Video highlights: Baylor vs. Texas Tech, March 8, 2012
Video: Baylor Athletics
Top-ranked Baylor (32-0) advanced to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals after defeating Texas Tech 72-48 in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday afternoon.
Odyssey Sims led her team with 18 points. Brittney Griner finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Baylor plays fifth-seeded Kansas State (19-12) in the tournament semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on FSN.
Quotes
Baylor head Coach Kim Mulkey
On overall effort vs. Texas Tech:
“I thought that we were very aggressive. I thought we picked up too many fouls, had to sit players. At the same time, those players going to the bench gave other players opportunities. With me not playing Brooklyn today, it gave Ashley an opportunity, and you like to see seniors do well, and you like to see your own kid do well. So I was a happy momma at halftime.”
On what Tech did defensively:
“They tried to do the same stuff they’d done the previous two games we played, but the difference is they didn’t make threes. When you spread the floor and go to a nontraditional type of offense to attack Griner or to keep Griner from being effective on the defensive end, you have to get away and deviate from what you normally do. Well, that’s good if you’re successful at making threes.
“But I thought we were out there and didn’t give them many open looks for threes. 3 for 14, it was pretty good. And to hold somebody at 18 percent, or 18.5 percent shooting in the first half, you’re guarding people.
On Odyssey Sims hitting outside shots:
“Odyssey can shoot. Odyssey is really trying to be too generous, I guess, in passing the ball around, and she’s passed up a lot of good shots. Odyssey can shoot the ball. She just — any time she wants to, she can light it up. But I think she’s trying to develop more of her game on passing the ball and finding the open player.”
On Kansas State:
“I know that you’d better defend them on the perimeter. Don’t leave them open. I know that their post players don’t shoot threes. So to me, that’s to our advantage defensively in allowing Griner to roam and help teammates.
But I also know they have two people on the all-conference team, and we did too. So they’re pretty darn good.”
On Griner’s improvement to find the open player:
“She used to have way too many turnovers when she was a freshman, and really about half of her sophomore year because she was seeing a different level of play. She’s probably seen double and triple-teams in high school but not at this level. And I think that Brittney Griner makes everybody better. What you saw happen today, Tech did a very good job defensively of eliminating or kind of keeping her from having as many touches as she normally would. Now, four of those were turnovers by her. So credit Tech a little bit, but what Brittney did, because Brittney Griner has to touch the ball, she makes everybody else score.
And that’s the X-factor or whatever you get with Griner. Just the other night she breaks her scoring record because they guarded her one on one. Take what the defense gives you. If the defense is not going to let Griner get many touches, then the rest of you should lick your chops because you’re going to score tonight. If the defense is going to guard Griner one on one, then we’re going to keep throwing it in there to her. We’ve learned to take what we’re being given.”
Junior center Brittney Griner
On difference between this game and last two games vs. Texas Tech:
“I don’t know how many threes they shot, but I know it wasn’t too many. I just felt like we were really able to come out and play today. I’m just glad we got the win. My team is very special.”
On every Baylor player scoring:
“It was great. This program is way more than me. They always say Brittney Griner and Baylor, but I can’t do it myself. On nights when I’m not shooting that well or my team, we still have everybody that can attack and score. So you can stop me, but you got to stop everybody else on our team too. I love being able to sit on the bench and just watch my team play and execute and keep playing.”
On the end of the half:
“It was great. This program is way more than me. They always say Brittney Griner and Baylor, but I can’t do it myself. On nights when I’m not shooting that well or my team, we still have everybody that can attack and score. So you can stop me, but you got to stop everybody else on our team too. I love being able to sit on the bench and just watch my team play and execute and keep playing.”
On Kansas State:
“K-State has some great players, and they’re well-coached. It will be a good game. It’s always tough playing a team three times, but we’ll do it. We’ll get in film, see what we did wrong in the film and just try to correct it and go out and play hard.”
Sophomore point guard Odyssey Sims
On upcoming game vs. Kansas State:
“They’re a very well-coached team. Got to get on the shooters. Can’t have too much help side and keep them in front.”
On defensive effort vs. Tech:
“Just from the finish, we were going into the game knowing that they were going to be physical. I think coach did a very good job of not preparing us for it. We didn’t take any team lightly. Can’t second guess ourselves. Thought that we did a great job. We knew that they were going to drive and take the hit. So we did our best to stop that and get on the shooters.”
On getting shooting stroke back:
“I guess I was just coming back slowly. I’ve been in a little shooting slump lately. I’ve been in the gym shooting before and after practice. Just you never know when you’ll be in a position to hit the game winner, or I just shot the ball well. That’s all I can do.”
Texas Tech head coach Kristy Curry
Opening Statement:
“Just credit Baylor. They had an outstanding effort today, in all facets, were able to get great bench play. On a day like today, you have to give them credit and take your hat off to them and move forward.”
On Baylor:
“I think it’s their supporting cast that makes them the number one team in the country and a 6’8” anchor inside. They’ve got a great balance across the board, and their supporting cast is playing really well. We’ve been fortunate enough to have them miss some shots and do a better job with making sure that, once she’s caught, we didn’t allow them to get shots in the paint, to get shots over the top. Today their supporting cast did a great job of getting in the heart of the defense.
“I’m sure that’s something that they’ve worked on. You’ve kind of got to pick and choose. I don’t think you can let her be your entire focal point. You’ve got to have great balance not only on the offensive end, but the defensive end. We just today weren’t able to do a good job and find enough spots to pick and choose where they missed some shots.”
On end of first half:
“You’ve got to come out and make shots and be aggressive. I felt like we were going east and west and not rim to rim or north to south. Once again, you have someone bank it in from left court. There’s a little luck involved too.
“Not only were they good today, but they were lucky in some spots, and that’s hard to defend right there.”
On what Texas Tech can take from this game:
“Win the next one. As Mo said it, I think she said it best when you’re talking about what to learn in the game, I think she understood it very clearly.
“We have a chance to win a championship and turn the situation into the most positive outcome we can, and that’s what it’s about right now and continue to grow and improve and have the moment in 2012-13 and get better.”
