Official Athletic Site of Fayetteville State University

Feb. 18, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE - The careers of four seniors on the Fayetteville State women's basketball are nearing an end.

Just days before being honored during senior night inside Capel Arena on Saturday, seniors L'Oreal Price, Randi Watts, Tressa Aughburns and Danielle Russell sat down with the FSU Sports Information office to discuss a variety of topics.

Tipoff for Saturday's game against Virginia State is set for 5:30 p.m.

Q: How would you describe your time - on and off the court - at Fayetteville State?

Tressa Aughburns: "I've had a great experience all four years. Not only having the kind of family I have with the team, but at Fayetteville State I've gotten involved in a lot of things. I've been able to meet a lot of new people and get involved with stuff I probably never thought I was going to do."

Q: What's one of your favorite memories at FSU?

Randi Watts: "The Bahamas, hands down. A lot of people don't get to experience going out of the country like that and the fact that we were underdogs and weren't expected to win -- that was a once in a lifetime experience that I will always treasure. We went to have fun, but we were there with a purpose. I turned 21 and we won -- that was a great experience for me."

[Note: FSU played in and won the Division II Championship in the 2008 Bahamas Sunshine Shootout in Nassau, Bahamas.]

L'oreal Price: "It's my favorite memory right now. After we win the CIAA Championship this year, the Bahamas will be second."

Q: What would winning the CIAA Championship mean to you and FSU's program?

LP: "Oh my goodness, it would be -- my mission would be complete for my college career. When you play basketball everyone wants to win a championship. I wanted to win one in high school but it didn't happen. This year we have such a good squad that I don't see any reason why we can't win the title. It'd just be the icing on the cake for me."

Q: What was going through your mind after the St. Augustine's loss last year?

Danielle Russell: "I was just thinking that we should've won. I was mad we lost to them and I didn't play well. I could've done better -- we shouldn't have lost to them."

Q: Have you all used that as motivation to have a different outcome to this season?

RW: "We're really the same team as we were from last year. Honestly, I think we're better than last year because on any given night, anyone can go off. So we've definitely used that."

Q: How has it been adjusting to a new coach in your final season?

TA: "You have to adapt. It's not like we had too much of a choice. We didn't want to go down by not making the team or anything like that. We felt like we've put in a lot of time -- we just had to adjust."

Q: Has it been difficult adjusting?

LP: "We're still adjusting now. I think, in the end, our team came together stronger than in previous years. The team realizes that we want to win, so if we're going to get the job done then we have to get it done together."

Q: Being a veteran team, have you felt more pressure to win this season?

TA: "I don't feel any pressure because we're not expected to do well because we have a new coach and everyone is kind of stuck in the past. They don't think we can adjust to Coach P (Eva Patterson-Heath) and I think we've pretty much proven everyone wrong."

LP: "I feel pressure, just because we do have a new coach. We're a veteran team, but it's not like we have the same plays and everything as last year. It's like starting all over again, so I think that adds more pressure."

Q: What's it been like playing inside Capel Arena?

RW: "It's the best.  Our crowd is the best, I love playing in this place."

TA: "We have the best arena in the CIAA. We have great fans and great alumni support."

LP: "I don't mind going on the road and playing in small gyms. I love a crowd and I think we play better in a crowd. Out of all the schools in the CIAA, I'm glad I picked Fayetteville State because I love our gym. It's the best hands down."

Q: How much are you going to miss Fayetteville State and the basketball team?

DR: "I'm going to miss playing in the gym and really miss everyone on the team. I really won't see them anymore."

TA: "I'm going to miss the cohesiveness of everybody. We're kind of forced to spend time together because of the schedule, but you want to at the same time. I've got friends on this team that will be around for life. They've been with me through tough times and we've all seen each other's good and bad sides. That's something you just don't really get anywhere else."

RW: "I'll just miss being in the gym, running and making yourself better on a daily basis. I'll miss how goofy we are in practice. It's all going to be missed. The next time I come I'll be sitting on the other side. As we get older, we can pick up the phone and call each other. We might have had our disagreements back in the day, but we know that we will always have each other's back."

LP: "Dancing in the locker room, snowball fights, pool parties and random things. I'm just going to miss my teammates period. Every family goes through stuff and it only makes you stronger. We're still here fighting to win. I'm just going to miss everything about the Lady Broncos basketball team."

Q: Where you are now, is that where you thought you would be four years ago?

RW: "I never thought I'd be playing college ball. After high school, I figured I'd be done. I never actually saw myself sticking to playing basketball all four years."

TA: "I didn't start playing basketball until the eighth grade. I never thought I'd be here, all four years, on scholarship. I'm thankful for everything that I've done since I've been here."

DR: "I knew I was going to play basketball, because I love the game. I had no idea I was coming to Fayetteville State -- I didn't like them in high school (laughs). But, I love basketball."

LP: "I knew I was going to be playing basketball, because I was always at the gym in high school. I didn't know I was going to be at Fayetteville State either. I used to always say I would never go to a CIAA school, but I'm glad I'm here. I love the conference, especially as a transfer, I love the CIAA."

Q: Why didn't you want to go to a CIAA school?

LP: "I heard so many negatives about going to a black school. But, you know, I think all the negatives that people used to tell me are actually positives. There's nothing like going to a historically black college. I don't think there is any better experience that a student could have. It makes you appreciate your people more and it made me work harder. I love it."