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BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 11, 2008

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

THE MODERATOR: Coach Kristy Curry from Texas Tech, make an opening statement.
COACH CURRY: I think you have to give Texas a lot of credit. Congratulations to Gail and her squad, and best of luck to them.
Again, they were able to make a few more plays and shots, and you have to credit Texas.
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Dominic Seals and Jordan Murphree.

Q. Jordan, can you talk about the way that your team shot the ball today. At the same time, it seemed like every time you got into a rhythm, they would answer.
JORDAN MURPHREE: I think they did get into a rhythm, and I think we saw that and needed to make more stops defensively. We could never get in that rhythm, so we had to counter it with our defensive end, and I don't think we got to that point.

Q. Jordan, can you talk about ball security and, you know, they obviously took a ton of transition points off y'all's turnovers and stuff. Is it that they were in the passing lanes, there was no space? What do you think overall, they were able to fluster you into turnovers?
JORDAN MURPHREE: We weren't securing the ball and we didn't do a good job of meeting our passes, and I think that hurt us.

Q. Dominic, can you talk about early on they seemed to keep you limited in the first half, and then you got going in the second half. Talk about what they did in the first half against you.
DOMINIC SEALS: In the first half they tried to double me and knock the ball out of my hand, and then on the second half I wasn't knocking down shots like I was supposed to.
In the second half, I had the momentum that I knew we had to come out and play hard, and I had to do better than I was doing the first half.

Q. Can you talk about what it's meant to play with Erin and what it's going to mean to you to be playing without her?
DOMINIC SEALS: When I was in junior college, watching Erin play, she played hard and gave her all. This year she has been a great leader to us. I hope she has a wonderful life and just is a good person, because that's what she is and she ain't been nothing but positive to us.
JORDAN MURPHREE: I came in as a freshman and looked to her. She is successful on and off the court, and I think she'll be successful in the business world.

Q. Dominic, what do you think you're going to remember most about this season when you look back on it in a few years, when you're a little bit older?
DOMINIC SEALS: I'm going to look back and say that, you know, we fought like every game we played since day one, since we played Baylor. We came in with the heart to win every game, but it's just not always in our hands. But when you look at it in the sense you can't do nothing but smile about it, coming from junior college to the Big 12 is nothing but a blessing.

Q. Jordan, your outside shooting, that was slow to come along this year. Do you feel like you've got that taken care of going into the rest of the postseason and next year?
JORDAN MURPHREE: I wouldn't say I have it taken care of, because I missed a few tonight, but I've been working on it and I will continue to work on it, and hopefully it will be better next season.

Q. (No microphone.)
COACH CURRY: I think Vonnie Henderson came a long way and everybody has, and I think that should be one of our strengths, hopefully next year, if we keep working on it.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Kristy Curry.

Q. How much of this Texas team improved defensively from the first time you saw them to these last two games?
COACH CURRY: I think Texas has always been known for their defense, the past years, getting up in the lanes, full court pressure. I think for years at Texas Tech that's been their forte, and they turn their defense into offense.
And Gail has done a great job of continuing that tradition, and the kids are a year older and better and they're athletic and quick. When you're athletic and you've got those long arms, you can disrupt a lot.

Q. What do you think is different about Texas now versus when you guys beat 'em in Lubbock, what's the biggest difference?
COACH CURRY: Their balance, they're having people step up, three people in double figures for them, Brittainey, Raven, Carla, much better play at the 1 without question. I could go on and on, but I think those are things that are glaring, their two freshman, Nash has been giving 8, 9, 10 points, going to the offensive glass, doing the dirty work, so she's done a nice job of making them better as well. I really like her.

Q. Can you talk about the early stages of the game; you came out and took a quick lead and then they go on a huge run to take the lead back and never gave it up.
COACH CURRY: I think the biggest thing about today is similar to what we've been through all year. When you have a 2-1 turnover to assist ratio, you want it to be reversed, and that's what we've had trouble with all year. You can't have 23 turnovers to 12 assists, it's got to be 12 to 23 and that's what happened all year.
We weren't able to convert, make plays, finish shots, pretty much that's the game. We miss a layup at the end of the first half and missed one at the beginning of the second half. You've got to make those.

Q. Technically this is your second year, but with all the turnover this year, did it almost feel like it was a first year?
COACH CURRY: Without question, you look down our roster tonight, 6 out of 9 kids that took the floor have never played in a Big 12 tournament. That was the situation we inherited; we're going to turn it into a positive. We're building for the future and we're going to stay positive and roll up our sleeves.
And the thing about it is, as hard as it's been, I consider it a blessing, a wonderful opportunity to help these kids and we're going to get it back to where we want it to be. It's just not going to be easy and it's not an easy league to build back in.

Q. Do you feel like you're in a better position now than you were last year?
COACH CURRY: I don't look back, I look ahead. Whether it's good, bad, happy, sad, it's over. You learn from it, grow from it, turn it into good, and there is no question we're excited. We have three new faces coming in, possibly a fourth, and our goal is to try to get to the WNIT, and we're going to work hard. And I think these kids have a chance to keep playing.

Q. Regardless of what may or may not happen with the NIT, can you talk about ball security, and when you go into the off-season, whenever that is, guard play with that, how important is that going to be for y'all's long-term future?
COACH CURRY: I don't think there is any question, like I've said, Brian, it's experience, it's handling the basketball at this level. And when you look at our guard spots, you know, we put Vonnie Henderson to the 1, she is coming back, and we've got to be stronger with the basketball, secure the basketball better.
It's a level of toughness with and without the ball, moving with and without the ball. A lot of our turnovers come because we're not moving that well without the ball away from the ball, spacing, all the little things.
It's not so much who has the ball in their hands as what's happening away from the ball. The more they play, the more they understand, and the more they're having the opportunity to get better with every day.
We're at our best when the assist/turnovers are 2-to-1 the other way. Maria Moore probably had one of her better games, but she's got to learn to be consistent with that. We've not been able to get perimeter play on a consistent basis in two or three of the team players all at once.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about Erin and the two years you got to spend with her?
COACH CURRY: Erin has done a nice job of being the epitome of what a student athlete should be. The Big 12 academic team, it's not easy to lead eight new faces, from my red shirt that sat with an injury, but she has had a great chore and did a great job, and I think she wants to take y'all's job in broadcasting, so you guys better watch out.

Q. What did you say to the team when you huddled in the middle of the court before you left for the locker room?
COACH CURRY: I told them we're going to be here next year, and we're going to be looking a whole lot better and hold their shoulders back and hold their chins up and walk over to the bench and sing the song the way they should do and to go over and thank those fans. We appreciate the fans, and hopefully we'll get a chance to take it back home and play a little bit of basketball at home.

Q. Do you like your chances for the NIT? And if so, what do you hope to get out of it?
COACH CURRY: I think postseason, anytime you have an opportunity of something that you think -- believe me, the NIT is not what Kristy Curry and Texas Tech are about, but it's what we need to be about right now. It's the point where in our program and what we need to do -- our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament.
You look at teams across the country that have been to this, it's learning what postseason play is. And the more we play, the better we're going to get. And when we're not playing, we're going to roll up our sleeves and have individual workouts and continue to play in April and May.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, best of luck in the postseason.

End of FastScripts

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