SunBeltWomen’sBasketballChampionship
March9,2017
Game#7-#2Texas-Arlingtonvs.#10SouthAlabama
PostGameQuotes
UTAQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachKristaGerlich:
Wellwewerereallyexcitedtogetthatwinandjusttoestablishourselvesinthesemifinalsobviously.Butthat’sreallybigforourprogram.That’sourfirstpost-seasonwinin
theSunBelt.Ithoughtthatthesetwokidsdidagreatjobofputtingourteamontheir
back.ObviouslyIthoughtthatSouthAlabamaplayedreallywell.Weknewitwouldbea
toughgame.Theyaresowellcoachedandtheydoagoodjobonthescout.Theymake
youhavetogotooption2,3,4,and5becausetheydefendyourfirstoptionsowell.But
Ithoughtthatourkidsdugdeep.Wedidnotshoottheballwell,wedidthefirstquarter
andthenwegotalittletightitlookedlike,butIthoughtthatwedidshoottheball
really,reallywellfromthefreethrowlineandespeciallylate.Andthoughtthattheydid
agoodjobindiggingdeepandfinishingthegame.
QuestionforCierraJohnson:Whatdoesitmeantogetthefirstpostseasonwinofyour
career?
Itfeelsgreat.Thepasttwoyearswe’vebeenrighttherebutwejustcouldn’tpullitoff,
soitfeelsreallygoodtobeabletogetourfirstwin.
QuestionforRebekahVanDijk:Didthisshowhowtoughitistowininthepostseason.
Ithinkso.WealsohavesevennewplayerswhothiswasthefirsttimeplayingintheSun
Belttournament.Ithinktherewerealotofnervesgoingaround.Yourfirstgameyou
havetoshakeoffafewofthosenervesandyoukeepplayingthroughitandworkhard.
QuestionforCierraJohnson:ChristinaDeversisyourteam’sthirdleadingscorer.
Tonightshehadanoffnightshootingbuthad8rebounds.Whatdoesthatsayabout
her?
Tomeitjustshowsshecandomorethanonething.She’snotjustashooter.Shecan
rebound,shecanattackthebasket,shecandoallthat.Ifonethingisn’tworkingyou’ve
gottofindsomethingelseandIthinkshedidagreatjobtonight.
QuestionforHeadCoachKristaGerlich:Theteamhadsevenassistsinthefirst
quarterandonly6inthelastthreequarters,whatchanged?
Wellwequithittingshotsforonething,ourshootingpercentagewentdrasticallydown.
Itwasn’tthatweweren’tsharingtheball,weweren’tworkingforasgoodashot.
SometimesIthinkwhenyougetsomeshotsearlyyoustartrelyingonthinkingthat
they’regoingtobeeasyyoustartlosingyourfocusalittlebitandIfeltthatwedidthat
inthesecondquarterparticularly.ButIdidthinkthatwehadstagefrightjustalittlebit
almostthroughouttheentiregame.ButIthoughtlateinthegamethatwedugdeep.
AndIthoughtthatAsiahadabigthreeinthecornerandreallywantedtheball,andthat
helpeduskindofspreadthegapalittlebit.
QuestionforHeadCoachKristaGerlich:Howgooddoesitfeeltogetthewintonight?
Itfeelsreallygood.Iloveconferencetournamenttime.Ilovethefactthatwebringall
theteamsin.AndIsaythatbeingthenumbertwoseeditsreallytoughplayinglower
seedsbecausetheyhavenothingtoloseandtheyreallygetafterit.ButIlovethatfact
thattheyhavetheopportunity.BecauseI’vebeentherebefore,andyouwantto
motivateyourkidssothefactthatyougoinatahigherseedandthey’veplayedagame
before.That’sdifficultanditwashardbeingathomeonTuesdaywatchingthosegames
beingplayedalreadyknowingtheyaregettingtheirfirstgamejittersoutoftheway.But
towin,tofinallygetthatfirstwinreallyfeelsgood.It’shugeforourprogramand
obviously,wedon’twanttobesatisfiedwithjustonewin.Butourkidshavegotto
figureouthowtosteamrollthroughtherestofthistournament.
SunBeltWomen’sBasketballChampionship
March9,2017
Game#7-#2Texas-Arlingtonvs.#10SouthAlabama
PostGameQuotes
SouthAlabamaQuotes
OpeningStatementfromHeadCoachTerryFowler:
WellfirstofallIwanttocongratulateUTA.Outstandingbasketballteamand
outstandingcoachingstaffwithgreatplayers.Tonight’sgame,wereallyfeltlikewehad
agoodopportunityheretonighttopulltheupset.Thoughtweplayedwellenoughtobe
abletodothatinspots.Ithinkwegotthegametoathreeorfour-pointmarginand
thenwehadtwoback-to-backturnoversinthebackcourtthattheyconvertedand
scoredandextendedthelead.Ithinkthatwasthedifferenceintheballgame.
Extremelyproudofouryoungladies.LikedthefightweshowedhereintheSunBelt
ConferenceTournament.EspeciallyproudofourloneseniorColbyDaviswhohasnot
practicedsinceFebruary6thandjustshowedupongamedayandjustgaveeverything
shehadtoUniversityofSouthAlabama.
QuestionforHeadCoachTerryFowler:Yourteamwasabletoknockdownthreepointersduringthegame,finishingwithnine,butcouldn’tknockdownthebigshotin
theendwhenthegamewasstillinreach.
GenesisPerrymanhasbeenshootingtheballreallywellandshekindofcontinuedthat,
andwegotabigliftfromErinAutiotonight,whohasstruggledduringtheyearbutcame
intonightwithanoutstandingnightandgaveusalift.Ifyouaregoingtobeatateam
likeUTA,you’vegottobeabletomakethrees.Onethingthatcouldhavehelpeduswas
shooting(betterthan)60percentfromthefreethrowline.