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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT

March 6, 2009

Nell Fortner

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

Auburn Â– 71
Ole Miss - 65

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Auburn, who recorded a 71-65 win over the Ole Miss Rebels, they advance to play the winner of Tennessee/Florida tomorrow night in the semi finals.
We're joined by Coach Nell Fortner, DeWanna Bonner had 32 points and 13 rebounds, a double-double. Whitney Boddie, 15 points, 7 rebounds. We'll begin and ask for an opening comment and then we'll take your questions.
NELL FORTNER: I'm just really -- you know, this is the first time that we've played in the semi finals of the SEC tournament since we've been at Auburn. I'm really proud of this team for having that opportunity.
I thought today's game was a tremendous show of great passion and heart from this team. There is no easy game in the SEC tournament, doesn't matter what day you play on, what game it is, there is no easy game. Doesn't matter what your seed is, there are always going to be close games.
I think we saw a great example last night with Mississippi State and South Carolina, there is no lead that's safe and you have to play hard for forty minutes. I'm proud of the team for doing that.
THE MODERATOR: I will mention DeWanna became the Auburn career scoring leader in today's game with 32 points, so congratulations. Questions?

Q. DeWanna, you were pretty hot a couple of times in the first half, you were fouled a couple of times in the first half and you got up shaking your arm, what happened there?
DeWANNA BONNER: They were hard fouls, I bounced up, I missed my first couple of free-throws, so I let it get to my head, but the second time I got up and knocked 'em down.

Q. Nell, can you talk about having the luxury of putting the ball in these two's hands?
NELL FORTNER: It is a luxury, there is no doubt about it, couple of Lamborghinis right there. I have tremendous confidence in 'em.
That's one of the neatest things, to walk into a gym and know you're going to play a game and have such tremendous confidence in your team. These two players have been with me, starting every game they've played at Auburn, so the confidence and the trust that has been built between us is really a nice thing to have in coaching.
It's one of those unique, fun things in coaching. But they're big-time players and big-time players make big-time plays, and they did that tonight.

Q. For the players, first game, top seed, did you guys feel -- how much responsibility did you feel on your shoulders? To kind of step up, especially late in the game when they were making runs?
DeWANNA BONNER: It was no pressure, I just feel like it was another SEC game. It's tough, I mean, no matter if you are playing the 12 seed, anybody can be beaten on any given day so we had no pressure.
We just wanted to come out here and prove to -- Coach said, go out and prove yourself that you are the Number 1 seed, so I think we played hard and played hard for forty minutes.

Q. Whitney, your thoughts?
WHITNEY BODDIE: Like she said, no pressure. We wanted to come out and establish ourselves. We're playing for a lot, a championship, and this game was a good test and you're -- it's not really pressure, it's coming out and taking care of business and you want to get tested. It prepares you for the future.

Q. For Nell or the players, talk about keeping Thomas from getting on track today.
NELL FORTNER: That was the plan. It was to absolutely smother her as best we could, and I thought we did a nice job of it. She had 31 last night.
She's a player that can change a whole game in about two minutes, so you cannot let her get on track. The shots that she hit, one shot in the first half and we made it a tough shot, at the free-throw, but she had some clean looks in the second half, and we were just fortunate that she wasn't really "hot" today like she was yesterday.
She is a tremendous shooter, tremendous shooter and it really makes a huge difference for their team. I thought our game plan was very good on her and I thought it was executed well by the team.

Q. Whitney, did you want to talk about the defensive game plan against Bianca?
WHITNEY BODDIE: I wasn't assigned to guarding her, but I did get switched out to her in the zone a little bit. She is sneaky. You don't think she is going to shoot it, but she kinda chills and boom, in your face. You have to play her tight and you have to take your hat off to Sherell, she played her tight.

Q. DeWanna, talk about your scoring.
NELL FORTNER: It's a tremendous honor, to be able to be up there with the top scorers, I'm excited, but I'm not focused on it, ready to play the next game and keep adding to those points.

Q. Whitney, can you talk about the last shot with 26 seconds left? It was kind of your play.
WHITNEY BODDIE: I don't remember, but --

Q. You guys were up by 5, 20 seconds left.
WHITNEY BODDIE: I was just trying to make a play, they were kind of pressuring me and I was trying to make a play. It went in.

Q. DeWanna, in the first half you had some scoring and rebounds, can you talk about stepping it up defensively and rebounding?
DeWANNA BONNER: That's something that we stressed every day in practice is rebounding. When Reneisha went out, she brought in Chantel and I knew I had to help her out. You don't know what to think when a team comes hard at you. A team comes hard at you, you have to hit the boards and I rebounded to give us some fast breaks.

Q. Nell, y'all had a 6-point lead with 6:19 left, they cut it all the way to three. Is there something that happened there during that time?
NELL FORTNER: I think we got a little winded and we had a little difficulty finishing things out really on both ends of the floor at that time point. I mean, I really attributed it to that.
I just think we were winded. But we just hung so tough and that was the neat thing. I never thought -- you know, I hesitated on calling timeouts because I have tremendous confidence in them. I know they know what to do. That's one of the neat things about coaching this bunch right now.
So they needed to catch their breath again, and I knew it would be okay, but it was just a matter of letting them catch their breath. We hung tough. Bottom line is we just really hung tough.

Q. Nell, you talked about getting your bench involved before the tournament, were you disappointed with the performance of the bench?
NELL FORTNER: I'm not going to say I was disappointed. You know, we definitely need great effort from our bench so I can rest my starters during the game. I know that that will come.
We're young on the bench, so we've got to -- at least they got their feet wet today, but I'm not disappointed. I understand how the process works and it's a big deal, you know, first time playing in the SEC tournament and I know tomorrow will be better for them.

Q. Nell, you had a discussion with the official after the hard fouls on DeWanna. Is that your way of protecting her?
NELL FORTNER: Wouldn't you protect her? I'm going to do that with any of my players. I just really thought they were incredibly hard.
There is hard fouls, there are times you're going to go in there and you're going to foul, but that was two in a row. That was really what bothered me and it was back-to-back, two times down the floor. That's pretty tough to watch as a coach when your players are gettin' it like that. I was just trying to make a point.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies.

End of FastScripts

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