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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

THE MODERATOR: We'll open the press conference with opening statements from Coach Kevin Borseth.
COACH BORSETH: We're obviously very excited. The guys haven't had an opportunity to win -- the seniors, specifically, haven't had an opportunity to win a Big Ten Tournament game since they've been here. So it was a very big day for us.
THE MODERATOR: We have Krista Phillips and Carly Benson.

Q. Can you talk about the 17-0 run? Did something change there and which end was it better at, offense or defense?
CARLY BENSON: I would say that we just came out and we knew that there were going to be runs when they would go on and runs we would go on. We had to try to stop their runs and keep our runs going as long as we could.
I thought in the second half we did a good job coming back when things weren't going our way in the first half, then we started to play really well together and that helped.

Q. Krista, obviously before Coach Borseth got here you were used to a lot of losing and he's used to a lot of winning. Looking at his career, what does it mean to be getting past the first round and not going home today?
KRISTA PHILLIPS: It means a lot. When I got here, I wasn't used to losing and we had a rough season, and, yeah, that happens, but it's in the past. He wants to win and we all want to win. That's the attitude right now. We're playing every game like we need to win because we want to win. I think that's what's driving us right now.

Q. In the first half, Penn State did a good job picking up offensive rebounds but in the second half you did a better job getting the defensive rebounds. Can you tell me what the difference?
KRISTA PHILLIPS: I think after halftime we were cognizant we gave up a lot more offensive rebounds. The biggest thing was we talked about it and we made the adjustment, which was kind of the thing we've been doing all season, getting better making adjustments and getting it done.

Q. Was it the game plan to go in you, like, every time right at the beginning of the game and set the tone, or did that happen just naturally?
KRISTA PHILLIPS: I think any time -- you know, that's my favorite place to get the ball, is to block, so as much as we can get it, I love it. I think it's always the game plan. I like to get the ball and I like to -- I like to bang the paint and I think that's what I do best.
THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you.
Questions for Coach Borseth.

Q. Coach, with the expectations this team had at the beginning of the year and this being your first year, how does it feel being, sitting here winning one game in the Big Ten tournament?
COACH BORSETH: To be honest, I didn't eat this morning when I got up. You just get that feeling in your belly that you don't know exactly how you're going to do it. You really want the kids to do well. They work so hard to make this a special year. To come in the Big Ten Tournament and not get a game, it's really -- you want to be able to do well in the tournament. You want to be able to advance.
We did that today. I think we earned it and we got a chance to play another day. That's very exciting.

Q. What did you see during the run? Was it more defensive or offensive?
COACH BORSETH: It's funny, because we inserted Ronnie Hicks and we inserted AJ and put Skrba, put three of our starters, those kids I think we were down five at the time. Ronnie deflected a pass right away. They made things happen for whatever reason.
I think it just gave us a good fresh set of legs. They energized us and got us back into the game. Actually when they came out we were back, the starters went back in, those guys built a lead up so that energy really helped us. That's what I felt.

Q. What do you think has really led to so much improvement this year? A lot of these kids probably aren't used to 17-0 runs in college basketball, things like we saw today, being patient in a tight game like that?
COACH BORSETH: In a game like Wisconsin, when we lost early, we turned the ball over five times when they were making 3s. I told them I don't care what kind of shot you got, just take care of it. Take care of the ball get a shot every time down the court. They're going to make some shots. They're going to hit some 3s and make things some things around the basket, make things happen.
That's what happens when teams are making runs. Take care of it, get a shot every time down the court. And that really helped. Plus, every time we turned it over, Penn State is so good in transition. Taking care of the ball down the stretch is pretty key.

Q. At the beginning of the year you spoke about usually you don't use your bench a lot. Can you talk about are you surprised by the fact that Skrba and Jones and Hicks have solidified themselves as three key bench people? Can you just talk about whether -- are you surprised that they've really stepped into their role there?
COACH BORSETH: We need to -- if you look -- if we need to win this tournament, if we want to win this tournament we're going to need more players, obviously. You can't just -- you're playing a game less than 24 hours, you've got to play another one, you need to have more people.
I guess our intention at the beginning of the year was just to solidify what it is we were trying to accomplish as a group, first of all, with five people. And I think if you get those five to understand and then the rest can learn from that while they're sitting there, then insert them slowly, I think it helps us.
We've got a couple of kids in the lineup, maybe not as much as we'd like to have, but it's a start.

Q. You knew Penn State would be good at transitions but how frustrating was it for them to see them go down and score some of those points?
COACH BORSETH: Every time we turn it over. KP threw that long pass side line to slide line. And I think Skrba threw one of those as well. And Coop missed a layup in the first half. Any time you miss a layup or turn the ball over, they come flying at you. They make them. We need to take care of it, obviously, and make the layups. Those two things help.

Q. You said you couldn't eat this morning. What kind of stuff was going through your mind going into a game like this?
COACH BORSETH: I don't know. What do you think? You want the kids to do well. They worked so doggone hard. I love these kids. They have a new coach to come in, and for them to accept us the way they have has really been really special.
They put some extra time in the gym. I come in in the locker room halftime, one of them is diagramming things on the board. They just want -- they want it to be a special year. Going into these games, Penn State is pretty good. They're talented. Grant, 1 and 25-25, those two kids, they're pretty talented kids. They get them on the run any time.
You hope your kids are able to play well for them so they can enjoy part of this college basketball experience as well.

Q. Coach, two schools of thought: Dubious run where the team hasn't won for a few years here. Do you mention it, dwell on it, or you don't say anything because you don't need to say anything to them about it?
COACH BORSETH: I talked to them about it. I said, How many of you guys won a conference run? They said, None of us.
Obviously it's there. You can't run from it. You know what I mean? You have to face it. But it's our turn. It's our time to get down there and get a game out of it and earn a chance to play a second day, which I felt we did.

Q. How did you address the team at the end of the game? Telling them, Enjoy this for a second but tomorrow we've got a game?
COACH BORSETH: Haven't got that so far. I was so hungry. In fact, I was late getting here because I was eating. Grabbed myself a pulled pork sandwich in the locker room.
We savor the moment until we get back to the hotel, then make adjustments for Iowa because they're obviously very good.

Q. How odd is it for you to see players diagramming plays in the locker room compared to what you kind of start out with at the beginning of the season? Is that the things you noticed that led to this kind of improvement?
COACH BORSETH: Over the course of time you'd be surprised if you give the players some latitude to make some decisions on their own, because they do ultimately on the floor, they do make decisions on their own. You can't diagram and coach every player they have. And as a result they've got to accept some responsibility for it.
So it's good. I feel bad when I walked into the locker room at halftime. There's no chatter. And I feel good when I walk in and there is chatter because it means they're trying to figure things out on their own, because they have to be able to do it on the floor and communicate with one another.
It's about them. It's all about them. They have to figure it out on the court by themselves and it helps when they communicate.

Q. What was the diagramming?
COACH BORSETH: It was Krista. When I walked in she was diagramming. She went and sa down. They're trying to figure things out. There was a couple of scenarios we just weren't covering very well and they're trying to communicate how they were going to cover it. They get a little nervous when you miss it the first time. And then the second time everybody kind of just freezes. And they were just trying to work it out.

Q. Which Krista?
COACH BORSETH: Krista Clement. She's a true leader.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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