USF vs. Seton Hall
Post Game Quotes
2/2/2009
USF Sun Dome- Tampa, Fla.

Head Coach Jose Fernandez

“I thought we had a great week of practice ? it started with that and all we really talked about all week was Seton Hall and getting ready for Seton Hall, playing 40 minutes, not taking a play off and stringing together some BIG EAST wins. We have won our last three road games in the league, I told our players we might as well wear green at home, take a charter bus down to Clearwater and drive back to make it feel like a road game because we haven't been playing very well at home. It was good to see us come out with energy and enthusiasm on our home floor. We changed some things ? we usually eat here on campus and we ate off campus just to change up some of the things we've been doing at home. Other than that we had a good shooting night, shot 50-percent. They closed out the game on a run but we wanted to reward some of our kids with some minutes that they usually don't get.”

On points off the bench
“Tonight the big thing was we have a big game Tuesday so we wanted to also keep the minute's situation in mind.”

On being on the bubble in the BIG EAST
“It depends who you talk to. I told our players we control our own destiny, we've got six games left. You win those six games there is no argument, you're in the NCAA Tournament.”

On the NCAA Tournament outlook
“Shantia (Grace) went to the NCAA Tournament when she was a freshman. We returned a really good team, we lost two players off that team the following year ? we went 9-7 in the league had an RPI of 31 and our only three non-conference losses were LSU, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and there is no question we should have gotten in that year and we didn't. There is no question on two of our non-conference wins this year ? we've only lost one non-conference game and that was to Cal, Cal is having a great year. We beat Iowa and Texas Tech and Iowa beat Ohio State the other night and Texas Tech has beaten Texas. If we take care of business ourselves then you don't leave it up to the committee.
 

Seton Hall Head Coach Phyllis Mangina

On the game

“I thought (South Florida) played really, really well tonight. They shot the ball really well and they were outstanding rebounding the ball ? that is the best rebounding against us tonight. The whole game was about them shooting it well and rebounding it well, we just didn't do a good job either way.”

On what posed the most problems for Seton Hall

“Post ups did, we couldn't keep them off the glass and we couldn't defend them inside. When that is happening your guards are wide open and the USF guards did a great job shooting the ball tonight.”

On playing on the road in the BIG EAST

The road in the BIG EAST is a beast, if you're not ready to roll somebody is going to come in and get you and come after you really hard. You have to be that much better on the road and they just did a much better job than we did tonight.”