Jan. 16, 2010
Recap | Box Score | Notes
Oakland Head Coach Beckie Francis
Opening Statement
"I am pleased with how everybody played tonight, especially those who came off the bench. We never had a lull and it didn't matter who we put in. It really contributed to how hard we worked in practice all week."
On what this game meant after losing to SUU last year by one point
"We have seven new players on this team and we talked about it in the locker room. I asked what the score was when we played them at Cedar City. Our seniors knew we lost by one. At home, Stacey Farrell said that we had won by one point. They were in shock because SUU was the ninth place team last year and we were 26-7. I said, they are going to think they are going to play with us and we have to send a message."
On Hanna Reising coming off the bench
"She is our sixth man and she is such a great spark. I like starting our three guard, Victoria Lipscomb, Sharise Calhoun and Riikka Terava, because they are defensive gems. Hanna is a great defender too, but when someone like her comes off the bench at the 17 minute mark, that's a punch."
On the team's depth
"They work hard in practice and when they are focused, they are going to get it in the first half and that's just how we play. I try to measure who can handle the heat in the first half, and that's who I go back with in the second, like Kristin Turner."
On winning five of last six games by 20 points or more
"They hate losing and I love this team. They might get a little bit of that from their coach. I recruit competitors and they hate losing. It lights a fire."
Sophomore guard Sharise Calhoun
On hitting her career-high in points
"It's an amazing feeling out there because I have very supportive teammates, especially with our captains. Our leadership has made us very comfortable this year and our team has great chemistry."
On whether you know before a game if it will be a great one
"This whole week, I think we knew. The loss to Oral Roberts was hard for us and we decided we were not going to lose anymore. I think the focus in practice, the extra shooting afterward, the lifting and all the little things that help before the game really help. It's all about the preparation before the game. As a team, we all feed off each other."
