Feb. 8, 2009

Recap |  Box Score |  Notes

FLORIDA HEAD COACH AMANDA BUTLER

Opening Statement ...
"This was a fantastic win. The most important thing is to continue to get SEC wins. I said before the game, 'We don't get a bonus point for beating Tennessee.' That's the truth. At the same time, we have so much respect for a program like that for what they have done. It's a huge, huge confidence builder for our team and it is a great, great day for our program."

On Florida's late-game comeback and added defensive intensity ...
"I really felt like the difference in the ballgame was when we decided we were going to play defense. We were confident that our offense was going to come, but we knew if we were going to have a chance against a team like that, it was going to be about stops. They're too good for us to give individuals like that easy baskets."

On the second-largest home crowd in school history ...
"It's hard for me to not start cheering with the crowd. I get caught up in all that energy. I think we have the best fans - Gator fans are passionate about winning and they want to see their programs become the best."

On Florida's desire to win ...
"When the talent level is equal, it's going to come down to who wants it more. That's what you keep seeing with this team. We know that if the outcome of a ballgame is going to be determined by effort, then we are going to be in good shape."

TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Pat Summitt

Opening Statement...
"I want to give credit where credit is due. I think this Florida team really plays well together. They have a veteran group that understands a commitment to defense, to rebounding and to sharing the basketball. I knew it would be a tough challenge for us."

On the disparity in free throws ...
"I am still trying to figure out how we didn't get to the free-throw line. That to me is kind of a mystery. We were 2-for-8, so when we got there, we weren't very good. They were 20-for-29 so obviously that is a big margin right there and that is one of the differences in the game. We settled for the 3-ball way too much. We were 5-of-22 from there and our guards just really struggled tonight."

On Florida's press ...
"I thought for the most part, you had two pretty athletic teams pushing tempo. One of the hardest things to do is to defend in the open court when someone is coming at you full speed. Overall, I thought we did a decent job in the open floor. The hardest thing to defend 1-on-1 dribble drives. That's why we decided to go zone, but they picked us apart, so we had to go back man. They challenged us in a lot of ways on the defensive end."

On Florida's late-game rally from seven points down ...
"I think Florida picked up their defensive intensity at that time and I think offensively we had some bad possessions. We tried to do our own things at times and didn't get the touches in the paint that we needed. I thought that Florida did a great job keeping us out of the paint. The other thing is we didn't get quick ball movement. We weren't in a good rhythm at that time. We were just not as aggressive as we needed to be - particularly with our ball reversal and attacking the paint."