Dec. 12, 2009

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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball
Notre Dame vs. Valparaiso
December 12, 2009 • Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame, Ind.

Notre Dame Quotes

Muffet McGraw • Head Coach

On tonight’s game and the fast start…
“We came out strong defensively and got the press going and forced some turnovers that led to some baskets. I was extremely happy with the way the game was going.”

On Brittany Mallory and overall team defensive effort on Adams…
“Mallory had a great game, career high for her today and she shot the ball really well. A lot of people chipped in. We got good performances from a lot of different people. I was particularly pleased with the good defense on Adams because she was coming in averaging 17 points a game, and we held her without a field goal.”

Becca Bruszewski • Junior • Forward

On opponents focusing on our guards…
“We don’t look like a big time threat inside because we are not 6’4 and 250. I mean we are quick and agile and that’s what people take for granted.”

On building on fast start and putting teams away…
“It’s important to get that jump and keep the lead. I know we come out strong and they come back. We do not do a good job of putting them away, but today we did.”

Ashley Barlow • Senior • Guard

On shutting down Adams…
“It was a team effort tonight. We worked on that a couple days this week. We tried to focus on where their best shooters where, and knowing where she was each time she came down the court.”

Brittany Mallory • Junior • Guard

On her performance and coming off the bench…
“I think the shots were just there. I come off the bench and I don’t want to lose any intensity my team started. I just come in and just do what I can. I got confidence coming off the bench and hitting my first couple of shots.”

Valparaiso Quotes

Keith Freeman • Head Coach

On Notre Dame’s quickness and how that caused problems…
“They’re a good team. I was really disappointed with how we handled the situation. It just felt like we were unaggressive. We did not attack. They have good players. They have multi-dimensional players. I’m looking from our standpoint at how we attacked the game and it was vast chasm from the way we attacked them when we played them last year at our place. It’s just very disappointing.”

On the defensive play against Betsy Adams…
“They’re bigger, stronger, and faster and we need to continue to work at getting stronger. She’s a sophomore who needs to continue to spend time in the weight room. They overpowered her. They overpowered us at pretty much every position. How many times did we get knocked to the floor and how many times did they get knocked to the floor? That’s a difference in the game. They’re being aggressive and we’re not being aggressive. We have to get on balance and be tougher-minded. We have to be able to handle the basketball to control tempo. We can’t do that. If you aren’t as strong as the other team, you have to be able to handle the ball and finesse; play a finesse game. We can’t do that, because we can’t hold onto the ball long enough.”

On Ashley Varner’s role in the game and changes between this year and last year…
“I certainly don’t want to define her by today’s game, because Ashley Varner is an example of everything that’s good about student athletes. She is a 3.78 student. She is a hard worker in the classroom. I would hire her in a heartbeat if I was ever looking for somebody to work at my company; she’s a winner.”

Ashley Varner • Junior • Forward

On being back and playing in front of some old friends…
“It’s definitely a good feeling. I saw a lot of people and being able to play with Skylar [Diggins]. It was just sort of bittersweet, because I felt like we could have played and kept up with them if we had played like we know how to play.”

Raegan Moore • Freshman • Guard

On her game and what see was able to do tonight…
“I was just trying to step up for my team and give them what they need, give them a boost, get the energy going, and get everyone psyched to finish that game like we know how to play it.”

On takeaways from the game and playing the 3rd-ranked team in the country…
“I have definitely realized that I have the capability of doing some things where I have to get stronger. Like coach said, get in the weight room and mentally come in prepared for the game and not psych myself out so much.”