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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 8, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

THE MODERATOR: For Purdue, we've got head coach Sharon Versyp, Kalika France and Danielle Campbell.
Start with an opening statement.
COACH SHARON VERSYP: Iowa is one of the best teams obviously in the Big Ten and obviously in the country. We knew it was going to be a tough battle. They knocked down, they're a great offensive team and we were down by 17, and I guess we decided to start playing our type of game.
And we're very fortunate that we shot exceptionally well from the foul line yesterday. We didn't, but, again, I'm just really proud of this group and I think the keys to that was only six turnovers for us.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student athletes.

Q. Kalika, what was the difference after you got down there by 17?
KALIKA FRANCE: Well, we were down 17 early in the game. We had a lot of game left. I felt like we played one of the best nonconference schedules and the best conference schedule to get us prepared for the games like this. We've been down in these kind of situations before. We know that Iowa is a good team and they weren't going to let us just have it. We had to take it. So basically we just came together and started playing together as a team.

Q. Danielle, was it as simple as attacking and going inside, because that seemed to bring you back a little bit there in the first half.
DANIELLE CAMPBELL: I think that and our defense. First half, first opening up, we weren't together on defense. We let them do whatever they wanted to do.
But we ended up getting stops because we were more physical with them, more aggressive and we were moving our feet better.

Q. Kalika, did you want to get out on the break earlier when they set the defense in the half court? You guys were struggling with that and then got in on transition?
KALIKA FRANCE: I think Danielle hit it on the head. We weren't communicating well on defense. They were just getting easy buckets. That's what this is about. Defense wins championships and that's our goal, to win again this year.
So when we stepped up our defense, we forced them to turn the ball over and then we capitalized on that.

Q. Kalika, did you feel like in the first 10 minutes that you took maybe their best shot of the game and just had to maintain and survive after that?
KALIKA FRANCE: Definitely. I felt like they came out hitting, Coach said at halftime they were shooting like 69 percent. That was like unbelievable. Most teams don't shoot 69 percent for the whole entire game. So we just knew we had to battle back. It's a 40-minute game. You just have to play hard for 40 minutes. We got lucky that this one didn't run away from us. But we worked hard, nevertheless.

Q. Danielle, we seem to ask you this after every game, but can you just talk about the progress that Keshia has made and obviously she's coming along at a pretty good time for you?
DANIELLE CAMPBELL: Most definitely. Mo is a big body presence down low. Whenever she gets down there she's going to score all day. She could have two, three hanging off her, but she's going to go down there and get it done for us.

Q. Kalika, you guys have been in many games this year where the turnovers just went, went and at the end you're looking at 20 or 25. What did it feel like to be in a game with six, six turn overs today?
KALIKA FRANCE: Feels great. It really does. I think that's a career high, or a team career high, or maybe career low. (Laughter). That was great, though. I mean, we gotta come out and do it again tomorrow.

Q. Will fatigue play a factor tomorrow? You go six deep three days, you have to put it out of your mind, but will it become a factor?
DANIELLE CAMPBELL: It's tournament time. We're ready to play.
KALIKA FRANCE: Not at all. We've done this before. We are basketball players. That's what we do. We practice every day for three hours. If you can't get ready for the game, then don't put the uniform on.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies.
Questions for Coach.

Q. Coach, your only committing six turnovers was big, but you turned their turnovers into 25 points, just taking advantage of their mistakes at that point?
COACH SHARON VERSYP: We know we're not a stellar shooting team. In order for us to do well, and I think for us to be where we're at today is because of our defense, and because of our fastbreaks and being able to cause problems for people and getting to the foul line.
I mean, those are the two key things. That's been our bread and butter the whole year. It can't change now. All of a sudden if you're knocking down shots, that's a major bonus.

Q. You've had some pretty good defensive efforts this year. But from that eight minutes to two minutes where you took the game over, have you had one quite as good as that this year?
COACH SHARON VERSYP: No, I know we've come back but to be down 17 points to make that run, you know, these kids just continue to fight harder and harder every second. And again if you have heart, you don't teach that. It just comes from within. And I think that's been the big key. They did not want to be denied again today.

Q. Sharon, 69-63, you guys had a timeout and you called a pass over the top onto the weak side to Danielle. Did you draw that up or did you see something there?
COACH SHARON VERSYP: Last six minutes I call every play. Usually FahKara does a little bit and I'm yelling stuff out, but I'm totally in control the last six minutes. And so I pretty much call every play.

Q. What else can you say about Mosley that you didn't say yesterday?
COACH SHARON VERSYP: Nothing. Just keep feeding her what we're feeding her, I guess. No, I mean, you gotta love a kid that wants the ball down low. And she wants it. She loves the contact. And there's not many true post players in the world that really want that. And that's why she's got a gifted body for us to be able to utilize. That's why we recruited her to play for Purdue.

Q. Just to be back in the championship game for the second straight year?
COACH SHARON VERSYP: It's huge after adversity. No one is talking about it anymore, but we talk about it. You have your two best players sitting on the side line with Lindsay and Jodi. People don't talk about it. That's why we're here is because we're playing for those two.
And playing for Purdue University, and I'm so proud of this group. We're not satisfied by any means. But I don't think anybody gave us a shot.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.

End of FastScripts

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