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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 7, 2009Fahkara MaloneSharon VersypLindsay Wisdom-HyltonINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Purdue – 70 THE MODERATOR: Okay. We'll open up with general comments from Coach Sharon Versyp then we'll go to the student-athletes for questions. COACH VERSYP: You know, whenever you come in and play that second game, for us, I think we weren't as anxious as we were when you play that very first game. I thought our kids were very focused. We knew that Wisconsin was going to give us everything possible, a team like that that's playing great right now. Alyssa Karel was just taking them on her back, was willing them to win. The first half was a very tough half and the second half I thought we did a good job defensively, locked them down. We put [Lakisha] Freeman on Alyssa Karel and our post players and everybody just kind of fed off of one another and I thought we played great team defense. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes. Q. FahKara, how important was the last three minutes of the first half to get you into halftime with a lead, and did you feel like you had that momentum? FAHKARA MALONE: It was very important for us. We needed that momentum. We just needed to get some stops at the end of the half because our defense wasn't doing anything for the first 17 minutes. And Coach just kept telling us to cut the lead, cut the lead and try to get up as much as we could before the halftime, and that's what we did. Q. Lindsay, talk about the first few minutes there. You had a couple of nice plays that sort of sparked the offense and gave you that little bit of cushion? LINDSAY WISDOM-HYLTON: Talking about the second half? Yeah, we came out of the locker room, were going on a run. High energy. Wanted to keep feeding off of that and we wanted to get the ball inside, get an inside-out game going. And Danielle Campbelll and myself were trying to dominate inside and we were able to get some good looks, and then we were able to kick it out to our guards and they were able to knock down the shot later on. So it was a good job of getting the ball inside and out and moving the ball around. Q. Lindsay, I think you had 10 points total in the first two games against them. And then you had that in the first half tonight. Was that an inspiration, or did they treat you differently? LINDSAY WISDOM-HYLTON: Yeah, I think this game they weren't as physical. They weren't doubling as much as they did the last two games we played them. I felt like the last two times they were a lot more physical. And I felt I was double-teamed and triple-teamed, and I guess this time they were trying to take a new approach going one-on-one then doubling later on in the game. I think that was sort of the difference, and it's tournament time. People step up and it's a do-or-die type situation. So you want to come out and play hard for your team. Q. FahKara, seemed like each of you had your own mini run within the run. In the second half Lindsay came out and scored a couple of baskets. And Danielle had 7 of 9 and then you scored three baskets in a row. Were you just going in the flow of the offense and you all found something that would work? FAHKARA MALONE: I think the biggest thing was our transition. I know most of my buckets were in transition. And then we were just able to push the ball and then isolate the post on one-on-one down low, and once it's one-on-one with any of our posts, then they can handle that. And that's what they did today. Q. FahKara, are you taller than Rae Lin D'Alie? FAHKARA MALONE: I think we're the same height. We're both listed as 5'3". I think it's pretty much the same, we're both pretty close to the floor, that's all I know. Q. Lindsay, did you feel like if you kept going to Danielle she could eventually get something going inside? Because struggled through the first 25 minutes but seemed to really turn it on in the second half. LINDSAY WISDOM-HYLTON: I think Danielle, she's a great player. And once she's able to get the ball deep inside and make a quick couple of moves -- and she found her rhythm. I think she was doing good with that. We kept feeding her the ball. She was hot and being aggressive and attacking. And that's what we needed her to do. And she started doing that later on in the game, and I think early on she needed to do that more. Q. Lindsay, just to be back in the championship game again? LINDSAY WISDOM-HYLTON: It's a great feeling. I can't be more proud of this group right here and I'm so excited to go out my senior year and just get to the championship game, and we're going to play our best and hopefully we can get a three-peat. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies. Questions for Coach Versyp. Q. Coach, did you see something different out of your team tonight from the ability to put points together in quick fashion? COACH VERSYP: I've been waiting for it. No. I mean, I feel our last eight games, I just feel so confident with this group. I mean, they're just really playing off of one another. And yesterday was a very tough battle. It was a great basketball game and then be able to come out here and get that offense flowing and be able to lock down and play some defense with that. I think that's been a big key for us. And it was great to -- they went one-on-one and Danielle was really attacking the basket, doing some things, one-on-one with Lindsay down low. We wanted to build that interior. Jodi Howell hits her first 3 and it takes the stress off of everybody and we put that on her every game. And we just have to make runs like that. We gotta have different players that can step up and score in bunches. Q. Sharon, after just having several games earlier in the year without FahKara, can you just talk about the impact she brings to the game, both on offense and defense? COACH VERSYP: First of all, FahKara is our tremendous leader. She's our vocal leader. She's our Energizer Bunny. She's the voice on the court. So her energy level just intensifies and everybody plays off of her. So we did a great job during the time she was hurt. She got hurt in the Michigan State game and that was in overtime. And we gathered ourselves, beat Texas that next game back, and went on a 7-2 win/loss streak. And everybody just stepped up. And it was good for FahKara. She sat down. It was humbling. She saw how different people do different jobs, and I think she's really now -- defensively she's the key. She gets us going and everybody else steps up. When you have a point guard like that and offensively she's so quick and she understands, she knows exactly what I want. And that's a big key. When you have a point guard that's plays for you for three years, they pretty much know exactly what the coach wants. Q. Was there a particular message to Danielle, because she sort of went from not being able to hold on to the ball to all of a sudden being dominant there for that five-minute stretch? COACH VERSYP: No, I think with some players, you have to be very positive. FahKara, I can really pare down, which I did tonight, the light switch went on and she went on a terror. With Danielle it's empowering her and being really positive with her. And when she gets that -- you can tell when she's going to knock down a shot and take over a game. With Danielle, she wants to do the best she can for her team. When she's out there smiling and being happy, then good things happen. Q. I think you're undefeated in three years at Purdue in this tournament. Is there some key to getting your team each year to be able to play its best at this time of year? COACH VERSYP: You know, no one has the magic method. But I just really feel you need to peak at the right time. Hopefully us coaches were doing the right team; some people peak too soon, everybody wants to win every game. I think some losses really help you. We really work on the mental side a lot. Everybody worries about Xs and Os, and we definitely, I think, are a very good X and O coaching staff, there's no question. But the mental side of empowering young kids, understanding their role, accepting it and being able to perform in that. Right now it's all about being positive with your teammates. And I think our journey that we have from the beginning of the year, all the way with team building and what we do and how we come together in March, hopefully we'll continue to do that always. But it's not an easy job. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. End of FastScripts |
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