March 4, 2005

MARYLAND TERRAPINS

COACH BRENDA FRESE: Well, that was a lot of fun. Just a tremendous team win for us and the greatest thing is everyone contributed tonight. And just proud of our energy and our even intensity, and we really challenged this team from the defensive end. Obviously, to be able to hold a team like Clemson to 55 points, and especially given the first time we played them, I just thought we did a tremendous job with our intensity on the defensive end.

Q. Brenda, this was a lot different game than the one you played at Clemson. You got to go inside to Crystal Langhorne a lot more. What was it that was different this time around?
COACH BRENDA FRESE: Everyone was ready to play, and just the unselfishness with our players. They came out and we were expecting them to come out and chase Shay and really put a lot of pressure down on Crystal. We just really stepped up and made so many unselfish plays to teammates. I thought even for Shay, one of her most unselfish games, just really let the game come to her. We were very aggressive giving Crystal a lot of touches inside. We ran a lot of sets for her. As Crystal always does, she delivers.

Q. Coach, you held their offense to 20 points in the first half, what was the main difference in your defense between this game and the one down in Clemson?
COACH BRENDA FRESE: I really thought our guards got out and put a ton of pressure on them. We really heated them up from the perimeter and then from the post position, every time they cut across the lane they were extremely active. Our posts players did a tremendous job down low. We played a complete game on the defensive end.

Q. Brenda, I know that Crystal is probably one of the few players over the years that was the preseason ACC rookie of the year that actually turned out to be the Rookie of the Year, can you comment on her progress through the year?
COACH BRENDA FRESE: You know the greatest thing about Crystal, she is never satisfied, and that's going to be what's going to continue to make her just the great player that she is. And, you know, when she came in, she obviously could score offensively and rebound. She really stepped her game up this season in terms of wanting to be a tremendous defender. She is really making herself into a complete player.

Q. Crystal, what's been the difference the last couple of games? Are you trying to be more aggressive?
CRYSTAL LANGHORNE: My Coach said they are just running some plays for me and, I have been getting the ball. Things have just been happening. Some games I get the ball more. Some games I don't.

Q. Crystal, was it easier for you this time around as opposed to last time against Clemson?
CRYSTAL LANGHORNE: I think it was a lot. It wasn't easy. It was easier than last time. I think they doubled with the plays we ran and got me open offensively.

Q. Crystal, what do you think is your main physical traits, is it quickness, agility, aggressiveness?
CRYSTAL LANGHORNE: Kalika said she wants to answer that.
KALIKA FRANCE: Power girl. I see a hard worker.
CRYSTAL LANGHORNE: Thanks. I'm not sure exactly what to say. I don't like to talk about myself that way.

Q. Kalika, can you talk about this win and what it means? Have you guys kind of gotten passed the funk you were in the last couple of weeks?
KALIKA FRANCE: This win, it means a lot. It's one and done from now on. We can't afford too lose. As far as these last couple of games go, you know, we went back in the lab and we corrected our mistakes. We try not to make the same mistakes.

CLEMSON TIGERS

COACH JIM DAVIS: I swear it seems like this season is just getting underway and yet it's been a long, long time since October 16th. And I have done a horrible job in managing this season and bringing this team from a young, young basketball team to this point.

We are better than what our record indicates. We are better than what we played tonight. I've done a horrible job in nurturing this team and bringing it along. I wish I could start all over again, but they don't give do?overs in the ACC.

Congratulations to Maryland. We thought at the beginning of the game that we didn't have an answer for Shay Doron. We put the chaser on her. And we probably didn't have an answer for Crystal Langhorne. We didn't do a very good job in keeping the ball out of her hands, obviously.

And were so bad offensively, it's kind of like a football team, if your offense is so bad it keeps your defense on the field all night. Your defense eventually wears out. It's kind of like that with us.

I can't remember, ever, coaching a basketball team where we only have 5 assists. That's not very good team play and that's what I was talking about when I was talking about managing a season. I haven't done a very good job bringing this team along and getting them to play as a team.

Q. Jim, as you look back on the season, what is your biggest regret?
COACH JIM DAVIS: I probably gave up on our man?to?man defense far too early. I really haven't taught us to defend the Clemson way. We started playing stupid zones early on. That's a copout in my book of basketball. Plus, once again, I don't think our team play is very good. I made the decision early on to play a passing game and to give them the opportunity to make decisions and screen and read screens. This team was too young to do that. We probably should have had some set continuity, but from the get?go, and we tried to catch up on that later on and it's too late.

So I would change a lot of things. And I probably played too many players early on. We could have won maybe three or four more basketball games. But I played a few freshmen early on, you know, they weren't quite ready then. And they still aren't ready.

Q. Amanda, can you comment on Langhorne's game, what she is like underneath?
AMANDA WHITE: All of the post players in this league are real aggressive and all want the ball. I thought she did a really good job. Her teammates did a good job finding her. As a post player, you have to defend on people to get you the ball at the right time. So I commend her teammates a whole lot for just getting her the ball in the right spot, but she did a good job finishing.