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GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 25 • 11 Moses: "I think it just comes down to heart and the practices. The practice after KK went down, the en- ergy was very, very high and we kind of regrouped as a team. Even though KK wasn't on the court with us, she was at every practice, practicing with us. It was crazy having her out there. It was bringing that energy and ev- erybody really rallied around. When- ever you're playing for something bigger than yourself you're going to get results, and so I think that's what carried us through." Gold and Black: I thought you described it well when somebody asked you a couple weeks ago to compare the two teams, with and without Houser. How are you differ- ent now as a team? Moses: "When you have some- body such as KK go down, who is a huge scorer, huge energy, huge talker for us, that creates opportu- nities for others to step up, so with anything in life when someone goes down, it creates opportunities. I think that was the biggest thing, just people really had to look at them- selves in the mirror and respond." Gold and Black: You talked about playing for a bigger purpose. And your faith is one thing, but sep- arately there's all the adversity this team has faced. There's nothing you can do about it, but it seems like you've had one thing after another. Moses: "I feel like every year something has happened, but Coach V and all her assistant coaches take really good care of us when we go through those trials and keep- ing the team together, making sure we're meeting as a team. She brought in our chaplain, Marty Ditt- mar, to talk to us when we were deal- ing with Liza (Clemons') fiancé being killed and when KK went down, just to kind of explain and give some hope to us. It's the people you're surrounded by, that's helped us get through it." Gold and Black: After losing to Iowa in the quarterfinals, much earlier than usual for Purdue, did you watch the rest of the Big Ten Tournament? Moses: "I did watch some of the other games. I went home, so I was in Sweetser (Ind.) with my family and watched some of them. I didn't watch the games on Sunday, but I ate a lot of food and ate a lot more food. I really was surrounded by loved ones and was hanging out." Gold and Black: You said you wanted to stuff your face into choc - olate cake after the loss to Iowa. You didn't. Moses: (Laughing) "Instead, it was ice cream." Gold and Black: I would expect that whoever you play in the NCAA Tournament will throw a junk de- fense at you, like Michigan and oth- ers did this year. What do you and Purdue have to do for that not slow you down? Moses: "I think we've done a good job whenever teams have thrown those defenses at us. Other people have stepped up. Like at Michigan, I was doing nothing. They had someone guarding me and I was standing in the corner, so it was bet- ter for me to be on the bench and we came back from down (14) to win that game. Whatever another team throws at us, they have to guard everybody on the court, not just one person." Gold and Black: You were sick that game, too, though. You don't like to talk about that. Moses: "I was a little sick, but …" Gold and Black: You were a lot sick. You won't say it, but you were. Moses: (Laughing) "I was, but … yeah." Gold and Black: But that's got to be frustrating, when teams gear up to slow you down. Moses: "You have to take it as a compliment and encourage every - one else on the team to step up in those situations." Gold and Black: You're engaged to Jor- dan Delks, a former men's basketball man- ager at Purdue, with a wedding scheduled in a little over a year. How did you meet? Moses: "We met my sophomore year. I was a greeter at FCA in the Kissell Center, which is at Ross-Ade, and he walked in. I greeted him and kind of talked. He was a man- ager for the guys' team that year, so I'd see him around Mackey. We talk- ed. He'd be in shooting in Mackey and we'd talk. "A friendship devel- oped and then we had a class together coincidentally, the next semester. Then, we went on a date on April 20 (of that year) and started hanging out during the sum- mer." Gold and Black: What's next? You want to keep playing basket- ball and keep helping people. Are you going to mix those together? Moses: "Yeah, I'm trying to figure that all out. I know where I'll be at 'til May, but after that no idea what's going on. Living on faith and taking it one day at a time." j I've got service, yes I do ... P097275.2 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL Call me for your insurance needs and see how it feels to be on a #1 team. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ® CALL ME TODAY. And I am ready to prove it. Trent B Johnson, Agent 249 E State Street West Lafayette, IN 47906 Bus: 765-743-9595 trentismyagent.com Tom Campbell Moses credits Coach Sharon Versyp for keeping the team on course during its adversity this season.