Gottlieb on Brown shooting: ‘We can all be better’

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb started her postgame news conference Saturday after her team’s 79-51 loss to No. 1 UConn by addressing the shooting at her alma mater, Brown University.

After returning to the locker room, Gottlieb received news about the shooting at Brown University, where at least two people were killed and eight others were wounded Saturday, in a group chat with her former Brown teammates.

«It doesn’t need to be this way. Sending thoughts and prayers to my teammates who have kids there,» Gottlieb said while fighting back tears. «To the parents who have to worry about their children … we’re the only country that lives this way. The college football cycle has been in the news a million times, and are we going to report about this? Like, it’s the guns. We’re the only country that lives this way.»

She continued, «Parents should not have to be worried about their kids. I have a teammate who has a daughter who is in the basement of the library because she doesn’t know what’s going on there, and she’s flying there tomorrow.»

Before commenting on the Trojans’ performance against the Huskies, Gottlieb emphasized, «Hopefully, everyone is safe and praying for peace for those that have lost people. And that’s that, it’s more important than basketball. We can all be better.»

The shooting at Brown occurred during final exams; authorities say police are still searching for the suspect.

Gottlieb played at Brown from 1995 to 1999. In her senior season, she served as a player and student assistant coach.

With tears in her eyes, Gottlieb said she was «proud of the fight» the 16th-ranked Trojans showed against the Huskies, but her team’s «attention to detail wasn’t good enough to win the game or compete as well as we wanted to compete against them.» After USC’s first loss at home, Gottlieb said the team will «get better from it.»

The Trojans will play Cal Poly on Thursday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.