USF vs Marquette
Post Game Quotes
2/3/2009

Head Coach Jose Fernandez

“One thing I told our team the last two practices and even before the game ? you're only as good as your last performance. People are quickly going to forget how well you played up at Rutgers and we talked about that at halftime. Two glowing factors even if you didn't watch the game ? we gave up 22 offensive rebounds and the free throw shooting was absolutely horrible, 18-for-34 from the free throw line and I think we charted seven of those were front ends on one-and-one's so go ahead and add a lot more attempts to that, which we didn't get.”

On losing to Marquette twice this season
“It isn't any tougher than losing any other game. You only play one time twice in the BIG EAST schedule so it is just like any other game.”

On the loss
“I think it falls on all of us ? it fall on our players, it falls on our staff and it falls on me. The good teams in this league are consistent, they bring it every night. The good players in this league are consistent, they bring it every night. At the same time if you're not playing well offensively there are so many other things you can do ? you can rebound, you can defend, you can disrupt things and we didn't do a lot of the little things that we should have done tonight. They beat us to loose balls, they beat us on the glass, we found ourselves settling for a lot of shots but again I think the biggest thing is when you come back from a big win like (Rutgers), with a lot of upperclassmen on this team you would think we wouldn't be satisfied.”
 
Marquette Head Coach Terri Mitchell

On the game
“Every BIG EAST game is going to be a battle. We watched South Florida beat Rutgers and I feel like they're a lot like us ? we're up, we're down and it is hard to win on the road. I thought the game was aggressive, it was physical and we were just fortunate at the end to stretch our lead. Every time we took a lead none of us were comfortable because we knew with their athleticism they could come back on us.”

On Angel Robinson's 30 points
“Angel just had a special night tonight ? she was feeling it and we were calling plays for her, but beyond calling plays she was just going to the hoop hard. I thought her hesitation was great, she was attacking ? it was her night. She struggled last week and I think she had found herself again, not that she needs to score 30 but we're proud of her effort and we hope that she can just get up the next day and get ready for the next BIG EAST game.”

On the key to maintaining a second-half lead
“We just talked about denial and pushing them out and never letting them be comfortable in their offense because they're such great scorers and can go by us. Their athleticism and their size our plan was to negate that with denial and taking away vision. That was our plan and then we just tried to go get a rebound because we know how athletic they are. In the beginning of the game they were out rebounding us, then we turned that around and started making contact.”

On Krystal Ellis setting the Marquette scoring record
“We've been waiting for this to happen for a while, I'm glad it happened. I think when she got out there she was a little nervous the way she was shooting. When she settled down she did great and it is a tribute to her and all that she has done at Marquette and the career that she has had. Records are meant to be broken and she broke it, now she can build upon it and it's a special time for her and a special time for us.”

USF senior guard Shantia Grace

On being shut down in the first half
“Coming into the game I wasn't 100 percent. I have a little foot problem right now but I don't think it was anything they did ? just something I had to adjust to.”

On her foot
“It started hurting right after the Rutgers game, I don't know what it is. It is getting better, it got better toward the second half so I don't think it is a big problem.”

On the lack of effort
“Everybody's head was down ? before the game we had no energy, warm ups we had no energy, we just weren't together coming into the game and that carried through the game and after the game.”