Dec. 16, 2007

Recap | Box Score

TENNESSEE vs. GONZAGA
December 16, 2007
Post-game Quotes

GONZAGA HEAD COACH Kelly Graves
(Overall thoughts on the game)
"Well, first of all, I want to congratulate Tennessee. That's a great team. They are very deserving of all their accolades and their rankings. I'm proud of our team. I thought we competed to the end. We were a little short-handed tonight, but I thought a couple of our players, especially (Jamie Bjorklund) stepped up and did a really good job tonight. We lost to a very good basketball team, but I think we learned some things, and it's going to help us later on in the season."

(On the injury to sophomore forward Heather Bowman)
"I feel bad for Heather (Bowman). She's a great player and has been averaging 21 (points) and 11 (rebounds) for us. I didn't know how we'd react. This is the first game we've been without her, and we've only been without her for two days in practice so this was really the first time. I think we can adjust to it and if it's the six or seven weeks that we think it might be, that gives us a lot of opportunities to find someone who can fill that role for us. When we battle the front line that (Tennessee) has, I mean every weapon that you have is important. There were some times out on the court that 5-10 was our tallest player. That's not enough when you're going against players of that ability. We hope that somebody will step up."

(On how the offense played)
"We tried to spread them out as best as we could and take them off the dribble. I thought early on we had a few pretty good looks, and there was maybe some intimidation. Those arms are a little longer than the ones we are used to shooting over. I like what we did offensively. Defensively, is where we really struggled."

(On the opportunity to play Tennessee at home next year)
"I'm sure they're used to it, but everywhere they go, they are a huge draw. Even the casual fan knows about Tennessee. Everybody knows Coach Summitt. Everybody knows Candace Parker. I think it can only help a program like us. Spokane is a basketball-crazy area, and that's something that we're really looking forward to. I'm thankful that Tennessee would want to do that. You can see what it meant to Jami (Bjorklund), and I'm sure it means the same to Angie (Bjorklund). That's what kind of class that they have here. It's great."

(On the Bjorklund family)
"You've seen a little bit of Jami (Bjorklund) and you certainly know a lot about Angie (Bjorklund). They are great young women. Sometimes that's lost. It's a tremendous family. Two terrific students, terrific human beings and two great basketball players. We're really proud of having Jami as a part of our program, and we're happy for Angie too. We cheer for her all the time, except for tonight."

JUNIOR FORWARD Jami Bjorklund
(On playing against her sister)
"It was fun. It was kind of like old days, playing one-on-one against each other. Especially at the end there, when we were kind of guarding each other the last five minutes of the game. We talked back and forth. It was fun."

(On Angie trying to break the three-pointers record)
"I said, `There's no way Angie. I'm not going to let you break that record on me.' And then I heard the crowd getting into it, and that pumped me up even more."

(On the crowd's welcome for her)
"I thought it was awesome. To have them cheer for me because I'm Angie's sister, that was really awesome."

(On playing her sister for the first time in college)
"I didn't really know what to expect coming into it. I didn't think it would be as fun as it was, but I am really thankful to come down here and play against Tennessee and my sister. It was a very memorable moment for me in my life."

TENNESSEE HEAD COACH PAT SUMMITT: (opening remarks) "I thought our team played with a lot of energy. I liked the way we started. Our starters broke the game open. Defensively, we got after it. There was one spell in the second half where we let up. We don't look for our bench to extend the lead as much, but we don't want to give up as many points. They have to get after it. They understand that, and they'll get better. Vicki Baugh will get better, and Sydney Smallbone has got to get a lot better."

(on the performance of freshman Angie Bjorklund) "I was interested to see what she would do with the defensive assignment of guarding (her sister) Jami (Bjorklund). I asked the staff, `Do you think this is a good idea?' I asked Angie, and she said it would be like playing at home. That tells me a lot about her emotional attitude. She was very composed. She shot extremely well. She had seven three-pointers and needed just one more for the school record. I put her back in the game to try to get the record. She had five looks. She told Jami that she needed one more three for the record, and Jami said, `You're not going to touch the ball.' That's typical sisters. I've challenged her in all aspects. She had three defensive rebounds. That has been a point of emphasis for her."

(on the performance of senior point guard Shannon Bobbitt) "Shannon was very efficient. She got everyone involved. We had better ball movement and were more efficient offensively. I give Shannon a lot of credit for her unselfishness and leadership."

(on bench play) "Vicki Baugh needs to be committed to the high-low denial. She's still learning our system. She's a great athlete and can get up and down the floor, but she has been playing conservatively. She has flattened out in our transition game, and Sydney Smallbone has done the same thing. They're still learning form the defensive standpoint. There's room for improvement."

(on consistent play) "Sometimes, we let the score affect our performance. This is a game of possessions. Sometimes when we have a turnover, we have turnovers too many consecutive times. We have players who are trying to do too much. We've got to be more disciplined as a team. It's a hard habit to break. When we have a big lead, we sometimes become more casual. We've got to take away casual possessions."

(on free throw shooting) "That's a great sign for us. This is a team that can get to the free throw line. They have the ability to create. They do the good job of getting to the free throw line. In practice, they have to shoot 80 percent on free throws, or they have to run. Candace Parker has really done a good job at the free throw line and is doing a better job of setting an example there."

TENNESSEE SENIOR NICKY ANOSIKE: (on going on the road) "It definitely works to our advantage to having played nine games before having to go on the road. The freshmen will be prepared."

TENNESSEE FRESHMAN ANGIE BJORKLUND: (on her sister, Jami, hitting an early shot against her) "Did she? I just remember her airballing that one shot. It was fun playing against her but even more fun hanging out with her off of the court. That's the first time I've played against her. It was different, but we definitely had fun."

(on tying Tennessee's record for three-pointers in a game) "I told Jami that I needed one more for the record, and she didn't cut me any slack. She told me that she wasn't going to let me touch the ball. My teammates got me open, but I just couldn't knock it down."

TENNESSEE SENIOR ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE: (on the performance of point guard Shannon Bobbitt) "That was a great ratio (13 assists, 1 turnover). She did a great job of getting us in our sets and seeing the open player. It shows that you don't have to always score, that you can do other things."

(on the team's strong start) "This was an important game for us to get off to a good start. That was a point of emphasis before going to UCLA and Stanford. We wanted to come out and play with energy and good defense."

(on going on the road without Associate Head Coach Holly Warlick) "It will be different. We're a very traditional team, and we'll miss her during our drills and shootaround, but I'm sure we'll be getting messages from her."

(on intensity) "We started out good. We were intense and limited their touches. We struggled towards the end of the first half and early in the second half, but it speaks volumes about our team that we were able to come back to that intensity."

TENNESSEE ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH HOLLY WARLICK: (on not traveling with the team for upcoming games with UCLA and Stanford) "I will not be traveling because I broke my ankle, and now I've got a blood clot in my calf. Debby Jennings will be sitting right next to Pat, so we'll be in close contact. This is strictly a healthy issue. Before Chicago (for game at DePaul), we'll re-evaluate. Friday, I felt a lump in my muscle. It's a precaution. I went to my doctor (Amy Bentley), and when I got there, Pat (Coach Summitt) was already there. It was a group decision. I haven't been injured before. I'm going to do what they say. The team is well-prepared, and they'll handle it. I'm still scouting. I've always done the Stanford scout, and I couldn't give that up. I'll turn it over to (assistant coaches) Dean (Lockwood) and Nikki (Caldwell) and let them handle it. They'll be well coached. I'll be a fan and yell at the radio and TV."