Oklahoma - 69, TCU - 53
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by TCU Head Coach Mark Campbell, student-athletes Madison Conner and Sedona Prince. Coach?
MARK CAMPBELL: Yeah, we just didn't have our A game today with our short roster and bench. The back-to-back games is tough. I thought we had a lot of good looks and maybe our fatigued legs might have had an impact on us. I thought we controlled the tempo for a majority of the game that allowed us to stay in it. Oklahoma is -- they have a really good ball club, and they won a league title for a reason.
To beat the champs you have to be on your A game and today we weren't. Today we weren't. But I'm proud of our group for their fight. They've had incredible fight all season. Today they fought, but we just didn't have enough. So now we just get to sit and wait and figure out what lies ahead for the post season.
Q. Madison or Sedona, what accounted for the lower than average shooting for you guys today? You were below 30% for most of the game. Was it fatigue, their defense? What was it that was keeping you from getting the ball into the basket today?
MADISON CONNER: I think we weren't knocking down shots like we normally do. Fatigue might have had an impact, but I don't think that's an excuse. We usually knock down those open shots and today we didn't shoot the ball well. So when we do that we have to find another way to score.
SEDONA PRINCE: It was an unfortunate day. We are one of the best shooting teams in the country and I think we proved that day in and day out. Today was just one of those days where we couldn't buy a bucket here and there. So we kept working hard and fought through it, but it was just unfortunate.
Q. The roster is thin right now, second game in two days. How do you feel after playing, both of you I believe played 36 minutes plus both in today and yesterday's game?
MADISON CONNER: I mean, I feel like when you're out here and it's March, I feel like you kind of just run off adrenaline. So I'm not out there on the court thinking, oh, I'm tired of this. I mean, every team is out here tired. They play. Oklahoma didn't have a game yesterday, but all other teams had back-to-back games. So I feel like that's not an excuse, but your body definitely does wear and tear, but you have to play hard regardless.
SEDONA PRINCE: I think it just shows how important it is to take care of your body and we have prioritized that this season, especially for me being older. And it is difficult playing back-to-back against Big 12, the best Big 12 teams. I feel tired, but, yeah, it's no excuse. Could have given more and it's frustrating.
Q. Coach, a two-part question. Is there a case to be made for this team for the postseason beyond the Big 12 Tournament? Two, given your numbers, is that something you still want? If the opportunity presents itself?
MARK CAMPBELL: Yeah, I need to double-check the data, but I think with Madison, Sedona healthy, I think we're 17-3 with those two. Unfortunately, because of injuries -- and I know the committee takes injuries into account, but with them healthy we've proven we're one of the better teams in college basketball, definitely one of the top 64 teams.
It's been a unique season, but we -- I think this was Sedona's, maybe, fifth game back. So she is really starting to settle into a nice rhythm. In our numbers, we played six today. We have a couple of other scholarship players that are available, and this is -- you keep a tight rotation in March. You're fighting for your life to earn your way into March Madness and trying to get to Monday in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. We kept our rotation tight in the hopes that we could stay in the fight. Obviously you can't shoot 28% from the field, 28% from three and expect to beat the number one seed.
We just didn't have it. We just didn't play well enough. I don't know if that was fatigue or a lot of that could be Oklahoma. They're a heck of a ball club and Jennie and their staff do a great job. I don't know if we will get an NCAA Tournament bid or not, but I know postseason between the WBIT, which is the new tournament that the NCAA has created, that would be a great opportunity for us. Year one, we're just trying to build our program, trying to lay a great foundation for years to come. And postseason is important. It teaches you to play one and done basketball. Just like this. The Big 12 tournament is incredible for a new program, a new staff, a new team to learn and understand. And that's how you grow and you get better the next time you are in an opportunity like this.
Q. In the first quarter you shot 0-9 from beyond the arc. You shot more three 's than you did two's. Was that part of the game plan coming in or did you like that shot selection early on in the game?
MARK CAMPBELL: Yeah, great question. We try to take what they give us. This particular team broke the single season 3-point record at TCU. I think heading into the game we were at 285 three's made this year. Only seven teams in Big 12 history have ever made 300. So I think we're at 293. So this is one of the best shooting teams in Big 12 history. I was actually surprised how many looks we got. Our kids have the green light to shoot those and we need to shoot 'em and you gotta hit 'em to be able to keep up with Oklahoma.
To be honest, we went 0 for 9, but I thought we had a bunch of great looks. Today we just, golly, we just couldn't make enough buckets. But the plan isn't go shoot a bunch of three's. The plan is to take what the defense gives you and they gave us a lot of good looks. We just didn't make 'em.
Q. For you all, Sedona and I forget who -- can't find the fouls on the stat sheet, had four fouls. With how thin the lineup is right now, how do you go about managing playing whenever a player gets into foul trouble like that?
MARK CAMPBELL: Yeah, so far we have been managing a short roster for quite a while. So far it hasn't hurt us. Our kids are so smart. Sedona and Agnes played the whole fourth quarter with 4 fouls. It's one of those things. You can't take your foot off the gas if you're those kids. Sedona is an old veteran and so is Agnes. There are some younger kids that you would probably sub out and buy some time, but I trust Sedona and Agnes at a high level as veteran basketball players. They did a heck of a job. They defended and competed and neither of them fouled out.
Q. Can you talk about what Prince has meant to your program and your coaching career when she was at Oregon with you?
MARK CAMPBELL: Sedona is a unique studen-athlete, you guys. Obviously she is one of the kids that kinda changed equality between men's March Madness and women's March Madness, and I was at part of that team at Oregon when Sedona kinda brought that to light. Sedona is an incredible teammate. Obviously she is a talented basketball player. This season is her best season individually. I think she was the only player in college basketball averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
It's such a bummer she had a finger injury because a healthy Sedona, I think we can play with anybody in the country. But I'm super thankful for Sedona. She pulled her name out of the WNBA draft to come back and kinda help our program get off the mat. She did that. She took a huge leap of faith to come here, and it's been neat to see her thrive, enjoy the game, and she has kind of carried our program this season.
So, forever grateful for Sedona. She is just a special kid. Incredible teammate. As good as she is on the court, she is a better teammate, an incredible leader. That's one of the kids -- there's a group that has helped us, but Sedona has carried a heavy load this season, and she has delivered. So I'm very thankful for her.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports