TCU - 68, Oklahoma State - 66
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by TCU Head Coach Mark Campbell and student-athletes Una Jovanovic and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. Coach?
MARK CAMPBELL: Well, March Madness is here. So proud of our team. The one word I have to describe this group is resilient. Man, they just keep fighting and battling. Obviously we didn't want to make it easy on ourselves, up 12. Allowed them to make a come-back, but we were able to finish it off.
Just a great all-around performance, super excited to survive another day. We're fighting for our NCAA Tournament hopes, and we got a great opportunity tomorrow against Oklahoma.
Q. Una, tell me about your preparation for this game and what was different about it to make you "ball out" the way you did?
UNA JOVANOVIC: I wouldn't say it was anything different. Obviously it's postseason so win or go home, and everyone was extra locked in. I wouldn't say it was anything different. The shots were falling and I just took what they gave me and was just trying to help the team win. So just ended up going that way today.
MARK CAMPBELL: I want to add to that Una has incredible preparation. It doesn't waiver game by game. She watches film every week and gets up her extra shots every week. Una loves the game of basketball and so it's just neat that she delivered. I would say over the last six months she has been preparing for this moment, this opportunity week by week, and it's not a surprise that she came out and delivered and had a great game. But she truly the last six months has prepared and been training for an opportunity like this.
Q. Coach, you mentioned that run that Oklahoma State went on. What was your message to your team during that and how did you guys end up withstanding that in the end?
MARK CAMPBELL: I said we gotta get a stop! They hit a bunch of three's in a row and we took a timeout and decided to go man, our zone was struggling and these kids buckled down and were able to get stops. Obviously in our zone, it kind of keeps Sedona around the basket but they weren't shooting around the basket. They were shooting three's and getting a lot of open looks. This group, man, they find a way. They found a way all season and they found a way again tonight.
Q. Agnes, you're often known as the heart of this team. So your resilience has shown throughout this game today. What do you think that has to do with the team and the culture and how you won today?
AGNES EMMA-NNOPU: I think it goes to show that everyone has each other's backs so for me to go out there and play hard and know that my team is constantly supporting me, so it gives me the freedom to go out there and leave everything on the floor. And I guess because it's March. So survive and advance. Leave everything out there.
Q. (Away from mic.)
MARK CAMPBELL: Fantastic. As we were building this program you're setting standards and you are setting a bar in Year 1. We want to be a team that plays in the NCAA Tournament every year. You want to be a team that has a chance to win a Big 12 Tournament Championship. So this group is doing just a phenomenal job of laying this foundation that we're trying to lay that will be there for years to come. That we get to continue to build off off. Agnes has a unique background, you know, she has won a national championship, she has played in the Final Four and she understands the magnitude of these games that are one and done and loser goes home. I think that was evident that you could see in her spirit, getting extra possessions, taking big-time shots for us, but we're leaning on Aggie right now during this March time period.
Q. When it comes to tournament time, obviously you know tomorrow you're right back on the court again. How does that change preparation, all that, when it comes to competing?
MARK CAMPBELL: Great question. Number one, we don't have a deep bench right now so getting these guys rested and hydrated, making sure they get a chance to do their treatment. So number one it's taking care of your own team. And then we got a quick turn-around against Oklahoma. So the scout is done. We will get back, have some dinner and study film. We will go through a walk-through.
You get one crack to kinda figure out what our game plan will be. Oklahoma is an unbelievable ball club. There's not many holes there. Our most important thing is getting our kids recharged and refreshed so we can get out there and compete again.
But we're pumped. Couldn't ask for a better opportunity to go compete, win, and get another resume builder. And continue. We've said as a team, it's 80 minutes. That's what we're here for. I feel like it's halftime right now. There is an 80-minute session of basketball and then you get Sunday to rest and a day off and then there is another 80-minute segment. So right now we feel like we're halfway there. We got another 40-minute battle and hopefully we can get to Sunday.
Q. Agnes, you won a national championship, like Coach said. Everyone knows that. Is there something that you may have used from that to this team? Everyone is contributing in every different way. Was there advice you gave to the team or just working hard right now?
AGNES EMMA-NNOPU: I think just talking to the team saying that you only have one opportunity to go out there and leave everything on the floor. The game goes like that. So I think everybody having that mind-set that we want to continue to play deep into March. So it's something I tried to speak with the girls about, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Good luck.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports