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The University of Utah Athletics
Quotes From Lynne Roberts Weekly Press Conference
1/23/2018 3:12 PM | Women's Basketball
Opening Statement...
"We are coming off a good week on the road. We beat No. 22 ranked Arizona State which is a great program with great tradition. That was a really good boost for our team. I felt like this season we had played other ranked opponents really tough, but just hadn't gotten that breakthrough where we didn't come out with the win, so I was really proud of our team. We didn't play perfect, which was an even better sign that we didn't have to play our best game and we were able to win. Then we went on and got a solid win at Arizona, so now we are 5-3 in conference play, which is great. Last season we won five conference games total, so we have already matched that and we aren't halfway through. So, that is a good sign for our program in terms of moving in the right direction and taking the steps we need to get better. We just know that it is never easy and there are no easy-outs in this league, they are all hard. This weekend we play Oregon State, who is a top-20 team and also 5-3 in the Pac-12, on Friday, so that will be a big game. They have won the league the last couple of years and they were in the Final Four just two years ago, so they are a really good program. We have Oregon on Sunday, who is seventh in the country right now and they are in first place in the league right now. So, we have a big weekend at home and an opportunity for us. We only the Oregons once this season, so this will be the only time we get them and we are excited for the challenge."
On what she felt they did well against Arizona State...
"The Arizona State game was interesting because we played a great first quarter. We came out and controlled the game and then offensively we weren't very good the second and third quarters. We were down 11 heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored them in the fourth 26-13. They hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to cut it to a two-point win, so if they had not hit that, we would have outscored them 26-10. I just thought we had a great fourth quarter, but I'm most proud of our team in that game for not buckling. It is really hard when you are playing a team that no one has circled you to beat. They were "suppose" to beat us, especially at their place. It was their kids day, so there were thousands of screaming kids there and it was a tough environment. So, the fact that we just didn't buckle, is what I am most proud of and I think it shows maturity, growth and progress as a program. So, I don't think it was anything specifically that we did great. We didn't shoot the ball tremendously great, but we didn't shoot it poorly. We just didn't buckle, we hung in there and it was a gut check."
On how she would describe what changed in the fourth quarter against Arizona State...
"I remember saying in-between the quarters to stop worrying about losing, its the worst that can happen. Just compete, shoot with confidence. We were getting good shots and needed to keep taking them. The other thing statistically that was a swing change was that we rebounded the ball like crazy. We got seven offensive boards in that fourth quarter with Megan Huff getting five. Those are deflating for a defensive team like Arizona State. They had the lead and we just kept getting offensive rebound put-backs and getting to the free throw line and that is hard to sustain that. Then they get a little fearful of a "oh shoot here they come" kind of thing. So, I think the rebounding was the one specific thing that shifted. That is what I mean about not buckling, there was just a tenacity to leave it all out on the floor and see if we can come out with a win. We hit shots down the stretch. Tori Williams hit four free throws in the last 19 seconds to seal it. So we made shots and free throws down the line and then it was just that fearlessness that triggered that run."
On if she thinks beating ranked opponents is better for player confidence or establishing the program...
"Establishing us as a program. I don't think we are respected much, which is fine, we will earn it. It is eyebrow raising in the basketball community. The more we can do that, the more we can earn that respect. As it is now, no one expects us to beat a ranked opponent and our goal is to be those ranked opponents. Not just beat them, but become one. We will get there. We just have to keep earning that respect."
On Tori Williams earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week...
"She is a good player and was highly recruited. She is just good. It shows that our recruiting is getting better and we are bringing in Pac-12 level kids. The more accolades you can get like that it just means the more recognition you are receiving, people are noticing what you are doing. So again, I think those are things for our program that are good. She is having a heck of a freshman year. She has the most three-pointers of any freshman in the Pac-12. She has made 37, which is a lot, and she is shooting a good percentage. She is a tough kid and a savvy player. She definitely makes us better."
On Williams scoring the winning free throws against Arizona State...
