1on1: Locker Room Chat with Kristi Bellock

On how it feels to advance to the next round…

“It feels great. It’s just on to the next game, taking it one game at a time. This team is really pumped and excited that we get to have another game at Reed Arena behind the 12th Man. Everybody’s just excited, especially me.”

On whether there were any early butterflies…

“Definitely, definitely. We love when we almost have a sellout crowd. This is a little bit more than what we have on regular home games, so we just want to go out there and give the crowd a great game.”

“I just wanted to go out there and play hard, play with energy, play with excitement to give everybody hope. Even though Kelsey (Bone) was out, we are still going to go out and play our hardest and do the best we can no matter what.”

On what they saw early from Wichita State…

“We knew that they were going to come out excited and pumped, because this is their first NCAA game. We were just ready to take their first blow. Their game plan was to attack Kelsey and not let her get easy looks, which is a good game plan. Everyone else just knocked down shots. Just to get her open, we have to knock down shots to open up the middle. I think we all did a good job and I think they are a good team.”

On how much fun this season has been for her…

“It’s been amazing. I thank God every day for this opportunity because I just kept my head clear, straight, and in the right direction my first three years. I just want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone that was in front of me because they taught me everything that I know now. I just want to go out there and show Coach Blair that I can play on this team and that I know I am good enough.

“I just want to prove to myself and my family that I made the right decision by not transferring and not giving up. I’m just excited and I just go out there and show that I’m excited to be playing.”

On how tough was it to believe in herself and stay at A&M earlier in her career…

“It was very tough. I had a lot of nights where I cried myself to sleep because I knew I was good enough to play, but I just didn’t get that chance. I just wanted to keep myself positive. Everyone around me knew I was good enough to play and they just kept me positive — ‘Don’t worry about it, Kristi, your chance will come.'

“My parents were a big influence on me. They told me not to give up. We weren’t thinking about transferring. They never talked to me once about transferring. I just want to say thanks to them for keeping me straight and on the right path. This is my senior year, so it’s my first time and my last time playing. I just feel blessed because I couldn’t imagine a better season in my last year.”

On what it would mean to pick up a second championship ring…

“That would be great because we won the SEC Championship, me, Adrienne, and Cierra, the three seniors now. We looked at each other and said, ‘We won this by ourselves.’ We didn’t win this with the Adoras, the Sydneys, and the Tyras, so we felt really special in ourselves knowing that we won it without them. That proved to ourselves that we were good enough back then when we won the championship. That was a great experience. I love it and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.

“We’re making our own destiny right now. Our goal is to make it to the Final Four and we hope that we get there.”

On what it means to see the old players come back to support them…

“We love it when they come back. They’re funny; they make us laugh all the time. It’s just exciting to see them in the crowd rooting for us because we were once rooting for them on the court. It’s just a great feeling inside. I’m happy to see them and I can’t wait to talk to them once we get out of here.

“I’m just thankful that they came back to show us what we need to do when we graduate, to support the kids that are younger than us.”