University of North Carolina Athletics
Post Game Quotes
November 22, 2004 | Women's Basketball
2004 Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic
November 21, 2004 * Raleigh, N.C. * RBC Center * Game 1
North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell:
"This is a real honor to play in the Jimmy V Classic. This is a great event for everyone, not just the players and coaches. It's just a great organization."
"I thought there were times out there when we were down by 10 points and we could have laid down and died and we didn't. We called some time outs and got it together. The team is in real good shape, and they distributed the ball well. I'm proud of my kids for hanging in there today."
"We played the freshman last year and let them get a lot of experience under their belts and they learned a lot. I just think we have a good team with great balance and great chemistry. This is a big win, but it's early in the year and things can change between now and March. We have to stay healthy and keep working hard."
"You can't be around Ivory for that long and not love her. She just has enthusiasm and love for the game, and she is always there for her teammates. She pushes the ball up the floor well and her strengths as a player outweigh any size disadvantage she has.
"Erlana is the real deal, and she is so coachable and just loves to play. She can run that floor and she can shoot foul shots. I think she is going to be a great player for us."
"This is my 30th year of coaching, and you are always going to be criticized for some things. I think our conference is very tough and we have Penn State and Villanova coming up, so it will be a tough season." (On criticism for an easy non-conference schedule)
North Carolina sophomore Ivory Latta:
"I know sometimes I was struggling but I wouldn't let that get me down. Our team came together and played with a lot of heart and we just got the job done. Our defense really stepped up. Coach always says rebounds win games, and once we started winning the balls and getting fast breakaways, I knew something special was going to happen."
North Carolina freshman Erlana Larkins:
"My mindset going in to this game was to rebound. We have a saying, - WWR- Wild Women Rebounders, and I just tried to go out there and do that."
North Carolina sophomore Camille Little:
"Today we were prepared and we had confidence in ourselves, and we just went out there and got the job. I know all of us have won so many high school championships and AAU championships, and to me none of those were as good as this win over Connecticut."
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma:
"I think the game played out the way I thought it would. I really thought that their (UNC) quickness, athletic ability and aggressiveness inside would give us a problem. I can't say that I am surprised at how the game played out but there is a part of us that was tentative on the offensive end and we made some mistakes."
"It is not an easy place to put young players in. UNC made a couple of plays and the whole team rallied. It was a group effort and not individual."
"I want each of my players to think about who they want to be. Whether they want to be the one to make the backdoor cut or the one that clogs up the lane and doesn't let in easy buckets. This is a really good opportunity for them to think about the player they want to be."
"In the first half we had all kinds of problems with the ball. If we had come down here and won by 25 points I would have been shocked. The right team deserved to win."
Connecticut junior Ann Strother:
"We gave the ball away. They played intense and very well and we couldn't handle it"
"I think there is a lot to work on. We had breakdowns on defense. Defense is our backbone at UCONN."
