Postgame Quotes Vs. North Carolina

Story Links

Postgame Quotes
Feb. 15, 2008
No. 3 North Carolina 90, Virginia 82

Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan
On playing the No. 3-ranked team in the nation:
“We came out and got a lead right away. We came to play tonight. We weren’t at all in awe. It was just another game for us.”

On cutting the lead to two late in the game:
“We broke it down and got it to two and then we made a turnover. That was the toughest possession of my year so far. That is the play, but we are not supposed to throw it if she is not open. I think we didn’t make a very good decision on that.”

Virginia Guard Sharne Zoll
On the game against UNC:
“I think for me personally, I played a lot better. I took last week a lot tougher because I felt that I didn’t play to the best of my abilities, and, if I don’t play to my abilities and I’m a senior and I know that type of environment, how can I expect my team to play the way they’re supposed to play. I felt really responsible for that loss because I didn’t bring what I needed to bring last week, and I feel like this week we played better as a team. UNC is definitely the No. 3 team in the country, and we just have to take the positives out of these close games because we are learning a lot.”

On the difference between the team now and the team that played UNC last year:
“This year we are a very different team. Aisha Mohammed down low provides a bigger presence, and allows Lyndra Littles to play in her real position. Britnee Millner is coming on the floor and playing a lot better. I feel like we are totally different team. “

On the upcoming game vs. Virginia Tech:
“I think playing the rivalry game is key this year. We’re looking at these games that we’re losing now and we’re learning from them. We’re taking these as now we can’t lose to the teams that we’re supposed to beat. We can’t go to Virginia Tech and play to the level of Virginia Tech. We need to play as aggressive as we were today, but fix the things that we need work on.”

Virginia forward Lyndra Littles
On the support from the crowd:
I think that crowd was good all game. Of course they get louder when you score or when you make a good play. I think the crowd was great.

On playing against Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle:
“Erlana Larkins is strong and big. When you don’t box her out, she is going to get the ball and try to score. It’s very important that we box her out. Pringle is long and athletic, and you got to make sure that you meet her and make contact. Overall, we just have to do a better job of meeting them high. When you have post players like Erlana Larkins, once they get it that low, 9 times out of 10 they are going to score or its going to be a foul, and if you don’t box them out then they are going to get the rebound, so we just have to do a better job of denying them and not allowing that ball to get in there.”

North Carolina Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell
Opening statement:
“You can see why I call [LaToya Pringle and Erlana Larkins] my warriors because that is what they are, every game. They are seniors, they provide leadership, they both had double-doubles. At halftime I challenged them because I thought Virginia was out-playing us, playing with more heart. We did not change a lot at halftime, mainly just talked about our intensity level and playing with heart. These two went out there and rose to the occasion. I am really proud of them. But Virginia is an excellent, excellent team. I think they are top 16, definitely top 20, I don’t know why they are not ranked. If I voted, I would vote them in the top 10. I knew it was going to be tough here, [Virginia] was ready and fired up for us. Now we got to go back to Chapel Hill and regroup a little bit, rest some and get ready for Sunday.”

On her team’s rebounding:
“Well especially when I have these two in there and Rashanda McCants and Jessica Breland when I have those four in there, we are pretty strong in rebounding. It is something the team takes pride in. You can ask these guys. They take a lot of pride in their rebounding. They know how much it means to winning games. We talk about it all the time [the players] will tell you that word comes out of my mouth probably more than anything else, “rebound.” I told them that would be the key to the game.”

On why Virginia is being overlooked:
“I do not know. Just look at who they have lost to. They have only lost to the top teams in the country, and they played them well. They game us a game the whole game, and they gave Maryland two great games. They are an excellent team and they are going to get better and better. Their players from last year are better. Aisha Mohammed gives them a presence inside, and they have a mentality now. They can compete. Last year at our place, they did not compete. But they compete now, and they have confidence. So much of it is a mentality, and Debbie Ryan has them playing hard and believing.”

UNC Forward Erlana Larkins
On what motivates her to play basketball:
“Right now it’s the love. I can’t explain it. I just love playing basketball. I just come in expecting a battle. I didn’t expect to get beaten down like this tonight but you just have to pick yourself up and keep going.”

On Virginia’s performance as compared to last season:
“Monica Wright has been playing exceptional, as always, Sharne Zoll has been shooting the ball as well as getting her offense going, and Aisha Mohammed, she’s just out there giving it all she has. It was hard in the first half keeping her off the boards and I just think she has a level of intensity that they really needed.”

UNC Forward LaToya Pringle
On how she and Erlana Larkins work together to improve each other’s game:
“Erlana [Larkins], she attracts so much attention from basically every team we play, so when they go to double her, I think she and I establish where I need to be in order to get an easy lay-up. Now that we’re in college, we just compliment each other well and we just make the game easier for each other. If they’re doubling her, than I can score and vise versa.”