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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 7, 2008Lakisha FreemanFahkara MaloneSharon VersypINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA THE MODERATOR: For Purdue we've got head coach Sharon Versyp, FahKara Malone and Lakisha Freeman. If you would like to start with an opening statement and then we'll go ahead and take questions for the student athletes. COACH VERSYP: The Big Ten tournament is obviously a huge thing for every team that comes in. I really felt that our team was very, very prepared. They're very, very excited. We had a clean slate. Didn't feel like we finished as well as we needed to. So this game was very key. Most of the time when we have had a loss we respond very well, and just really proud of this group, again, through all the adversity that we've had. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student athletes. Q. FahKara, you've had your foot on the gas at times over the last month or so. What was it about today that you were tracking for all 40 minutes it looked like? FAHKARA MALONE: Well, it's IU. In-state rival. Don't want to lose to them. We let a game get away from us at home. I have a paper in my locker after Coach made us read and I just wrote some things should never happen. And we just want to go out there and get this most importantly for our coaches because they worked so hard all season. I just wanted to do whatever I could to get a win. Q. Kiki, was it just get out of her way type of thing? LAKISHA FREEMAN: Yes, it was like give her the ball. She was doing it all for us offensively and defensively. She played a great game. That's what she's capable of doing for this game. Didn't expect anything less from her. Q. FahKara, after playing IU twice, did you see something at least from a defensive standpoint that would allow you to pick the pocket as many times as you did today? FAHKARA MALONE: They're a great penetrating team. They all can put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. And I'm just small enough that I can get the ball before it comes back into their hands. Q. Kiki, what did you think you did defensively there in the last five minutes or so? Looked like you were able to really clamp down on them? LAKISHA FREEMAN: I was trying to get some pressure on them so they couldn't see anything. It was easy to get to the post due to no ball pressure on the wings. Just wanted to help my team out and get over there and get some steals. Q. For both players, the lift that Mosley gave you there in the second half with that personal 7-0 run? FAHKARA MALONE: She's amazing. I wish everyone else would realize what we realize; she's a big body in there. Every day she comes in she produces every single time. We expect nothing less from her than to knock somebody over and get a basket. LAKISHA FREEMAN: Ditto. (Laughter). THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Q. Coach, which was more impressive tonight, FahKara's offense or her defense? COACH VERSYP: Both. She's been the catalyst for this team. We've met a lot, and she just continues to make her team better. And that's the type of attitude we need to have and hopefully it will continue to rub off. We have to have that "do not die" attitude and get after it, and things are going to go up and down. But our defense has always been the big key and I thought not fouling them was huge. But FahKara was a key for us. Q. The score tied with five minutes to go, a lot of time-outs. Anything said in the huddle or what would you point to as the difference down the stretch when you went on the run? COACH VERSYP: Our defense was able to get some steals and some fast break points. We were trying to isolate Danielle in a little bit, have FahKara have the ball in her hands and make decisions setting picks to go high-low. And I just think our defense, we denied them a lot of points in not fouling them. We were able to get the ball and run. And that's when we're very good. Q. Follow-up on Mosley. Seemed like her points came right there in a period where you were really looking to get something done offensively and she was able to give you that short boost? COACH VERSYP: Yeah, Keshia doesn't care if she's got four people on her, she's going to shoot. We didn't have a post player down low. Danielle didn't want it and Natasha didn't want it. So Keshia, doesn't matter to her. We really got the ball to her even if two people were on her. She's got some strong, powerful moves. At least we get a shot up, it's not a turnover. It's very strong. When she's feeling it, we're going to give her the ball. It went to her four times in a row and we were able to score. Q. A little bit more about the steals, Indiana finished the season as the number one stealing team in the conference. Source of pride to beat them at their own category? COACH VERSYP: In the Big Ten we're tied for steals. Obviously all the games we're not, but in the conference we're tied for steals. And Kiki and FahKara are catalysts for us to get steals. For FahKara to get 8, it's like that vision when you're pitching. You just get in a zone and she was in a zone tonight. But our whole team defense was very, very effective. And they just followed FahKara. That's what she did last year. She was the best defensive player for us on the floor last year and she's continuing it right now. Q. Sharon, does it concern you at all since you've got a game tomorrow that four of your starters played at least 35 minutes? COACH VERSYP: No, because you've got to win the game. You've got to win. These kids are resilient. Right now FahKara has a little bit of a groin pull. So we've got to try to get her healthy. But right now everybody's got to be able to play. Gotta be able to rotate. But you can rotate a lot of people. If you don't come out with a win, it doesn't matter. So it's all about winning that first game. And then a lot of it, the adrenalin, getting to the Final Four, the adrenalin will take over. Q. Just the rebounding today. I think there was a stretch there with I think Jackson had three offensive rebounds and scored. But to finish with two kids with 10 or more rebounds, how important was that element today? COACH VERSYP: Well, the whole thing against IU is about rebounds. They really destroyed us at home. On the offensive boards we didn't shoot well at that point and we knew that we had to keep their post players off. Weak side board. When it comes to Kiki, she's six-one, she has a great ability to box out our post players, sometimes get caught too far underneath the basket. Kalika is a little smaller. But I was very pleased. They're going to get some because they're a very good offensive rebounding team. But for both of us to have 13 and for us to secure the boards at the very end was very big key for us to shoot free throws down the stretch. Q. Is Natasha a little banged up too? COACH VERSYP: Yeah, she's got a problem with her foot that's been nagging for three weeks that nobody knows about. So these kids just gotta continue to play through. And that's why I say they just dealt with a lot of adversity and are fighting through a lot of things just like everybody else in the country. But I'm very pleased where we're at right now. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. End of FastScripts |
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