TCU vs. Iowa State Postgame Quotes
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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TCU head coach Raegan Pebley
Opening statement
"Well, you just don't forget games like that. They don't come around very often. We were down by 24 in the second half, and to come back from that, I am really proud of this team. It's hard to win in the Big 12 and I think it would be fair to say it's even harder to win when you're down by double digits in the second half. We have that potential, we have seen it throughout the year. I think we saw in the past week the kind of work to get that success."
On the halftime speech
"We talked about a few things strategically where we worked on ball movement. I really challenged them. When a coach challenges a team, there has to be some confidence that the team will respond. They don't see that very often in me, where the veins are popping. It wasn't about me yelling or what I said, they deserve 100 percent credit for that victory."
On TCU's mindset after come-from-behind victory
"I think they're experienced. They know that every Big 12 game is a battle. If you build your confidence on hard work and great teamwork, you won't get caught up in the highs and lows of the Big 12. You won't let one loss take your confidence away and one win feel like you're really good. You have to sustain confidence through each outing."
Junior guard Zahna Medley
On what the team did when it was trailing and when they tied it late
"In your mindset, you don't think you're down. When you're able to tie it, it's anyone's game. It's 0-0. That's what was going through everyone's heads."
On what put the team behind early
"I felt like early in the second half, we played more as a team with the first half being a lot of one-on-one. There were a lot of kick out options in the second half. We weren't taking those opportunities in the first half, which helped our field goal percentage increase a lot."
Senior forward Chelsea Prince
On what was behind the second half rally
"I think that the defense in the second half really did fuel us. In the first half, we were playing defense, but we weren't rebounding as much as we should have. We weren't moving the ball as much when we were down. We were sticking to ourselves when we were down."
On swatting away Iowa State's last inbounds pass with two seconds left
"I knew they were going long since everyone was settled in the backcourt. It wouldn't hurt to jump, so I just jumped. When I turned around I expected someone to be there, so I tried to grab it before they could. I knew [we won] when I hit the ball."
On what the University Rec Center has meant to the basketball team
"It's a fantastic gym that our volleyball team gets to play in. It's such a great atmosphere to play volleyball in, and I'm excited for Jill [Kramer] to play in it with her team. We decided on the first day we would focus on the positives of playing in this gym. We will have an even better facility there."
Junior guard/forward Veja Hamilton
On her thoughts of the team's home facility this year
"I think with a facility a little smaller in size than what most colleges are used to playing in, with how many people we have screaming and yelling in there in that enclosed space, it gets in the opponents' heads and gives us energy."
On what sparked her own second-half improvement
"Honestly, I just came out angry and frustrated from the way we played in the first half. I felt like our team could bring a lot more to the table, and I just wanted to give the team energy. When we get that chemistry going, it's hard to compete with us."
Head coach Bill Fennelly
Opening statement
"Certainly, you have to give TCU a lot of credit. I don't think I've ever seen a team give up 65 points in a half. Our inability to handle the press at times and foul trouble, we just didn't have enough. You have to give them a lot of credit for playing a great second half, they deserved to win."
On TCU's attack on both ends of the court
"I mean we worked a lot on it, as Kidd said. I thought we were prepared for it. With Nikki Moody only playing 15 minutesm, that proved to probably be the biggest part of the game. They made a lot of shots, and tough shots. It kind of feeds on itself a bit. You have to give them a lot of credit."
On how Iowa State could have weathered the TCU rally
"You always go back to what you do best. You tell kids what they do. You be fundamental, help each other out and take a little personal pride in your defense. We got in so much foul trouble and we got tentative and they beat us off the bounce. We weren't doing the things that we were doing in the first half. Every coach talks about a 40-minute game, and we talked about that at halftime. We played a horrible 20 minutes and we paid for it."
On if Raegan Pebley's first TCU team is much different than past years' teams
"A little bit. They press a little more. The personnel is the same, but it's not very different from what we have seen in the past."
Junior guard Nicole "Kidd" Blaskowsky
On the physical and mental aspects of the game, especially with TCU's play
"We worked on this with the scout team. When it comes to times like this, you have to stick together. When you make an error, you have to bounce back and stick with each other. We can't start blaming people and stay as a team. We are going to push forward."
On the extra crowd noise that came from the University Rec Center
"I don't think it really matters what kind of gym it is. When it's game time, it's game time. All of us on the bench, five people in the game have to be in it with each other. We have to trust the coaches. The crowd can get as loud as it wants, but we are the ones who control that and we have to follow the game plan."
Sophomore guard Seanna Johnson
On the difference in TCU's play in the second half
"In the second half, they came out shooting. We should have guarded the ball a lot better. It's hard to win when they shoot 65 percent in the second half."
