Pitt vs. Robert Morris Quotes
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
PITTSBURGH - Quoting Pitt Head Coach Agnes Berenato:
Opening Statement:
"I'm really excited with how we played tonight. I thought we showed tremendous perseverance and courage, especially after being shell-shocked when Shavonte [Zellous] went down with an injury. One of our goals coming into the season was to win all of the games not just in the city but also in the state, and I'm very proud that we accomplished that tonight. Jania Sims was excellent down the stretch, hitting those key free-throws at the end, and proving she be a crunch-time scorer. I also want to say how much of an honor it is for the program to have Marcedes Walker as a 1,000 point scorer for her career."
On being ranked in the top-25 in the coach's poll:
"I don't think there's any additional pressure because it's where we want to be. To be successful you have to be able to handle certain things, and this is one of those instances. With all that we've been through already, the pressure from this is nothing."
Quoting Pitt's Marcedes Walker:
On playing against Robert Morris:
"We know how important it is to beat other teams from Pittsburgh. We see the girls around in pick-up games and in the summer leagues, so the record isn't all that important coming in. It's a rivalry game, and you know they're going to be coming after you and giving you their best shot."
On surpassing 1,000 points for her career:
"It's and honor and I'm happy about it, but it's really a team thing. My teammates make good passes to get me the ball, and take shots from good positions so I can get the rebound and score. It's as much their accomplishment as it is mine."
Quoting Pitt's Jania Sims:
On gaining experience:
"From the start, my coaches told me I wasn't a freshman out there. When you're on the court, you just play. It doesn't matter how old you are, you just have to produce with the minutes you're given. My coaches and my teammates are harder on me in practice than they are in the game, so I'm ready for whatever happens out there."
Quoting Pitt's Xenia Stewart:
On her role if Shavonte Zellous is injured:
"I don't think this is any different, because my team needs production from me every night. When we're out on the court, everybody on our team needs to look to score. I'll have to be more of a vocal leader than to necessarily change the way I play."
Quoting Robert Morris Head Coach Sal Buscaglia:
Opening Statement:
"I thought we gave a tremendous effort, especially considering that one of our best players, Psyche Butler, was out with an illness. I think we had one of the better teams in the country running scared towards the end of the game, but we just weren't able to pull it out at the end. We're a very competitive team and I think our school as well as our conference deserves a lot of credit for how we've played this year against some major programs."
On the importance of playing Pitt:
"It's a great set-up. I think we need to grow the sport of women's basketball locally, and match-ups like this help to do that. This mini-tournament against Pitt and Duquesne shows that Robert Morris belongs in the mix when you're talking about teams in the area with talent."
On playing a tough schedule:
"I don't need anymore wins on my resume. When I brought these girls in, I promised them great competition; that they were going to have a chance to play against the very best. We want to test ourselves against top-level opponents.
Quoting Robert Morris's Chinata Nesbit:
On playing Pitt:
"They're a good team and they executed their sets well. Playing against teams like them helps us to get ready for our conference play."
