March 1, 2007

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

THE MODERATOR: We are joined up here with head coach Beth Dunkenberger. Kirby Copeland and Nare Diawara. I want to make sure I got it right. Hopefully I was good. Coach, if you can start with a couple of comments we will open it for questions.

COACH DUNKENBERGER: Well, obviously, it wasn't our best offensive game, but the thing that was so important is that we played great defense and we played great defense down the stretch. Kirby Copeland did what seniors are supposed to do, she stepped up and hit a huge shot when we needed it. Nare did what seniors are supposed to do when they are coming off an on ball, swing late. Just a great defensive effort by our team. At this point it's about surviving. It don't matter how you get to Round 2, you just get to round 2. So we are excited to be coming back tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Tomorrow, what are your thoughts heading into the game against The Tar Heels?

COACH DUNKENBERGER: That was our second game of the year. We had a very young and inexperienced team. I thought we were a little nervous going into that game. I think we've grown a lot as a team. I think there is no doubt Carolina is one of the best teams in the nation. It's certainly going to take a team effort. But I think our team is excited about the opportunity of playing them again.

Q. Kirby, take me through sequence when you hit the 3, you didn't much doubt you were going to take it, did you?

KIRBY COPELAND: No, she backed off me. She was playing me for the drive which a lot of people do, and I just pulled up and sank the 3.

Q. Kirby, you were down 9 and you hit a stretch where you sort of took over offensively. Can you sort of take us through what was going through that stretch. And also your thoughts on playing The Tar Heels for a second time.

KIRBY COPELAND: Well, when we was down 9, I'm not ready to go home yet. That's what I was thinking. It's win or go home. I just took shots and I was confident and the shots went in. As far as playing The Tar Heels tomorrow, like Beth said, yes we are a young team. They are a great team. I think we have to take care of the ball much more than we did tonight than the first time we played them. It is going to come down to defense and rebounding tomorrow.

Q. Beth, what was your perspective on Brittany Cook's lay up to put you ahead for good in the OT. And also her rebound the last minute there?

COACH DUNKENBERGER: I thought those were big keys for us. Normally were a team that can make some lay ups, and we can get tight under the basket. We didn't hit many tonight. When Cook went to the basket and got that one, that was a good sign for us. It put us up, it gave us a little confidence and we just had to play the same great defense. The same thing with the rebound, she stepped up and got big key rebounds by just attacking the glass. She is relentless on the boards and that's good thing for us.

Q. Coach, right at the end of regulation they got a nice look on their drive and the thing bounced up there two or three times, what was going through your mind seeing that?

COACH DUNKENBERGER: Miss, miss, miss.

Q. What happened with your defense there?

COACH DUNKENBERGER: I will tell you it was such an intense last 5, and 5 minutes again, I'm not sure I remember what happened on that play.

KIRBY COPELAND: I guess we was playing not to foul and she kind of got around Laura. No one wants to step up and help, so she just took the shot. It was a great defensive effort by Laura, I think.

Q. Was there a reason that you didn't foul because you only had 4 fouls at the moment?

COACH DUNKENBERGER: Right. There is a couple of trains of thought there. Sometimes when you go to foul you go to reach and then miss, they get around you, and they get an open look at it. I thought we were playing great defense, so I thought we'll stick with what was working for us. We did change a couple of things down the stretch. That worked nicely for us, trap and some a little bit. THE MODERATOR: Other questions? Thank you, guys.

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES

THE MODERATOR: If you can make an opening statement and then we'll take some questions.

COACH INGLESE: Obviously, I am disappointed with the outcome of the game. I thought we played a real nice second half. We got ourselves a lead, especially when Kathrin got in foul trouble, I thought our team did a real good job in maintaining that situation so Kathrin came back. I think they did a real nice job in executing the play to give Mickel a nice shot to the basket, and gave us the opportunity to win that one. And certainly I think Virginia Tech took over obviously in the over time. Overall I was pleased with our efforts and how they hung together and obviously just disappointed in the outcome.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Mickel, take us through that last shot at the end of regulation. It looked like you got a good look at the basket. It must have bounced two or three times and hung up there forever.

MICKEL PICCO: I thought it was going in. I just took her crossover. It just rolled in and out.

COACH INGLESE: I thought it was worth at least one point because it hung in there pretty long. I was hoping they would give us a half a point. She is a lefty, so I give her credit. That's why she came up attacked the basket, had an open look. She is a lefty but she shoots the ball either way. I think she did a nice job just finishing the play and getting to the basket.

Q. Kathrin, can you talk about it was very physical inside tonight obviously you were getting banged around a lot. It was just real tough for you to get your shots and get your position. Just talk a little bit about that.

KATHRIN RESS: I mean even when we played them on Friday last week it was physical and coming into this game we knew it was going to be as physical if not even more. So I guess just after the Friday game knowing how they played us we kind of just talked about doing a little different things, maybe coming off the block and making them shift a little bit more. Either way you go for it. It was physical both ways. I know I hit her a couple of times. It goes either way.

Q. Coach, Kirby Copeland had two points and was in foul trouble in the first half and finished with 19. What was she doing in the second half and the extra period to get herself open and get open shots?

COACH INGLESE: No. 1, she wasn't fouling. She played her game, came off those posts to guard screens. She's got a nice drive, pull up jumper to the basket and drive all the way to the basket. She just really played her game. That's something we talked about a lot the first time. She didn't really have a great game against us the first game, and we knew, and we talked about it as a staff coming out the second half that she sat out a little bit the first half that she would be ready to go the second half, and I think she really played her game. She brings energy to her team. She drives and able to get her own shot, or drive and draw some other people and leave people open. So she did what I think she is capable of doing and she was pretty consistent at that.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions? Thank you very much.