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San Diego Press Conference Quotes

March 21, 2008

Head Coach Cindy Fisher

(Opening Statement) "We are obviously very excited about the opportunity to be one of the top 64 teams and to continue our season.  We felt this year, in the West Coast Conference, there was a lot of parody among the top teams and for us to advance out of that conference and to be able to be in this spot, we are very fortunate.  The West Coast Conference is an outstanding conference with great teams in it, so for us to advance, we are excited about the opportunity.  Cal Berkeley, the opportunity that we have had to look at film on them and to be able to prepare for them, obviously they are a very solid team coming in with great post play and outstanding guard play, so I think it will be a physical game.  I think it’s a great match up with both teams, with our guard play and their guard play.  They have big guards who are quick off the dribble who do a lot of great things off the dribble especially Gray-Lawson.  In the post game, I think their game is very physical.  I think we match up well in the post and we are looking forward to the opportunity to play in that game."

(On how the team has been able to turn it around after a rough start) "It’s a great question and absolutely it got us to where we are right now.  We started the conference 0-5.  All those games during that time, I felt we were playing good basketball, we just couldn’t get over the hump.  When we went back and reevaluated where we needed to be defensively, between the time we were 0-5 and where we won five in a row, we dropped 10% in every defensive category.  We were holding teams to 27% from the three point line, 44% from the floor, and I thought we did a really good job of picking it up on defense and continuing to work on that.  And the other area I thought our team did an outstanding job in the second half of conference was rebounding the basketball.  There were very few games where we got out rebounded.  Our motto this year, especially from that point, was that we just have to go to work.  We have to out work people and I think from that moment where we beat LMU and got our first conference win, it was like a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.  We knew all along we were a great team and this team just kept believing and kept going to work and getting stronger and stronger with every game.  The thing that is exciting about this year’s group compared to last year’s group, I thought we peaked a little bit early and this year we are peaking at the right time.  Our Gonzaga game, to win the WCC Championship was probably one of the best games we played all year, and as their head coach for that to happen in early March was a great feeling."

(On what all three California teams can do to boost west coast basketball) "We were talking about that last night.  You have all three (Cal, Stanford, San Diego) of us here at this site and you have UCSB that made it, so for California basketball, that’s exciting.  I think that maybe we don’t get the same media attention that the east coast schools do because of the times we play.  There’s times we aren’t on TV as much, so the east coast committees don’t get to see us as much, but obviously there is great basketball out here.  There’s phenomenal recruits and basketball players.  I think Cal and Stanford has done a great job of representing the west coast and the Pac-10 conference, They have done a great job of keeping local kids home and they are obviously very competitive players and fantastic coaches.  I think for all of us that are here and believe west coast basketball is very good and should be acknowledged throughout the United States, this is a great opportunity to have all three of us here competing, because I think you’ll see great competition this weekend."

(On how effective they can be following Stanford’s game plan against Cal) "Stanford obviously has great post play and are very big and physical.  I believe we are very similar in that way.  We probably don’t have the weight size that some of the kids from Stanford have, but I think as far as the ability to some of the same things Stanford has done in their last couple games, to be very successful against Cal.  Obviously it was good to see that on film.  It gives you a little bit if an idea of what can and can’t work against them.  It’s always fun to see teams that are similar to you in terms of size and match ups.  It was the third championship game that Stanford has played them (Cal), so Tara (VanDerveer) is a fantastic coach who was won a lot of games, so it was good to see what did and didn’t work."

Forward Morgan Henderson

(On the match up with Cal) "Like coach was saying, it will be very physical, but we are looking forward to it and it will be a lot of fun for us down there.  I think our guards match up with them with size and everything.  Their guards are extremely physical in the post, so we are excited for it."

(On whether it will be key to get Cal in foul trouble) "I think it will be important for us to attack them and not be intimidated by their size.  They are great players, we know that.  We also know that great players can get in foul trouble, so it is important to attack them and see what we can do against them and try to get them out."

Guard Amanda Rego

(On the match up with Cal) "I think we are expecting it to be physical going against a Pac-10 team.  I’m expecting it to be a battle for the boards, but we’re just really excited for the opportunity to be playing."

Center Amber Sprague

(On the match up with Cal) "Like everyone has said it will be a very physical game and we have been preparing the past two weeks and Cal is a great team and we are looking forward to it."

(On the post match up with (Ashley) Walker and (Devanei) Hampton) "Walker and Hampton are both extremely physical, hardworking post players.  We’ve seen a couple of films on them.  With their post presence, they are both very solid players and have established a great name for themselves both in the Pac-10 and nationally.  Personally I’m really looking forward to playing against them.  It will be a really physical game.  The opportunity I have been given is what I’m really looking forward to."

 

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