"She is just confident. She isn't overconfident and she isn't cocky, she is just confident. We drew that up so that she would get those free throws and I had no doubt she would make them. We all have that confidence in her because she has that quiet self-confidence about herself. She knows what she is good at and plays to her strengths. I honestly would have bet my house that she was going to make those free throws."
On already matching last year's conference win total...
"I am proud of that. The fact that we have gotten two road sweeps, I am really proud of that. It just speaks to the fact that we are making progress, but I am not naive. This league is tough and it doesn't get any tougher than what we are going to get this weekend. We have to be confident in who we are and what we have done. We are a legitimately good team when we do the things we are good at. Meaning, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves and be overconfident. But I think when we are locked in and we do the things we are good at, we are pretty dang good. I think the fact that we have already won five, speaks to the fact that we are better. We are just a better team. Our players are doing a great job, but we have to move past the accomplishments of last week and move on to the challenges of this week. I am excited about that. We have a good enough team that we can hang with these guys. We are playing at home and we only get one shot, so we have to be ready to play and it is going to be hard. I don't know who is going to win either game, but whoever does it is going to be really hard to win. I think us and both of the Oregons are tough to beat. So, I am looking forward to the games."
On Emily Potter this season...
"She has done a great job. Even though her numbers don't shot it, she is still the main person, but she garners so much attention from the other teams' defenses that it is a constant double team with a lot of zone. But now we have the pieces where if they take that away, we have kids that can shoot. If they want to double her from our power forward, then Megan Huff can score. I think Potter has opened those things up for the players rather than them taking away any sunshine from her. Potter is a competitive human being. She will race you to the trash can because she wants to win. She has been fantastic. Sometimes when players that are used to being the leading scorer every game and then you get a balanced offense, they can be like 'wait a second,' but she isn't like that. She wants to win more than anything and I think there is a little bit of pressure off of her shoulders too. We certainly need her to produce and have a good game, but that doesn't necessarily mean she always has to score 25 or 30 points. She has handled it great and she has been a great teammate. Like I said, she just wants to win."
"We are coming off a good week on the road. We beat No. 22 ranked Arizona State which is a great program with great tradition. That was a really good boost for our team. I felt like this season we had played other ranked opponents really tough, but just hadn't gotten that breakthrough where we didn't come out with the win, so I was really proud of our team. We didn't play perfect, which was an even better sign that we didn't have to play our best game and we were able to win. Then we went on and got a solid win at Arizona, so now we are 5-3 in conference play, which is great. Last season we won five conference games total, so we have already matched that and we aren't halfway through. So, that is a good sign for our program in terms of moving in the right direction and taking the steps we need to get better. We just know that it is never easy and there are no easy-outs in this league, they are all hard. This weekend we play Oregon State, who is a top-20 team and also 5-3 in the Pac-12, on Friday, so that will be a big game. They have won the league the last couple of years and they were in the Final Four just two years ago, so they are a really good program. We have Oregon on Sunday, who is seventh in the country right now and they are in first place in the league right now. So, we have a big weekend at home and an opportunity for us. We only the Oregons once this season, so this will be the only time we get them and we are excited for the challenge."
On what she felt they did well against Arizona State...
"The Arizona State game was interesting because we played a great first quarter. We came out and controlled the game and then offensively we weren't very good the second and third quarters. We were down 11 heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored them in the fourth 26-13. They hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to cut it to a two-point win, so if they had not hit that, we would have outscored them 26-10. I just thought we had a great fourth quarter, but I'm most proud of our team in that game for not buckling. It is really hard when you are playing a team that no one has circled you to beat. They were "suppose" to beat us, especially at their place. It was their kids day, so there were thousands of screaming kids there and it was a tough environment. So, the fact that we just didn't buckle, is what I am most proud of and I think it shows maturity, growth and progress as a program. So, I don't think it was anything specifically that we did great. We didn't shoot the ball tremendously great, but we didn't shoot it poorly. We just didn't buckle, we hung in there and it was a gut check."
