We played probably our best game. They just step up. They want to win.

The second half, we came out (and) we played a lot smarter. I think that made a difference. We tried to control and we tried to be patient. The first half we really weren't. The second half, that was our focus ? be patient and control the boards.

I think it's going to be important to remember each night is going to be a tough night. We've got to come into each game with that in mind. There's not going to be any easy games in the state tournament. We're going to have to play hard and, of course, play smart.

One team tried to put a box-and-one on Monica. Another team tried to double-team the post. Each time somebody tries to shut down one particular player or area, the other parts of the team have stepped up.