Feb. 27, 2011
Kentucky Head Coach: Matthew Mitchell
Opening statement …
“I thought it was a really tough game and a well-played game. Auburn fought hard today. We had a tough opponent and that is why I am so proud of our players. They came out on the road and beat a tough Auburn team.”
On free-throw shooting …
“In the first half we did not attack the basket enough and when we did get to the basket we were not very tough. We made an effort in the second half to get to the rim and try to finish. If that gets you to the free-throw line, then so be it. We were just trying to be more aggressive in the second half.”
On Victoria Dunlap …
“She really stepped up, especially in the second half when we needed her to. A big second half for and A’dia Mathies as well. Those two players needed to play well in the second half and they did.”
On weathering Auburn’s run early in the second half …
“I thought our pressure defense was finally able to make a difference in the game and we were finally able to score off of our defense. Auburn was playing such tough defense. I thought it was great for our defense to score on offense for us.”
Kentucky Players
#34 Victoria Dunlap, F, Sr.
On today’s game …
“It was a great, hard-fought game by Auburn, especially for Senior Night. As a team, I thought we played pretty well throughout the whole game. The first half was rough, because we were giving them easy stuff, but we pulled it out in the end.”
On scoring 19 points…
“I was just trying to have an attacking style, because in previous years, I would come here and miss a lot of easy shots. I have just been focusing on missing shots and not on my team, and this time I was focused on my offense, but help my teammates making easy shots.”
On the team getting to the free-throw line 34 times…
“Getting to the free throw line is something that we are good at as a team. We like to attack the basket any time that we play, and just try to make it easy for us as possible.”
#1 A’dia Mathies, G, So.
On today’s game …
“Auburn came out with a lot of intensity and aggressiveness with it being Senior Night. We did a good job of steadying their attack and playing Kentucky basketball, and we came out with the win.”
On scoring 13 points…
“A lot of shots didn’t fall, but I was able to get to the free throw line. It wasn’t my best game, but I’ll take the win.”
On the team getting to the free-throw line 34 times…
“We knew that we had to attack. We saw they were playing a 3-2 zone, so we knew most of their people were going to be up top, so if we could get a screen up top, we could get beat them off the dribble and create contact.”
Auburn Head Coach Nell Fortner
Opening Comments …
“I thought our team fought really hard today. I think in the second half Kentucky really upped their tempo defensively; we fouled too much and put them at the free-throw line too much. So we’ve got to do a better job of handling ourselves there. I thought we fought hard and did some nice things today and I do believe this team is still getting better.
On Kentucky’s defense …
“Well they’re all over the place, and they tend to bring an extra defender over to trap the ball down the floor. You can’t see that it’s usually a post defender, they’ll go real small and it drives you crazy. It’s very effective, but I felt like at the beginning of the game we were just turning the ball over. I don’t think in the first half the turnovers were because of their defense, I thought the second half was, but not in the first half and we kind of got off to a slow start.”
On Alli Smalley’s final regular season home game …
“She’s such a great kid, I can’t even begin to explain what a fantastic person she is, and a competitive basketball player. She plays with all her might and has great skills, and is a great joy to be around. Never had one problem with her in her four years at Auburn, not one, ever. She’s Just a fantastic person. ”
On Alli Smalley scoring…
“Absolutely, with her scoring the ball like she did and I’ll tell you what these players fought hard for her. Her teammates love her to death, her teammates and I think everybody was trying as hard as they can to get her that win. We’re disappointed we didn’t but we’re looking forward to playing in the SEC tournament.”
On SEC tournament…
“I think in this conference anybody could win that tournament. From two to twelve, it’s anybody’s ballgame. It’s been a different year, so I think anybody going into the tournament should feel good about their chances.”
Auburn Player Quotes
#5 Alli Smalley, G, Sr.
On her Senior Night performance…
“I would have much rather gotten the win than the points, but we fought hard. Kentucky is just a tough team. They pressured us and forced us to turn the ball over. They are a great team, and you have to give them credit.”
On next Thursday’s game in the SEC Tournament…
“It doesn’t really matter who we play. The two through 12 teams in this conference is really up in the air and it’s really anybody’s ball game, which is a good thing but it is also a tough thing because it doesn’t matter what seed you are, you have to come in ready to play even if you are the higher seed. If it does turn out to be Mississippi State, we will just have to prepare for them like we would anyone else in the tournament.”
#2 Morgan Jennings, G, Jr.
On what Kentucky was doing defensively…
“They had an extra post player who would linger back and trap us. She was tall so you could not really see over her to make the extra pass. You try and attack the post and beat them off the dribble because they are usually slower than the guards doing the trapping.”
On the SEC Tournament…
“We just have to take it one game at a time and prepare for everybody. We can’t take anybody for granted because like Coach [Nell Fortner] and Alli [Smalley] said the two through 12 is really anybody’s game.”
