SunBeltWomen’sBasketballChampionship
March11,2017
Game#10-#2UTAvs.#3Troy
PostGameQuotes
TroyQuotes
OpeningstatementfromTroyHeadCoachChandaRigby:
Ofcourseit’sagreatnight;wearesothrilled.Westartedoffbeingsohappythis
afternoonthatourmen’steammadeittothechampionship.Iwasalittleworried
aboutthepressurethatmighthaveputonourteamafterthat.Ihadneverseenateam
soexcitedwhenourmenwonthatgame.Wewerebackatthehoteltryingtogetour
mindsrightforourgame.Thewaythegamewent,wejumpedouttoalead.Ourgame
wasplantopushtheballupthefloorandpressurethemmantomandefense,wegot
awayfromthatgameplanthesecondtimeweplayedthem.Ithinkmyteamhas
improvedonmantomandefensetremendously.Wedonotevenlooklikethesame
team.DefensehasbeenourweaknessandourAchillesheelthisseason.Butwereally
didagoodjobtonight.Their3pointshooterscouldnotgetagoodlookatthegoal.
Theymadesomerunsinthegamelikegreatteamsdo,butweneverfalteredbehindour
seniors.Weneverreallyadjusted.Theonlythingweadjustedwaswestartedthegame
inazonepressthenwewentbackintoaman,non-trappingpress.
QuestionforHeadCoachChandaRigby:The#1and#2seedsonboththewomen’s
andmen’ssidesareoutofthetournamentnow.Whatdoesthatsayaboutthe
strengthoftheSunBelt?
SomethingthatIhavenoticedsinceIhavebeenintheSunBeltisthatteamsgetbetter
andbetterthroughouttheyear.LittleRock,our#1seedlosttonight,buttheyarestilla
greatteam.ThecoachesintheSunBeltaredevelopers.Theydeveloptheirtalent.We
don’talwaysgettheAll-Americansorfirstroundpicks,thosemightgotoanSECschool
mostofthetime.Butwehavecoachesthatdeveloptheirtalentandteamgetbetter
andbetter,andIthinkthatiswhatyouseeinthistournament.
QuestionforHeadCoachChandaRigby:YouhadalotofsuccessdownlowvsVanDijk
whereUTAonlyhadonebig.Wasthatsomethingyouplannedonoristhatjustkind
ofhowthegameplandevelopedandyoujustwentwithit?
Thefirsttimeweplayedthemwhenwehadsuccess,wekindoftriedtopickonthefact
thattheyarereallyrunning4guardsinthere.Weranhighlowposttopostalotinthat
game.Secondgamewedidnotgetitasmuch.Whenwewerebackinthehotel,we
reallytriedtoshowthat.Wewantedtotryandusethattoouradvantagethatwehad2
bigsinthegame.”
QuestionforHeadCoachChandaRigby:Youhadover150reboundsinthe2games
leadinguptothis.Haveyoueverhada2-gamestretchwhereyouhadthattypeof
successinside?
No,butIhaveprayedforit.Weneverhadthatmanyina2-gamestretch.ButItoldthe
teambeforethesegamesthattheteamthatactuallystepsawayfromtheircoachesand
doesthemostthingsthattheircoacheshavebeentellingthemtodoallseasonisthe
teamthatwillwinthistournament.Reboundinghasbeenourbiggestthingallseason.
SunBeltWomen’sBasketballChampionship
March11,2017
Game#10-#2UTAvs.#3Troy
PostGameQuotes
UTAQuotes
OpeningstatementfromHeadCoachKristaGerlich:CongratulationstoTroy.
Obviouslytheywerethebetterteamtonight,nodoubt.AndCoachRigbydoessucha
greatjobwithhergirlsandgettingthemreadytoplay.Theyverymuchwereseniorled
andonamissiontonight.Theyareanincrediblebasketballteam,particularlyonthe
boards.Theyaresostrongandsodeepandtheyjustcrashtheboards.Ithoughtthat
fromthetip,particularlythefirstthreeorfourmintues,theysetthetone.Wetried
reallyhardtoconvinceourkidsnottoplaywiththemlikethat,nottoplaytheirgame,
andIknowitisdifficultbeauseofthewaytheyplaynottotakeearlyshotsandnotget
posttouches,butthat’sjustnotourstyleofplay.Wereallyhavetoworktheballand
getposttouchesandexecuteouroffenseandwestruggledwiththatallnightlong.It
wasdifficultforustogetitundercontrol.Ithoughtthatathalftimewehadkindof
weatheredthestorm.Itdidn’tfeellikeit,butIthinkweweredown12,andthat’s
withinreachbecauseTroyisgoingtokeepdoingwhatTroydoes.Theyaregoingto
keepshootingthebasketball,andifyoucanrebounditsome,youhaveachanceto
comebackonthem.ButIfeltliketheyshottheballreallywelltonightandwedidn’tdo
agoodjobofkeepingthemofftheboards.Justdisappointedinusnotfollowingour
gameplananddisappointedforourkids.Wehavecomesuchalongway,butobviously
kudostoTroy,Ithoughttheydidanicejobtonight.
QuestionforUTA#44RebeccaVanDijk:Rebecca,Isawyoukindofleadingthehuddle
outofhalftime,whatwereyoutellingtheteam?
Iwasjustkindoftellingthemthatwe’restillinitandthatwestillneedtoplayhardand
weneedtoplayourbasketballinsteadofTroy’sbasketballandIjustwantedtogive
themsomehopeandtellthemtokeepworkinghardandkeepdoingit.We’vecome
backfroma12pointdeficitbeforeandwecould’vedoneittonight.
QuestionforUTA#44RebeccaVanDijk:Yourjerseysays“What’sYourWhy?”onit.
What’sbeenyourwhythisseason?
Definitelyoneofmybigwhysisdefinitelyplayingformydad.Ithinkoneofhisfavorite
thingstodoiswatchusplaybasketballandhe’sgotthebestspotinthehousenow.
QuestionforUTAHeadCoachKristaGerlich:Obviouslycoach,thisgamedidn’tgoas
plannedforyou.Lookingathalftimewhenthedeficitissohigh,asacoachwhatare
youdoinginagamelikethatintryingtomotivatetheplayerswhenjustnothing
seemstobeworking?
Ithinkyoutryreallyhardtoprepareyourkidswellforthistimeofyear.Itisaboutwhat
theydo,Imeanthey’retheoneswhohavetoexecuteit,youknow,youjusttrytodirect
theminthedirectionthathelpsthemmostbenefitfromwhatTroydoesbest.Youonly
havesomanytimeoutsandIreallywantedtocallit.Thatmaybethesecondtimeall
yearwhenIcalledittwicewithinthefirsthalf.Ijustwantedtosettlemykidsmorethan
anything.Ijustreallywantedtogetthemtounderstandthatit’sokay.Therearelotsof
nerves,lotsofadrenalinepumpingallthosethings,buttheyjustgottoreallybemore
disciplinedandmorefocusedonwhatwe’retryingtodoandexecuteit.Youtry
differentrotations,differentoffenses,differentdefenses.Troy,onceyouletthemout
ofthegates,it’salittlehardtogetbackinit.Especiallybecauseit’sdifficulttopress
them.Ithinktheydosuchagoodjobatthepresspartoftheirgame.