On how she would describe what changed in the fourth quarter against Arizona State...
"I remember saying in-between the quarters to stop worrying about losing, its the worst that can happen. Just compete, shoot with confidence. We were getting good shots and needed to keep taking them. The other thing statistically that was a swing change was that we rebounded the ball like crazy. We got seven offensive boards in that fourth quarter with Megan Huff getting five. Those are deflating for a defensive team like Arizona State. They had the lead and we just kept getting offensive rebound put-backs and getting to the free throw line and that is hard to sustain that. Then they get a little fearful of a "oh shoot here they come" kind of thing. So, I think the rebounding was the one specific thing that shifted. That is what I mean about not buckling, there was just a tenacity to leave it all out on the floor and see if we can come out with a win. We hit shots down the stretch. Tori Williams hit four free throws in the last 19 seconds to seal it. So we made shots and free throws down the line and then it was just that fearlessness that triggered that run."
On if she thinks beating ranked opponents is better for player confidence or establishing the program...
"Establishing us as a program. I don't think we are respected much, which is fine, we will earn it. It is eyebrow raising in the basketball community. The more we can do that, the more we can earn that respect. As it is now, no one expects us to beat a ranked opponent and our goal is to be those ranked opponents. Not just beat them, but become one. We will get there. We just have to keep earning that respect."
On Tori Williams earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week...
"She is a good player and was highly recruited. She is just good. It shows that our recruiting is getting better and we are bringing in Pac-12 level kids. The more accolades you can get like that it just means the more recognition you are receiving, people are noticing what you are doing. So again, I think those are things for our program that are good. She is having a heck of a freshman year. She has the most three-pointers of any freshman in the Pac-12. She has made 37, which is a lot, and she is shooting a good percentage. She is a tough kid and a savvy player. She definitely makes us better."
On Williams scoring the winning free throws against Arizona State...
"She is just confident. She isn't overconfident and she isn't cocky, she is just confident. We drew that up so that she would get those free throws and I had no doubt she would make them. We all have that confidence in her because she has that quiet self-confidence about herself. She knows what she is good at and plays to her strengths. I honestly would have bet my house that she was going to make those free throws."
On already matching last year's conference win total...
"I am proud of that. The fact that we have gotten two road sweeps, I am really proud of that. It just speaks to the fact that we are making progress, but I am not naive. This league is tough and it doesn't get any tougher than what we are going to get this weekend. We have to be confident in who we are and what we have done. We are a legitimately good team when we do the things we are good at. Meaning, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves and be overconfident. But I think when we are locked in and we do the things we are good at, we are pretty dang good. I think the fact that we have already won five, speaks to the fact that we are better. We are just a better team. Our players are doing a great job, but we have to move past the accomplishments of last week and move on to the challenges of this week. I am excited about that. We have a good enough team that we can hang with these guys. We are playing at home and we only get one shot, so we have to be ready to play and it is going to be hard. I don't know who is going to win either game, but whoever does it is going to be really hard to win. I think us and both of the Oregons are tough to beat. So, I am looking forward to the games."
On Emily Potter this season...
"She has done a great job. Even though her numbers don't shot it, she is still the main person, but she garners so much attention from the other teams' defenses that it is a constant double team with a lot of zone. But now we have the pieces where if they take that away, we have kids that can shoot. If they want to double her from our power forward, then Megan Huff can score. I think Potter has opened those things up for the players rather than them taking away any sunshine from her. Potter is a competitive human being. She will race you to the trash can because she wants to win. She has been fantastic. Sometimes when players that are used to being the leading scorer every game and then you get a balanced offense, they can be like 'wait a second,' but she isn't like that. She wants to win more than anything and I think there is a little bit of pressure off of her shoulders too. We certainly need her to produce and have a good game, but that doesn't necessarily mean she always has to score 25 or 30 points. She has handled it great and she has been a great teammate. Like I said, she just wants to win."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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