Feb. 17, 2008

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Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey:

On today's game:

"It was a good win. When you're coming off a loss on the road it's good to be back home. I wouldn't particularly want to play OU in the next game because of how good they are. The lineup change was just a spark for our basketball team with Jessika Bradley and Kelli Griffin. Jessika Bradley just fronted, she banged, she pushed, and what rebounds she couldn't get a hand on she tried to slap away, and she was active. All of our team was active defensively; they would help down and then recover to get their man."

On playing without Jhasmin Player:

"I'm tired of reading about Jhasmin Player. What you've got to understand is that not many teams in the country can adjust and adapt this last in February to a loss of that magnitude. It takes time. I think you saw today a team that is adjusting and adapting, and give those kids credit. Jhasmin got hurt in the K-State game, and we played the whole game with the exception of nine minutes without her. Then we came back and we lost to Oklahoma State at (their) home. Then we came back and we won a game, and then we lost at Texas. We are learning how to adjust without her. Give the players credit that can play now. Let's quit focusing on Jhasmin because it's not fair to the ones that are playing now. It's detrimental when you talk about it too much because I think selection committee people hear all of that, and they don't give this team enough credit on how good we are. You don't beat an Oklahoma, who was predicted to win it all, by that kind of score, if Jhasmin Player is missed and we're just going to fall off the earth here. Acknowledge it, which we did two weeks ago, but let's acknowledge that this team is not too bad."

On making two changes to her starting lineup:

"I was looking for a W. I made that decision after the Texas game on the bus. J.B. (Jessika Bradley) is athletic enough to react and move her feet and not get caught behind. I just want post players that aren't going to just go down the floor and let people post up, and your feet are in the paint defensively all night. You've got to move, you've got to work, and you've got to do those things. I knew J.B. could do those things, and I just said 'this kid deserves an opportunity.' She is a very good rebounder, and what better place to start to see how good she can be than to guard the Paris twins."

On what she was looking for from Kelli Griffin:

"Transition buckets. What we miss the most with Jhasmin's departure is the transition baskets in the open floor. Kelli is an unbelievable passer; she flicks her wrist as good as anybody I've coached."

On what Melissa Jones brings off the bench:

"Melissa's going to get hustle plays, going to get you some extra offensive rebounds, and I just thought now is the time to make that move. The way we scored pathetically at Texas, it was not a gamble, it was time to do something, and it worked today."

Baylor guard Angela Tisdale:

On playing better as a team:

"We tried to do better than in the Texas game. We weren't moving the ball, we were just trying to take one-on-one, and in this game we were moving the ball and everybody was looking to score."

On driving to the basket more often:

"I was just trying to get a win tonight and play hard because I haven't been playing good the last three games."

Baylor forward Jessica Morrow:

On the team's improved offense:

"That was just us playing the game. We hadn't been doing a good job moving the offense. We would just stand around a lot, and we tried to work a little bit to get everybody involved."

Baylor post Jessika Bradley:

On guarding Courtney Paris:

"I could tell they were fatigued like coach said. I'm not going to stop her every time, but just maybe stop her from touching it every possession. She's a great player, so she's going to get her's. I just kept moving my feet as best as I could. She's a good enough player to keep her head calm and continue to go to what works."

On having a double-double:

"I'm just looking at it as a win for the team. Anything I can do to contribute, even if it's just to come in there and only have 10 boards and no points - whatever I can do to help the team win. I'm just looking at it taking it game-by-game, and as much as coach needs me out there, that's what I've got to do."

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Oklahoma Head Coach Sherri Coale:

On the Oklahoma's Turnovers:

"We never got a rhythm. We were very hesitant. Nobody looked like they wanted the basketball. Nobody looked like they wanted to shoot it from the perimeter. We just stood [there] and we knew they were going to sag, and we worked on it and prepared for it, and we did exactly what they wanted us to do, just stand."

On perimeter play:

"It's all about the rhythm. You are 1-15 from the three. Even teams that can't shoot [the three] don't shoot the ball that poorly. It is about rhythm and cadence and the shots that you are taking, when you are taking them and how you are taking them. Our movement with the ball was poor tonight. Our decision making was poor."

On Defensive Play:

"I didn't think our [shot] contesting was good. Our energy level wasn't good. Early on we had a few fouls and we just turned soft and got passive. Baylor is tough and they are hardnosed and they take it right at you, and if you don't respond the right way, they will roll over you like a truck."

Oklahoma Center Courtney Paris:

On Jessika Bradley and Rachel Allison:

"[Rachel] Allison does a great job. She has a lot of energy and is a hard worker and you can see that every time she plays. I thought Jessika [Bradley] did a great job for them tonight, she was pretty strong out there tonight."

On lack of energy by the OU team:

"I think that is mostly my fault as an upperclassman. We just didn't bring energy. Our energy strikes rhythm and it helps us all around, and we just never got that on the court today."

Oklahoma Guard Danielle Robinson:

On the game:

"Coming in after the Texas A&M win, we had momentum and we just didn't carry it over. It is kind of disappointing and frustrating that we had to play like this once again. But like coach said, the next game is coming up and we just have to go and get better everyday in practice."

On Angela Tisdale:

"[Angela] Tisdale is a great player. She is a senior with a lot of experience and really knows how to manage and control the game. She is a scorer that requires a lot of discipline [to guard] and that is something that we needed to do better tonight. She a great decision maker and she definitely led her team tonight.