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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 9, 2014Jordan HooperRachel TheriotConnie YoriINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Nebraska  - 72 THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with an opening statement by coach and then talk questions for the student‑athletes. COACH CONNIE YORI: Well, it was a game where we couldn't make a shot, but yet we found a way to win. That says a lot about our mental toughness. We pursued the ball, did a great job on the offensive glass and gave ourself a chance to have more opportunities to shoot field goals. We obviously got to the line from a variety of different ways and made a lot of free throws. So you don't always win ‑‑ every game doesn't come down to playing pretty, you got to find different ways to win and today we found a way to win, despite the fact that we didn't shoot the ball very well. And that's a credit to our players for their toughness. I want to compliment Iowa for their toughness as well. They had foul trouble, they're playing four games in four days, and they hung in there in the first half when they didn't have some of their starters on the floor and that's a compliment to their program. THE MODERATOR: Take questions for the student‑athletes, please. Q. Jordan, why were you guys able to have so much success on the offensive glass? JORDAN HOOPER: On the offensive glass we just pursued the ball. We knew coming in they were a great rebounding team so I think we just kind of wanted it a little bit more, the ball. And I think that we just, like I said, we just went after it. Q. Rachel, down the stretch there I'm sure both teams were tired, but what do you think made the difference down the last three or four minutes of the game? RACHEL THERIOT: I think that just us being tough and getting rebounds and obviously, we hit a couple shots at the end. But just overall, we had good defensive stops and took care of the balls and made rebounds. Q. Jordan, you talked about it yesterday, but now that you have won the tournament, what are your emotions and what does this mean to you? JORDAN HOOPER: Well I'm obviously really, really happy that we won. Kind of feels like a long time coming. We have been coming since my sophomore year and we just couldn't get it done. And so to have this opportunity again and to be successful is huge. It means everything. So hopefully we just keep this momentum going into the next phase. Q. Rachel, talk about coming out that second half, you nailed I think six or six points in a row or something, I could be wrong, but that was a major change I thought. Go ahead. RACHEL THERIOT: I was hot, obviously, and my teammates got me the ball and we executed what we had to do. When I was open, I just took the shot. When I wasn't, I just passed it off, so. Q. Jordan, Rachel obviously had 18 assists in one game and was named the MVP. From your perspective what does she do in this tournament that really stands out? JORDAN HOOPER: She kept her calm, kept her cool and passed the ball like she knows how. I thought she did a great job of being a point guard and getting us the ball when she needed to and also taking the shots when she had them. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies, good luck in the tournament. Take questions for coach. Q. With Iowa in foul trouble early in the first half did it become kind of a concentrated effort to drive the lane and draw more fouls or is this just, is that just kind of how the game played out? COACH CONNIE YORI: Well, they played a ton of zone in the game. And for ‑‑ I'm sure that they had game plan to play the zone but I think they probably played more than they would have thought, based on the fact that they were in so much foul trouble. Their zone is‑‑ I thought that we got good shots and I really did. I think the shots, I would take them again, for the most part. But I think our ability to get on the offensive glass, I think that to continue to put pressure on them with their foul trouble. We got some offensive rebounds and got some fouls on that. So we didn't necessarily penetrate their zone, but we did find ways to draw fouls within their zone. Q. With Iowa coming at you late closing within one what made the difference the last four or five minutes? COACH CONNIE YORI: We made free throws. We got stops and we made a lot of free throws. I don't know when we made our last field goal, I don't have it right in front of me here, but you got to make free throws in that situation, if they're going to foul you. And we were aggressive. Even though we were missing, we were aggressive pursuing the ball. Our ability to get on the offensive glass was a huge part of the game. Look at the rebounding numbers, that was pretty clear that that was a huge factor. We, Emily and Jordan, we knew that shots weren't going down and they just kept going after the ball. And that's how we got to the line. Q. Rachel did a lot of things for you obviously this weekend, what impressed you the most about her performance this week? COACH CONNIE YORI: Well, she's just a really confident player. She's taking shots when she's open. Earlier in the year I had to remind her about not passing up shots. I still occasional have to remind her, but she's being more aggressive looking for her shot. She's got a great feel on when she needs to make plays. That's unusual for a kid her age. She knew that we were struggling and she needed to be the one that needed to take some shots for us. And she did. Combined with the fact that she's a great passer, but today we needed her to score the ball. Q. Can you address the significance of winning first conference title for Nebraska? COACH CONNIE YORI: Well, we have had four cracks at it here in the last three years and not everybody gets a second chance or a third chance and in this case a fourth chance. It's a credit to our players for just being very, very resilient and coming into this tournament knowing that take one game at a time and try to win it. But we have been in the league for three years and we have competed for the conference championship four times. So that says something about the consistency of our program. I mean men's and women's basketball, we're not just a football school any longer? All right? Okay. Q. Hailie Sample had a double double and I think she had a charge on that three on one and took a charge on the three on one. How vital was that performance to win a championship? COACH CONNIE YORI: Yeah, Hailie is a really good player. She doesn't necessarily score a lot, but she's a really good player in many ways. And she played all the minutes for us. We don't have her out there just filling in, she's productive in the things that she does. There's a reason why she's on the team. I was really pleased to see that she was named to the all Big‑10 defensive team. She's been doing that for four years and she doesn't get a lot of recognition and I think the coaches in our league are starting to realize that there's a reason why she's on the floor for us. Q. After the conference season and the conference tournament are you looking forward to preparing for a different team than what you've been doing? COACH CONNIE YORI: As always. It's the old adage that it's a grind and we have now played‑‑ you play teams multiple times and it's always nice to see somebody new. So we got one break here, we got to figure out a way to stay sharp and yet don't wear our kids out. So we got a whole week plus before we find out who we play. Q. After winning today and what you've accomplished, what type of seed do you think you've earned? COACH CONNIE YORI: You know I really haven't thought about it. I'll look at it, I think now, but I haven't really put a lot of thought into it, so it doesn't matter what I think. It just matters what the committee thinks. THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, coach, thank you. COACH CONNIE YORI: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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