Recap | Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery

UTA (10-3, 3-0) 61, Texas State (6-8, 1-2) 39
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017
Strahan Coliseum • San Marcos, Texas
Postgame Quotes

UTA Head Coach Krista Gerlich

Opening statement …
"Our kids did a nice job of just battling through. They know it isn't going to happen early in the game, it is a marathon, not a sprint. One of the things that is really hard in playing against us is that we apply pressure for 40 minutes. They might be able to handle it for the first 10 and maybe the first half, but if we continue to pressure them we can wear them down. We did a nice job in staying focus and not panicing, and listening to us when they can make adjustments on the press to get some turnovers."

On the play of Rebekah VanDijk.
"She did such a great job and I am really proud of her teammates for really listening to us and moving the basketball and being unselfish in getting it to her. They are really starting to buy in at times for how easy it us for us to find her on the block. They are just figuring it out and this is the right time to start figuring it out.

"But I thought she did a great job in catching the ball and finishing the ball, especially after missing her first two shots. Once she got going she really did a nice job."

On the play of the team around VanDijk picking up offense too...
"I think that is the difference between the teams we have had in the past and this year's team. We have a lot of other options and whenever they do take away the first option, we have to have someone step up. Aysia Evans did a good job in knocking down shots, Christina Devers hit a couple of shots and Cierra Johnson struggled offensively early, did a lot of other good things, but then I thought she did a good job of finding a way to get in the offense and scoring."

UTA junior center Rebekah VanDijk

VanDijk on her performance...
"The guards really got me the ball well in great positions. They looked at me constantly inside and passed it to where I needed it. I could just go up and finish right away."

VanDijk on her teammates scoring too...
"It is huge because then the defense can't collapse on me because they have to choose who they have to guard. If they choose to lock down on me, and my teammates knock it down, that is points too so I think them doing so helps get it into the inside too. We all can score."