LSU vs. Louisville Postgame Press Conference

March 24, 2009

LSU Head Coach Van Chancellor

Opening Statement "I am incredibly proud of our team. I thought this was a great year for us. If you would have told me that when we got beat in the Final Four and would return four players and three of them never played in a pressure game and we would have had a shot to go to the Sweet 16, I would not have believed you. Our kids played as hard as they could tonight. They gave it everything they had. It has been incredible - the run that Allison (Hightower) has had here lately. Kristen Morris - how she has played, what she has gone through this year. She did not get down when she did not get to play enough to suit her, and then in the Kentucky game she just basically helped us win that game. From that moment on she has been unbelievable for us, and when you leave a program, you want to leave it with a lasting impression and I will always remember Kristen for being the glue that kept this program on track and almost put it in the Sweet 16.

"Let me say this now. I thought from day one, the second the bracket came out, I thought Louisville was way under-seeded. That is my own personal opinion. I don't run everything. I thought they could have been on the second row and maybe as high as the first row, but we did a good job. Their press didn't hurt us, so we played really well and I'm proud of our team."

On the importance of being outrebounded and Louisville shooting more free throws ... "We were really concerned about Louisville's press, and we got them to quit pressing so I thought that was a plus because we did not let them generate many points off turnovers. I told our team at shoot around today that I thought we would beat their press, not really believing that altogether, and I thought we could not let them rebound the ball. They made free throws. We didn't. That was the difference in the game. They made 15 free throws, and those were easy points. Then we didn't rebound the ball as well as we wanted to. They had 12 second-chance points. I thought we had to limit them to six, but I thought we would. We just didn't do a very good job at the other end. All year long we have been kind of a hot and cold free throw team. In the second half, we have done this all year, when we make them we continue to make them. If we miss them we continue to miss them."

Guard Allison Hightower

On what happened in the second half ...
"(Louisville) kept getting offensive rebounds and I think that really hurt us and we sent them to the free throw line way too much. They got easy points off of free throws. Once you give them those two things, you're kind of down."

On if she felt like she had to take over the game ...
"I think I did the same thing I was doing Sunday. I wasn't trying to take over or anything like that, but I was trying to stay aggressive and if the shot was there I was going to take it. They did a pretty good job on the box-and-one and their mixed defenses. I think I was playing like I normally play."

Forward Kristen Morris

On playing her last game at LSU ...
"I'm sad, but I want to make sure my teammates are O.K. and they remember to work hard. Like Coach Starkey mentioned in the locker room, the offseason starts now, so they have to get focused and get their mind ready to get better because they have a chance to be really, really good next year. I'm just thankful for the opportunity I had to play here."

On guarding Louisville forward Angel McCoughtry ...
"It was tough. She's a great player. I discussed yesterday that it would be hard to take her out of her game completely. She got 28 points tonight and we knew she would get at least 20, but I think Candyce (Bingham) hurt us a little bit; we didn't want her to get as many as 17, but also we got out-rebounded by Little way too much and sent her to the line way too much. We lost the battle of the boards and we turned the ball over a lot and that's basically what it boiled down to."

LOUISVILLE HEAD COACH Jeff Walz

Opening Statement...
"First, I'd like to congratulate LSU. (LSU Head Coach) Van (Chancellor) did a great job preparing his kids for our press. If you would have told me before the game that LSU would have 12 assists and seven turnovers, I would have told you we were in for a long night. They came out and were by far the best team that's been prepared to play us this season. We were even able to force UCONN into some turnovers. They did an outstanding job, but I was so proud of our kids because we had been told all year that we couldn't play a half-court game. We executed against a great defensive team and really hit some big shots in some big times."

On his team's rebounding advantage and free throw shooting...
"We had stressed that we had to rebound the basketball. In the first half, I think we had four offensive boards and that's just not what we do. We had to make a focus of trying to hit the offensive glass. We know that LSU does an outstanding job of rebounding also. I thought that (F) Mary Jackson, who came in the game for only a minute, but picked up two offensive rebounds, he play was really big for us. Keisha Hines came up with one late in the game. You've got to dig down and really try to make an effort late in the game, especially when you play a team as talented as LSU.

"And then from the free throw line - I couldn't be more excited for Keisha Hines who didn't shoot more than 48 percent last year to hit two big free throws late in the game. We expect Angel (McCoughtry) to make hers, but Becky Burke, even though she only scored five points, but she hit a big three-pointer and then was able to draw a foul with only three seconds left on the shot clock and make both shots."

On the performance of F Angel McCoughtry...
"That's what she does. There's a reason she's about to be a three-time All-American. I think it was an eight-point game when she had that steal and layup. Then she came up with a big offensive board with about a minute-and-a-half left. She picks her times really well. In the first half I had to calm her down some because she was trying to gamble on some things, but in the second half I thought she relaxed a little bit more. It's no secret, we run a lot of stuff for her. I'm not dumb, so I try to run a lot of stuff for her. I never said I was smart, but I'm not dumb."

LOUISVILLE PLAYERS

G Angel McCoughtry

On making it back to Sweet 16 in hostile environment...
"Well it feels great right now. I know last year it felt great too, but last year we lost in the Sweet 16. That didn't feel good. We don't want to feel that feeling again. We want to get as far as we can and continue to make history with this program."

On having to be patient against LSU...
"Well we realized it was going to be this kind of game when LSU beat Wisconsin. We had to come in prepared and battle and play as hard as we can. That's how it goes. We just play hard and whatever the score is at the end is the score. Luckily, for us, we came out and won this one."

On outrebounding LSU...
"You have to win these games getting rebounds, making free throws and executing. You have to do those three things this time of year. I think we did well in that today."

G Candyce Bingham

On having to be patient against LSU...
"That's how it is this time of the year. It's the NCAA. If they take one thing away, you just have to find a way to come back with another thing. That's what we do. We play composed and find a way to win."

On outrebounding LSU...
"Coach really stressed rebounding last year and again this year. To win games you have to get rebounds and make free throws, and we did that tonight."

On half court execution tonight...
"We did execute in crucial parts of the game. That's what it's about. You have to execute in crucial parts of the game, and I think we did a good job of that tonight."

On moving on to next round...
"We plan on taking it further. Last year we lost. We think we have a pretty good chance of winning the next game."

University of Louisville Athletics

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