Postgame Quotes
1/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2009
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Head Coach Terri Mitchell
Opening statement...
Probably the understatement of the year is that we needed that win. We've been so frustrated for various reasons this season, but everyday we come out to practice and play hard and well, and we're not seeing the results of it. Even when we lost to Seton Hall, we played the majority of that game well. We came back and just regrouped on Sunday and Monday and had excellent practices. I just kept telling the team that we were going to breakthrough and why not tonight? Why not let it happen tonight against an incredible team like Notre Dame who is playing so well and deserves all the accolades that they're getting? This was an opportunity for us to find ourselves again and I really felt like we did. When Notre Dame took that lead in the first half, we got it back at the end with our momentum by cutting it to four points. That helped us because we've been in those situations where 10 point leads of teams turn to 15. We were able to stop it, regroup, and continue.
On shooting nearly 60% in the second half...
It sure helps. We've really committed to extra shooting. We've committed to shooting out of our plays and just knocking shots down. Basically, what did we have to lose? I really tried to just smile, encourage. When the ball goes up, I'm coaching but I'm much more of a cheerleader and encourager. We needed it and we got it and I'm so proud of our players because they fought hard against an excellent team and did what we asked them to do. Their focus was incredible coming out of timeouts.
On the difference between first half (36.4%) and second half (57.7%)...
We were much more tentative against their press in the first half so we were leaving ourselves little time on the shot clock and then we were shooting hopeful. I can see it a mile away, the difference between shooting the ball confident or hopeful. We addressed that and talked about how we wanted to attack it. We were being so safe with the ball that it was hurting us. So we wanted to attack and we ran more. We were seven-for-nine the first half with fast break points, so we ran more. Part of Notre Dame's strength is that if you run, and if you miss, they're going to put it right back. Their transition is incredible and they did that the first four minutes of the second half. They really came out running hard and rebounding hard. After the first media timeout, we were down five and just said, 'Look, take care of the transition, but do not be afraid to run back at the them.' We did that, so I thought the difference was great balance. We knew when to run and we knew when to run plays and make Notre Dame work on defense so they would hopefully be more tired on offense.
On the cause of the breakdown in the first half...
That's been our Achilles Hell. When teams make runs, we respond by taking quick shots and our rule tonight was that if you take a quick shot - which I want our players to take quick shots, I don't want them to be back on their heels - it had to go inside after that. I don't think we were following that as well and when we talked about it, we said that if we miss a quick shot, we must get in the paint, so our players were much more attentive about that in the second half.
On finding the right mix of players in the starting lineup...
Tatiyiana McMorris' minutes and shooting percentage and ability to handle the ball show she's growing in her confidence. I thought we had the right mix tonight. Paige Fiedorowicz had the flu, so that's why she was taken out of the starting lineup. Just her gutting it out for seven minutes was incredible. Marissa Thrower doing what she did as a senior to grab big rebounds was great after she didn't play as well in the first half and for her to turn around and play so strong on the defensive end, that's what it's about. It thought our combination was good tonight and the combination worked: we needed consistency and rhythm and I thought we had it.
On beating a Top-10 team for the first time in MU history...
In this conference, you're going to meet ranked team after ranked team, and now our players have an understanding that we're capable and we have the ability and we don't have to take a backseat if we focus, follow the game plan, and give ourselves a chance. That's what it is in the BIG EAST - it's difficult to win and if you give yourself a chance, anything can happen. Today something clicked in them that we can do it, so it's an excellent win for us. We needed it badly because I've been seeing it, our staff has been seeing it, for weeks that we can play that way and now that we did, it's just a psychological thing that I think hopefully that will carry over. Not saying that we're going to win the rest of them but it's going to help them prepare that much more and trust what we're telling them to do.
On Krystal Ellis' presence on the court...
