Nov. 24, 2010

Recap |  Box Score |  Notes

Coach Lisa Stone on having late opportunities but not being able to take advantage:

"Yeah, we didn't. And when we made our run Marquette had a way to answer. But we got beat on the boards early and our turnovers early in the game set the tone of the game. We had 6 turnovers before we got a shot off, so those are things that are concerning. But again it is one that we have got to get better at, we have got to do a better job blocking out.

I thought (Sarina) Simmons had her way with us, any matchup we had on her, she had a great game. And you know we struggled, we struggled with some of our key players and we just didn't respond. I am not going to make any excuses for it. Yes, it would have been nice to have Lin (Zastrow) but that's not going to, I don't think, make a big difference in tonight's game, because we simply couldn't handle their pressure."

Coach Stone on Tatiyiana McMorris and Angel Robinson stepping up for Marquette:

"Yeah (Tatiyiana) McMorris, I think she went on a 7-0 run herself later on, one was a 3 and the next was right to the rim. And you know we got in foul trouble, we didn't step in there and take a charge. There's things that we have got to get fixed in a hurry. We have a day off and then we play another game, but give Marquette a lot of credit. They played well, they outplayed us, they beat us to the ball on rebounds and loose balls, and it's concerning for me, I am disappointed. And I am going to do a better job getting this team ready."

Coach Stone on the efforts of Taylor Wurtz and Jade Davis:

"Yeah, it was nice to see. It is nice for Jade (Davis), Jade has been struggling a little bit and it was good to see her breakout. Same with Taylor (Wurtz), we tried to set some clear-outs for Taylor early to get her a layup and let that shot come. But she worked very hard and logged a lot of minutes and did a great job on the glass for us. Well, Anya (Covington) had 12 rebounds but I would have guessed that Taylor had the most rebounds."

Coach Stone on tough upcoming games against BYU and Saint Mary's:

"They sure are. BYU is very good, they took Duke to the wire, and Saint Mary's nearly beat Nebraska in Nebraska, so we have got our hands full. But we can't cry over sour milk. We have got a tough schedule for a reason, and we have got to find some toughness soon before we come back here and play Duke in a week."

Marquette Head coach Terri Mitchell:

"We knew that we'd be in for a great game today. Anytime that you're on the road ... this is our first road test. We obviously were home for four games. Anytime you play Wisconsin you know it's going to be a battle.

I knew they would make a run. I was very proud of our defense in the first half but we knew that they weren't going to lie down. They came back at us with great energy. What I was most proud of is just how steady Angel (Robinson) was as a leader. Our senior leaders were very steady and because they were steady the rest of the team responded.

I think the mark of this team is that we have great unity and our strength is not having any superstars. I think Angel and Sarina (Simmons) had pretty special games but if you look through the course of the game, Paige (Fiedorowicz) had her moments, Tatiyiana (McMorris) had her moments, hit big shots. Everybody's trying to get everyone involved."

On the improvement of Sarina Simmons:

"Sarina came to Marquette to make a difference. I think we threw her into the fire last year as a freshman, maybe even when she wasn't ready but her great athleticism, being a lefty, being able to shoot ...She's in transition right now, making her a 3-guard. She has to go between both but I think the big challenge is for Sarina is to understand what she's capable of. Her transformation has been that she conceded last year to the other players and said, `Well, I'm just a part.' Well, we're saying, `You're a main part, you're a scorer, you need to look for your opportunities to score, you need to be a good rebounder.' Before the game she told us the she was going to get a double-double. I think she needs to tell us that every game."

"My personal conversations with her is just `Sarina, there's a lot of people that would love to be in your position and you don't have to back down to anyone. Just be the athlete that you are and have fun out there.' I think she was very relaxed and had a good time and when she's relaxed like that you can see the blocks, the steals, you can see all the stuff that she did. I'm very proud of her. This is a game for her, fifth game in, all of us, we're early in the season but I think this is one that will help her to look back on and to continue the rest of the season."