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NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR


April 1, 2001


Camille Cooper

Kristy Curry

Katie Douglas

Shereka Wright


ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Just thought it was just an outstanding basketball game, you know it was a shame that someone had to come out on the end that we came out on. I would just like to say that I am extremely proud of our entire basketball team and the things they have accomplished. You know, I just don't think it should take away from the year that we had. Again, it was a shame that somebody had to lose.

Q. If you could just take us through that last shot?

KATIE DOUGLAS: Kind of designed a play, and just kind of got out there. Didn't run it as well as we wanted to. Didn't execute. And, I don't know what really happened and took place. I thought I kind of -- had a good look at the basket, and it just didn't go down for me.

CAMILLE COOPER: We came up short at the end. Our teammates were playing hard, but we came up short.

Q. That was the play you were supposed to be somewhere around the top of the key or just inside the paint for that shot?

KATIE DOUGLAS: Yeah, I was, but the pass went to Camille, and it wasn't -- I don't know -- I don't know, it just wasn't what we had really designed, but got to give Notre Dame credit, because they were, you know, on us and making it difficult for us. But we just didn't execute.

Q. Could you talk about the difficulty that Ruth presented tonight for you?

CAMILLE COOPER: She was big inside. We knew it would be a battle inside. I kind of wish we would have been able to play a little more, but that's the way the ball bounced, and you credit Ruth for playing very well.

KATIE DOUGLAS: She played a great game. If she was not blocking a shot, she was altering a shot. She was getting a lot of rebounds, and it was just her night.

Q. If you could just explain the frustration of just getting in foul trouble and trying to stay in it?

CAMILLE COOPER: I'm very frustrated. Like I said, it's my last game and I would have liked to have played more. But as in any game, that's a questionable call, but I think we are all working hard and other players stepped up to try to pick up the slack.

Q. Can you just talk about how the future looks bright for Purdue with how well Shalicia and Shereka played tonight?

KATIE DOUGLAS: The future looks very bright. They are freshmen, but they never played like it in the tournament, and we're just going to pass our torch and they will be back. I know the feeling that they have in the locker room; it's going to make them work that much harder and motivate them and they will be back.

Q. Do you feel like you fouled Ruth? Just talk about the call?

SHEREKA WRIGHT: Just can't talk about it. They made the call. You've just got to accept it and move on.

Q. The first half, you guys dominated the rebounds so much, did you really feel like that was maybe when you should have kept -- had a chance to put them in a bigger hole going into halftime?

KATIE DOUGLAS: We still dominated. We obviously out-rebounded them. We got 17 offensive boards -- (inaudible) -- we needed to limit some of their offensive boards a little more, but I think we did a great job on the boards. I don't think that's what happened.

Q. Do you think you should have extended your lead, with doing all that on the boards? Do you feel like the first half was when you had a chance to really extend a lead and build an insurmountable lead?

KATIE DOUGLAS: We were doing a great job. Got to credit post that were picking up the loose balls or the missed shots inside, and that's what was really giving us the advantage. I think we did a great job in the second half, doing the same thing. That's just the way the things go.

DEBBIE BYRNE: Ladies, thank you very much.

Q. Do you feel like on the last play from Notre Dame you had them pretty well defensed? She (Ruth) had to make a pretty difficult catch?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Are you asking me did I think what?

Q. On your last defensive possession?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Yeah, we really felt like we defended it well. You know some things, sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. It didn't. I think that you have to take away from that last possession, the basketball game was not won or lost in the last minute. There's a 40-minute game.

Q. What was the last play that you called, and what went awry, if anything?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: You know, we really wanted to get the basketball in Katie's hands. No, we didn't execute as well as we wanted. But then again, I don't think all eyes should be on that last possession. I thought we got a good look at the basket. That's a high percentage shot for her. Believe me, she's hit a lot of shots for us, and it's not going to focus on the last possession. We would have liked to have made the shot, but it didn't go down.

Q. Can you talk about your perimeter defense?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: I thought it was outstanding. Wright was just outstanding on Ratay, Camille Cooper on Ivey, and I thought that Parks/Douglas, all four of those kids really stepped up big time defensively.

Q. You had 13 offensive rebounds in the first half and only a few in the second; did something change tactically at all?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: Not at all. Wanted to have the same intensity and energy. I'm sure Muffet gave them a little talking to at halftime and they started being more aggressive on the boards, and we tried to continue and not go away from what we were doing.

Q. Could you just talk about any concluding thoughts on just how good a season you have had and some thoughts on the future with the freshman that you have this year?

COACH KRISTY CURRY: I guess all I can tell you is I am so incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished, because, you know, we've had a lot of ups and downs and all-arounds, and this team has been through so much adversity. I think that's why it hurts so bad right now, because these kids are incredible people. It's like I told them a while ago, they are going to walk out of here tonight a winner. That's what matters. And they are going to win the game of life. Those five seniors are going to go out in the world and do pretty good.

DEBBIE BYRNE: Coach, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts....

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