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Feb. 25, 2016

Recap | Final Stats

Head Coach Joanne Boyle
Opening Statement:
“I’m just happy to come out with a win in that two hour and 15 minute game and happy that everybody is still standing. It was a really good fight by the team. Lauren [Moses] woke up last night with a fever and tried to go today but just couldn’t do it. We had even a shorter bench than usual, but there was a real fight about them. They stayed together the whole time and came out with a strong win.”

On Faith Randolph scoring the first and last basket of the game on Senior Night:
“I just thought, ‘It’s supposed to happen that way.’ I thought everyone played well. Mikayla [Venson] had some great numbers tonight. We got in a rhythm at times and then would get away from it. We didn’t shoot particularly well early on, but we came on strong and hit some big free throws down the stretch. I’m really proud of the girls taking on the game plan at halftime and getting to the line. That really pushed us over the edge.”

On having Faith Randolph back in action against Virginia Tech this Sunday:
“It’s good to have a full squad and a regular rotation to give people rest here and there. We have a better rotation of guards when we have that extra player. She’s played Virginia Tech eight or nine times so she’s familiar with them. It’s going to be a defensive grind. We’re going to need everything we can get on Sunday.”

On the performance of J’Kyra Brown:
“I thought she rebounded the ball well. She kept balls alive for us and shot the ball well. I thought she took timely shots. She was a spark tonight and she was solid defensively.”

On playing Aliyah Huland El at the power forward spot:
“We’ve been playing Aliyah at the four the past three or four games. It’s been effective for us in different situations. It’s nice to have that in our back pocket depending on what team we’re playing. We used it in spurts tonight.”

On the absence of Lauren Moses:
“She tried to go, but it just wasn’t happening. It’s not the first time we’ve been down a starter. I think Aliyah and [J’Kyra] have played enough minutes that they can step into that role. It was more about our guard play. All teams deal with adversity. We have to take our fair share of it.”

On beating North Carolina:
“Anytime you have a good win over a quality opponent or an opponent with history like that, it’s important. Carolina has always had great teams. It’s nice to check these teams off as we move forward and grow this team. It’s great for the program.”

Sophomore guard Mikayla Venson
On seeing Faith Randolph wide open and assisting on the last basket of the game:
“I got the ball in bounds and looked up and Faith was wide open. I didn’t think she’d be that wide open. She had a clear path and I gave her the ball knowing she’d make the easy layup. I was just surprised they didn’t match up with her quick enough.”

On the physical nature of the game:
“It definitely was a grind. You can’t worry about the officials. They’re going to make their calls. We just continued to play our game and attack and got to the free throw line. We had the mindset of not giving up.”

On facing Virginia Tech after a loss earlier this season:
“It would be a huge win to end the season, especially with the rivalry. We have great momentum coming off this game. We just have to continue to be aggressive and play Virginia basketball. We need to be confident and have to have each other’s back.”

Senior Guard Faith Randolph
On how she would describe her final home game:
“There was a lot going on. North Carolina had their runs. We had our runs. It was a game that we had to just keep grinding through. At the end, we were able to do some good things and win it.”

On playing Virginia Tech next in her final regular season game:
“It’s going to be my last Virginia-Virginia Tech game so I want to make the most of it. I saw that Virginia Tech had a great point guard who attacked the rim and got her teammates open. It’s going to be a good defensive game on Sunday.”

On if tonight’s game on Senior Night felt different:
“I don’t know. I can’t really explain it. It was a little weird in the beginning. I’m not used to all that attention and extra stuff. But once the ball went up, it all felt pretty normal.”

On her and-one shot:
“This game, there was a lot of frustration. There was a lot of grit. It just felt good to knock that down.”

On beating UNC for the first time:
“Carolina is a great team. We knew they were coming in trying to steal this one. We just wanted to beat them.”

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