Baylor, Rice Postgame Quotes
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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4/4 BAYLOR 89, NR/NR RICE 38
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015
Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas)
Attendance: 5,615
BAYLOR POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Kim Mulkey
Opening statementà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"We had three pretty hard days of practice, and the emphasis has been offensive rebounding and taking care of the basketball. When you look at a stat sheet and you see what you've been emphasizing all week and they listened and they tried, you can live with whatever the scoreboard says. At halftime, we had those six turnovers and then we didn't have another one. And then when you go to individual players - where did they improve? Look at Alexis Jones. She plays 30 minutes. She has five assists and zero turnovers. So, now you go into that locker room and you acknowledge that and you let her know. I sure let her know when it's not good. It also allowed us to rest Niya (Johnson) tonight. When there's an opportunity to rest her in rotation, we do that. It was good to have Justis (Szczepanski) on the floor. It adds another dimension to our team out there with length. KK (Khadijiah Cave) is playing the best basketball she's played since she's been here. It's her leadership. KK is a shy one to begin with, so it's what she's doing with her mouth. It's what she's saying to the freshmen, and that's because she's older and more comfortable."
On adjustments to the lineupà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"When we started the game, I made a little change in the lineup. I wanted to have a rotation of three guards in two spots. We've got to start having a rotation, and then we've got to get Justis, Dekiya (Cohen), and now Chardonae (Fuqua') and Nina to give us something at the three until [Alexis] Prince can get better. I don't care how good we defend. Those three guards are going to win some games for you in transition, but when you have to defend in the half court and you have a big three player, then that's some size out there."
On Baylor's double-digit runs to start each halfà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"Both halves, the groups that started were focused. It just sets a tone for you. If you start out a half and you're turning it over and it's sloppy, then it just doesn't look good. I just thought both halves the team that was out there on the floor was good."
Junior Khadijiah Cave
On tonight's winà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"I knew coming in that I had a height advantage, so I just did everything I could to help my team out."
Freshman Justis Szczepanski
On playing in her first game for Baylorà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"There were definitely butterflies, but it felt amazing to be out there with my team and to contribute in any way that I can."
Senior Niya Johnson
On teammate Khadijiah Caveà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"She has improved, you can see it. She continues to work hard, and even when nobody's looking. She's just a hard worker on and off the court."
On the team's zero turnovers in the second halfà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"It just starts with discipline. In practice, she really put an emphasis on it. Every time we turn the ball over we had to run a lap. We just took that over on the court and didn't want to turn the ball over."
RICE POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Tina Langley
Opening Statement...
"We played a really good team tonight. I have so much respect for Coach Mulkey and all that she has done, and she has a very good team this year. It was a great opportunity for our young team to come down, and play in this environment, and experience what it is to play one of the four top teams of the country." On playing three top 10 teams this seasonà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"We played six games and we played the No. 10 team in the country, the No. 6 team in the country and the No. 4 in the country as new team, a young team. I really couldn't be prouder of them, they continue to come every day, and practice, and battle, and compete, and learn, and grow. You cannot really ask for more than that."
On not giving up despite the scoreà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"We talked a lot about failure and recovery. When things don't go your way how do you respond to that? I do believe that the team recovered well each time Baylor went on a run. Again, that is what our focus is when we play a team like this."
On this game preparing them for conference playà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"We talk about the non-conference. The schedule has been a difficult schedule. It has been challenging in a good way. We see what is like to play the best of the best and every time we take court we have to have confidence that we have played some of best teams in the country. That has prepared us better than probably any other schedule could."
On Baylor's depth chartà ¢Ã¢' ¬ ¦
"When you do a scouting report you put maybe five players on there and talk a little bit about the depth, but I felt like we put coach's whole roster on our scouting report. They are very deep and very talented. It does take a lot to continue to prepare for the players they can throw at you. "
