University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC-Duke Postgame Quotes
February 7, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2011
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UNC-Duke Postgame Quotes
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie
"Great basketball game. I really appreciate our team's last two minutes. I thought that was the best we played all game, and a good learning experience for our team to understand what it takes to play on the road and to demand of each other.
"I like that we won the rebounding battle, but we didn't win the battle of being smart. I think there were three or four and-ones called at the end of the game, which is completely unacceptable and shows a lack of discipline on our part and practically hand the game over to another team to give them that opportunity. It's one thing to let a team score. It's another thing to foul them on top of that and provide a free-throw opportunity. I think those and-ones are going to prove to be very key.
"I loved Jas' [Jasmine Thomas] fight in the second half. I recognized her, and in the first half I didn't. For Chelsea [Gray], I thought she was attacking and looking to route. We took too many shots, really. We could've moved the ball a little bit more and be a little bit more patient. And the fact that we did not get to the free throw line probably was another determining factor."
North Carolina Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell
"We played hard to pull out the game. I was proud of these two[Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and Waltiea Rolle]. Waltiea just gets better and better, and her blocked shots really made a difference in there. [Tierra] did a really good job defensively and rebounding and she's just playing better and better. You know, we had been shooting foul shots good, but we didn't tonight. But I was just really pleased that we did a lot of the little things to pull out a big win for us."
On Rolle's growth and progress over the course of the season:
"The first thing, as [Ruffin-Pratt and Rolle] got up, I was just thinking I need to tell you all: they are both just great kids. I mean they really are, they are just great kids. Waltiea never touched a basketball until she was in the ninth grade. She's from the Bahamas and when we recruited her she was pretty raw.
"But she's worked really hard and she's gotten much stronger, physically stronger. And that's made a big difference. She has great timing, she works real hard in practice and she's just getting better and better around the basket. And her size makes a big difference."
Waltiea Rolle
On having such a good performance against a top-five team:
"I am glad I played well, but there are other games that are hard. This is not the only game that I have played hard in, but I think I did alright today."
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt
On making the basket to give her team their first lead:
"I was just focused--like in the zone--the whole game. Starting with the defensive end and then it just all turned over to the offensive end. I was making shots and giving people the ball when they were open. So it just kept me going--starting on the defensive end."
