QUOTES >> USA 98, Chile 28

Jenn Rizzotti
USA and University of Hartford head coach
What did you like and what do you need to improve?
I felt like there were some possessions in the third quarter and even in the second quarter where we just kind of settled. And that last possession in the third quarter, I told them it was just an example of us being up 40 points and being OK with them getting a layup to end the quarter. So we subbed out the five guys that were in to send the message that we want greatness, and we don't want to settle. So I thought our intensity in the fourth quarter was phenomenal with every group that was in there. And we set some goals at halftime, with offensive rebounding and assists, and I challenged them, and they met them. So I told them again, 'You guys can do anything you can put your mind to, so make sure when we come out tomorrow we start from the beginning with that mindset.

On the USA's 72 points in the paint:
You know, Chile doesn't have a lot of guys over 6-feet tall, so that's where our advantage was. And our kids have done a phenomenal job over the last three weeks of growing in that area and understanding that that's the easiest bucket you can have is around the basket. We went from being a jump-shooting team two weeks ago to a team that really looks for our post players, and I'm very pleased with that.

On having eight players with eight or more points:
Like I said last night, they've been very unselfish. They're sharing the basketball. Nobody's too worried with who's doing the scoring. We just are really focused on making sure we maintain our intensity.

On playing Brazil again, after beating them in pool play:
It's kind of hard to play a team (when), not only did we play them in pool play, but we had scrimmaged them. But we're going to find a way to get our team focused on some different things and understanding that, 'Hey, when you're playing for a gold medal, all bets are off. You don't know how that team is going to come out and play.' So we can't rely on the result of the first time we met, and we have to treat it like it's a brand new basketball game.

Stefanie Dolson
(Minisink Valley H.S./Port Jervis, NY)
Do you feel like the USA played a complete game tonight?
Coach definitely had to get on us after the end of the third quarter. We always start out with great intensity, but something happens throughout the game and we lose that. Coach will talk to us about it, and then we will pick up the intensity again. I think this was one of our better games we've played though.

What about tonight's game made you think it was one of the USA's best outings?
I think our energy was good. At halftime coach sets goals, and we met every single one of them tonight. That just shows we are better than we give ourselves credit for.

You have beaten Brazil once before, is this U.S. team ready to do that again?
We are very well prepared for this game, and with tomorrow's shoot-around and film session we will be even better prepared. We stand a good chance to win, but we'll see.

Bria Hartley
(North Babylon H.S./North Babylon, NY)
Do you feel like the USA played a complete game tonight?
Coach set some goals for us after the first half, and we definitely worked hard in the second half to get out there and attain those goals.

What's the mood of the team now that you are one game away from a gold medal?
I'm definitely excited. Anytime anyone makes a good play, I'm jumping in the air. It's just about playing basketball, and this is a great experience.

Has this team grown?
This team has definitely grown, especially from the beginning when were scrimmaging the U17s and scrimmaging Brazil and Chile. But now, as we keep going deeper into the tournament, we've gotten a lot better.

What are some of the keys to tomorrow's game?
We can't take them for granted. Just because we beat them previously doesn't that they're not going to come out and fight hard. So, we are just going to go over our scouting report and make sure we know what we have to do to win.

What did you think of Brazil's 60-59 win over Brazil?
That showed us that they are the type of team that doesn't give up, so if we are ahead, we can't lay back and take anything for granted. We have to play strong the entire game.

Kayla McBride
(Villa Maria Academy/Erie, PA)
On tonight's game:
We came out, we were a little sluggish, a little tired. A lot of us are mentally and physically tired at this point after being here for so long, but in the second half we just had to find an extra spark and a little bit of intensity from our starters and our leaders on the court. We really came together, and we knew we had to get our goals. That is really what we were trying to do. We can do it whenever we want, but we need to have our focus and keep that intensity the whole entire game, not just in spurts.

What is it like to play on a team this deep?
It's a lot different. In high school, where there are usually two or three players that can provide energy and scoring for a team, but to be here and be able to play with all these great players has been an amazing opportunity -- just to see what's out there and see how hard other players are working.

Now that you are one game away from a gold medal, what's the feeling?
It's an amazing opportunity being here since day one and seeing all the players who had a chance at it and actually being a part of it, it's an amazing accomplishment for myself, and I know for 11 other people and our coaches. So tomorrow we are going to come out with intensity and passion to get that gold medal.

Any danger of looking past Brazil?
I don't think so because we know what's at stake -- that gold medal. Even though we have beat them four times or whatever, including scrimmages, I just think we have to come out and play our game, and we should be fine.

Chiney Ogwumike
(Cy-Fair H.S./Cypress, TX)
Did you feel like the USA improved tonight?
I feel toward the end of the game that we made a lot of strides and that we played hard and the possessions are really coming together. It was a good game for us as a team.

What's the mood of the team now that you are one game away from a gold medal?
Watching the close game between Brazil and Canada before us, we were just inspired to make sure we take of business and play hard. It was really neat to see that before and then come on the court and just use that energy.

What do you expect out of Brazil tomorrow?
We expect passion, and energy and fire because they use that as their main offensive and defensive sources, so those kind of things can really make a team dangerous. We really need to work on making sure that we set the tone.

What are some of the keys to tomorrow's game?
Tomorrow we need to make sure that we execute on offense, we start strong and that we control the boards because they crash the boards and crash the boards. We have to block out and play hard because it's our last game and it's for a gold medal.