Coach Stockton's Comments Following Wednesday's Win At UTEP
Mar 4, 2010 | Women's Basketball
March 3, 2010
Overall thoughts on the game
"First of all, I'm just so proud of this team and I can't say that enough. This team has, probably more so than any other team I've had, earned every victory. Sometimes you're bigger or faster than everybody else. This team has to really scrape and get everything done. They've done a tremendous job all season. Finishing with five of seven [games] on the road was tough a tough task. We're road weary, we're a little tire, but that locker room is really happy right now. I think in that last four minutes we were trying not to lose rather than trying to win, so pulling out that win was really a feeling of relief."
On Tulane finishing the regular season 9-2 in `road' games and 11-3away from Fogelman Arena
"One thing that has been great since I've been at Tulane is we've had kids who can play on the road. That comes down to leadership. I think our players do a good job on the road. We're probably more organized on the road. We have curfews, we have things like that and they're just very focused. We're 9-2 in road games this year and that says a lot of the maturity of this team. We haven't shot so well on the road, but we have pulled out some wins."
On Tulane hitting just one field goal over the final eight minutes of the game
"I felt every bit of that. It was so frustrating. I don't know if we got tight or what it was, but we just couldn't get something to fall. I think that's been one of the problems with us this year, getting out of sync a little bit and going through those dry spells where we can't score. It's a new season now. There's a lot of pressure off now. We just have to go play. We're going to enjoy this now. We can't worry about the tournament right now. But tomorrow, we'll regroup and start again."
On winning the C-USA title despite sustain so many injuries throughout the year
"I felt that with Brett and Brittney together with our guard corps, I felt really good about our chances. When that changed and we lost Chassity, I felt like we had to find a different path to get there and they found it. They're so excited. Look at a Danielle or Tiffany or Chass, they have so much enthusiasm and excitement for this game. That makes it really easy to coach them."
On the performance of Danielle Nunn in tonight's win
"It's hard to pick a difference maker on this team. Danielle would be one who would have a fighting chance to get that. Her consistent play throughout the season has been so good. She's been able to score and she shoots at a high percentage. She's 5-for-8 tonight when the team doesn't shoot well. I really admire what she's done. She left a [TCU] program, come in here, found her place at Tulane and found her niche. She should feel a big part of this championship. This is her first year in our program, but she should really feel very proud of it."
On UTEP missing opportunities to win at the end of the game
"Danielle had a tough assignment when we gave her Hughes. Hughes had 10 points and six assists tonight, but this is the kind of game that a player like Hughes is going to put her team on her back and win. I felt good when Danielle was on her. Even at the end of the game, I felt Danielle had the size and the speed to at least have Hughes shoot over her. The nice thing is Hughes had to pass. Danielle defended her really well, made her pass, made her give the ball to someone else, and someone else was taking that three at the end of the game instead of her."
On UTEP's Jareica Hughes showing why she is a two-time C-USA Player of the Year in the second half
"The thing for us is we know what kind of player she is. Every time we play her - no matter what her stats may look like this year - we know what she is capable of. Everything we design defensively is who is going to be on her, who's going to defend her and how can we get help over there. I'm not sad to see that senior film up there and seeing her walk out of this place. She has been such a good player here, as has Williams, and they should certainly be proud of their careers."
On claiming the C-USA title outright and not have to worry about tomorrow's Memphis/UAB game
"The nice thing is we don't have to watch anybody tomorrow. It's fine if we do, but we don't have to hope somebody loses or somebody wins or that kind of thing. It's a good position to be in. This is a position we've been in quite a few times at Tulane - having the championship in a tie and having to win it in the end. I don't think we've ever done it on the road, though, so this is a good accomplishment for our program. The nice thing is we have a lot of these players back and hopefully we can make a run again."
