Feb. 22, 2010

Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

Oakland Head Coach Beckie Francis

Opening Statement
"Our seniors are awesome."

On SDSU's turnovers
"I'd like to say it was our defense. We watched the film really hard and made an adjustment from the last time we played them. It really worked and we tried to take away what they did to beat us last time."

On how Oakland is closing out league games
"I think it is safe to say our team is very competitive and we have a senior group that wants to go out winners. I don't think, and this isn't a knock on other seniors I have had, I have ever had a unit like this. Riikka Terava is a fifth-year senior, Melissa Jeltema and Hanna Reising have started since their freshman year and Stacey Farrell, too, they know it and they get it. It was motivational watching the men's team cut down the nets and we're still in it. We want to take care of business and peak at the right time."

On a sense on urgency
"We keep riding those emotional things everyday, asking the seniors how many home games they have left. They almost get tears in their eyes and we're such a close team that everybody is pulling hard for their seniors. It's a team bond that is pushing us through."

Senior forward Hanna Reising

On the difference between this game and the last meeting
"We came out on our heels a little bit and Frost Arena is a tough place to play. We wanted to protect our home court tonight and I think we are peaking at the right time."

On the what set off the team's offensive momentum
"I think our conditioning really pulls us away from other teams. We work hard in the off season and I think our defense was so intense tonight. We didn't hit a wall and we kept pushing through it."

Senior guard Melissa Jeltema

On the second half run
"We just came out in the second half focused and ready to put the game away. I give it up to my teammates for giving me the ball when I was open."

On what this win means
"This is a huge win for us and gives us a lot of confidence going into the tournament, knowing we can pull out a big win against a good team like South Dakota State."

SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston

Opening statement
"That was not the outcome we were looking for in a big game, but Oakland played really well and they always do when we come here. We always enjoy playing them because they play exceptionally hard and they play together. It's a fun style to play against and tonight, they were better at it than us. They forced turnovers and we never really got settled on either end. It's a great win for them and one we will have to try and improve upon."

On losing a game like this before the tournament
"It's frustrating we didn't play with more urgency in this game. We talked about how we are playing in a big game and going for a conference championship and the postseason. Oakland played with more urgency and they were prepared."

On the 27 turnovers
"This game reminded me of some we played back in November and December. We struggled early in the year and we haven't played like this in a while. We had been playing better basketball and I think some of it was Oakland's defensive effort. But some of that is us, too. I think when they came out with so much intensity, that took us back and we never really recovered from it. I thought we played well in the first half, but foul trouble was a big problem for us."\

On Oakland's intensity in the two games
"I think it was their intensity and our lack of it at times, but even so, that was a close game back in Brookings. Oakland always plays exceptionally hard and they are playing really good basketball right now."