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PENN STATE POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Head Coach Coquese Washington
On second half adjustments…
“We
talked specifically about doing a better job of containing the ball. In
the first half UTEP was getting in the lane way too often, so we talked
about trying to keep them out of the paint and making sure we contested
shots.”
On post play…
“I thought they were playing
hard. Some of our substitution was again predicated on their small
lineup, quick guards. There really weren’t any opportunities for us to
play two bigs and play our big lineup successfully. So, we went with
our small lineup in an attempt to keep them out of the paint and I
thought that worked for us. We didn’t rebound as well with that lineup
but I thought we did a better job of limiting their shot selection. So,
that was the tradeoff.
On Zhaque’s performance…
“I
thought she carried us the first half. We came out and looked a little
jittery. Honestly, we played a little fast. Zhaque knocked down a
couple of shots and kept us within striking distance. I wasn’t too
worried about the deficit. I think when you get in the NCAA Tournament
and youre seeing teams for the first time, sometimes it takes you a
while, 10-20 minutes to kind of figure out the game. The fact that we
were tied and the game was close, I knew we would play better in the
second half once we made some adjustments. Zhaque came out the first
half and hit some big shots and kept us within striking distance.”
On experience playing to their advantage…
“I
don’t think we got rattled. I don’t think we felt pressured. I think we
felt like we stayed calm and composed, and just let the game play out.
We made adjustments and I felt like our kids were confident the whole
game even when we weren’t making shots, even when they went on some
runs. We just kept our composure and figured out what we needed to do
to be successful.
On Maggie Lucas and Alex Bentley’s one-two punch…
“They’re
very competitive and they have tremendous work ethics. So, they prepare
well, and they prepare well for games, and they’re un-phased by
anything that happens in the game. As a matter of fact, when the game
gets tightest, when the game gets close, they’re going to perform their
best. That’s really a luxury to have as a coach, when you have, not
only one but two players who can turn their game up when the game is at
its tightest. I feel very blessed that I’m able to coach such fantastic
players.”
Junior Guard Alex Bentley
On halftime adjustments…
“We
talked about defense. Coach came in there and said that if we wanted to
advance we were going to have to change how we were playing
defensively. So, we just dug down and got a little more energy on the
defensive end and it triggered turnovers for us and stops.”
Sophomore Guard Maggie Lucas
On importance of getting off to a good start…
“It’s
very important. You don’t want to go home and you have to be able to
put together a longer 40-minute game, so you don’t want to get
yourselves into any holes. I think we can do it. We definitely can do
it. It’s just, we’ve got to be more focused.”
On picking up play in second half…
“I
just wasn’t going to let the first half determine how I was going to
play the rest of the game. My teammates were keeping my head up the
whole time, making sure I was coming out with my head up and ready to
make an impact in the second half.”
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