It's great to see Krystal playing so well. Obviously Krystal has been documented that she's had a very up and down year, and the last two practices she was the best player on the court. I think she just found herself in the moment and had to carry it over into the game and she did and just to see her smile and be excited on the court meant a lot to all of us. She's put a lot of pressure on herself and now we can just be done and move forward.
On the need for Krystal's production...
I think we've missed her production but there are several people who have helped. I mean, Angel Robinson's energy is incredible. Jess Pachko threw her arms around Krystal in the locker room and said, 'It's so good to have you back.' Yesterday in practice, Marissa Thrower said, 'Krystal Ellis is back.' The team has been wanting it so badly for her and just to see her relax and just realize that we win as a team and we lose as a team - it's not all on her shoulders. It's all of us together and once we can recognize that and let it go, I think Krystal is much better to relax and shoot freely instead of feeling pressure, it's a big difference. You can see her enjoying the game meant so much to me. The team enjoying the game meant so much to me. The staff was smiling. We're done being frustrated, we're done. It's just not going to happen. We know who we are and we're just going to move forward with that.
Senior Guard Krystal Ellis
On the win...
It feels really good. We haven't beat them since I've been here. It was a hard battle last year and they beat us by a lot. In the two years before, we lost in overtime by one point, so it feels good to beat a nationally ranked team. It puts us further ahead to come out against Rutgers so it's a good win for us.
On struggling for a couple games...
My knee feels good. I got to rest and I came to play in the game. I think that helped a lot in the game and that was the biggest key, just the rest and being prepared to play.
On the team's play overall..
I think really we just played well together. They were tired, we were tired, and it was a hard fought battle. At the end, we fought harder so that's why we won.
Freshman Forward Jessica Pachko
On the win...
Coach Terri said before the game that this was the game were we finally all get on the same page and turn that corner, and that's exactly what we did.
Notre Dame Head Coach Muffett McGraw Opening statement
I thought Marquette played really well, I thought especially Ellis played like the player that we thought she would be. You look at that game and you think they're a really good team. Maybe this is the turning point of the season for them. Hopefully they can build on this win and really take off from here. They did everything they needed to do: they rebounded better. We didn't do a good job on the boards; we gave up way too many points. I thought offensively we really just struggled against their defense. I thought they made us put the ball on the floor a lot more than we like to, and, you know, really they just outplayed us, they played very well.
On the teams poor shooting towards the end of the game...
I thought we missed some layups in there to, I think we had some nice drives and they just rolled out, and we didn't rebound. I thought it was really offensive rebounds. We got some of the shots we wanted, not a lot. I didn't think out shot selection was particularly good. But I thought if we could have just made a couple of those layups that would have helped us.
About the game in general and fighting back from this kind of adversity...
Yeah we didn't have it tonight, we played tired, we didn't have the same fight that we normally have. Sometimes when you lose a game you learn a lot more and you can really come back a lot stronger. That's what I'm hoping is going to happen with this team.
Notre Dame Forward Becca Bruszewski
On if all of the road trips for ND were a reason for this loss...
Marquette's a good team. They came out ready to go. They were pumped for this game, and they said that winning this game would make their season. I think we just took that for granted, we got up by a little bit; we didn't have that fight to keep going with the lead.
What the team's turning point in the first half...
Our transition game, I mean once we get the press going, and cause turnovers, we love to run, and that's what got us out.
What happened in the second half, when you were up by 7...
I think just our defense, lapses on our defense. They got open shots and they were hitting them.
Notre Dame guard Melissa Lechlitner
On where ND should go from here and what to do next...
Yeah we just need to get back to work- practice. I think we're going to be doing a lot of defensive drills. I think that rebounding is what really hurt us a lot. A lot of offensive rebounds for them and put backs, and when you're getting easy lay ups like that it's hard to come back.
On why shooting waned in the second half...
You know that's what basketball is. You have to show up no matter what. You're playing on the road; every other team is playing on the road. Everyone goes through the same things, traveling and all that. I mean that's just on us. You have to bring it every day. Can't blame it on your legs or being tired.
