University of Tennessee Athletics
Kentucky vs. Tennessee Post-Game Quotes
January 17, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt
Opening Statement???
"Obviously we struggled a little bit in the first half. I thought Kentucky did a great job of dictating tempo early. Our board play wasn't there tonight and we didn't shoot the ball particularly well early. At halftime, we really just tried to adjust in terms of extending our defense more and playing at a faster tempo. We favor up-tempo and shot the ball better because we were able to quicken the tempo."
On getting better shots in the second half???
"We got a lot of points in the paint. Obviously (Candace) Parker went to work and Alexis (Hornbuckle) did a great job of finishing. We tried to be more aggressive in the second half in both the open court and in the half court."
On UK head coach Matthew Mitchell???
"I've know Matthew for a long time. He worked with me at Tennessee and is a great friend. We talk occasionally and I'm here for him if there is anything I can do except give him a basketball game. I thought his team played hard and he has to be proud of their intensity and effort. I want to see Matthew be successful here at Kentucky."
On Kentucky's defense in the first half???
"They played good defense on us and kept us off the glass. I'm not convinced that we were persistent in going to the boards hard. Sometimes we stand around and watch Candace Parker play and rebound. That's something we have to give better effort."
#3 Candace Parker
On Tennessee's play in the second half???
"We came into the locker room pretty drained, and we didn't have much energy. In the last two games we've played, our opponents have been able to slow the tempo down. We haven't had many easy baskets off our defense. We wanted to get back out there in the second half and find some energy."
On Coach Summitt's intensity???
"She is very intense and I think what allows her to keep coaching like that is her passion for the game. It is great to have a legend as a coach, who helped put women's basketball on the map and keep it where it is today. I count my blessings every day that I play for her."
On the last time Tennessee played Kentucky in Lexington???
"Several of us remember watching them (Kentucky) celebrate after they beat us a couple years ago. We knew we could change that in the second half and we didn't want to see them celebrating a win again."
Kentucky Head Coach Matthew Mitchell
Opening statement???
"We're very disappointed on how the game ended up, obviously. We came into the game wanting to win the game. We didn't get that done tonight. Tennessee has a heck of a team. I just wish we could have competed a bit harder down the stretch and given ourselves a chance to win, and we really didn't do that tonight."
On Elliott starting after her injury last game???
"When I met with the media a little bit over 24 hours ago, we were going to see what she would do in practice. The night before when we practiced at 9:00 Tuesday night, she was on crutches. At 3:30 p.m. yesterday she rolled out and practiced so it was miraculous."
On what UK needed to do to defeat Tennessee???
"I guess when you step back and look at it, we clearly want to be a good rebounding team. There are three things in this conference that you need to do to win. You have to give great effort for 40 minutes. You have to rebound in this conference to be successful. You have to take care of the basketball. We wanted to win tonight and execute at a level to win the game, rebounding was a part of it. That part of it we did pretty well in. But we didn't take care of the basketball with 25 turnovers. You can't beat the No. 2 team in the country when you turn it over like that. I didn't think that we gave enough effort over 40 minutes. About 32 minutes is what it looked like to me so that's not going to get it done."
On if he was happy with the tempo of the game???
"I thought we got the tempo where we wanted it to be. Twenty-seven points in the first half is where we wanted them to be with a team that averages over 80. Offensively, we didn't have anyone provide us with offensive leadership. Against a good team like that you need somebody that is going to lead you, and somebody that is going to step up when you are in a little rough patch and go get a bucket for us. We really didn't have that. We had to have people play in complimentary roles and we just didn't have any of that tonight. Offensively, you can't shoot 31 percent against Tennessee and beat them. Tempo was where we wanted it."
On what UK did to try to stop Tennessee's Candace Parker???
"We were running at her to double-team. It's a little difficult to double-team her. In the low post, when we double-teamed her they started running her to the high post and running a ball screen giving us a bad match-up, and when we switched the ball screen and at that point adjustment time was over."
#11 Sam Mahoney
On the first half ???
"We played well until about seven or eight minutes left. Not too sure what happened after that. Turnovers were the biggest thing. We had too many."
On Tennessee's scoring run late in the second half???
"They are a great team. That's what great teams do, they make runs. Ours weren't big enough. They had too many."
On the lack of offensive leadership on UK's team???
"It needs to come from the whole team, not just one player. It takes a team effort."
On UK's team defense???
"We didn't get the stops we needed when they mattered most. We just didn't get the stops."
On getting set for Auburn on Sunday???
"We feel confident and ready to go. We just need to put together a full 40 minutes."
#24 Amber Smith
On playing Tennessee???
"It was a tough and intense game. Last year I was watching Tennessee play and now I have the opportunity to play against them. We took it to them on offense and never let up on them. When you play a team like Tennessee, you can't come in the game thinking that you are going to get beat, because you have lost before the game starts. I think we came in with a good mind set."
On the intensity level during the game???
"This week coach emphasized on how aggressive we need to be in tonight's game, and I think that we came out very aggressive. We never gave up and we kept taking it to them."
On playing against Candice Parker???
"Candice Parker is a great player. She is very aggressive and she works hard constantly to get the ball."
On what they will take from this game???
"As a team we are just about where we want to be. I think that we will get there and do amazing things. We learned a lot from this game and that will contribute to the later success that we are going to have."
