March 24, 2014
2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship
Second Round · News Conference Day
Bryce Jordan Center · University Park, Pa.
Monday, March 24
NEWS CONFERENCE QUOTES - Penn State
Coquese Washington, Penn State Head Coach:
Q: What were your impressions of Florida and what are the things that you feel that you need to do?
A: They are a really aggressive team and I think they are a very good defensive team. They made some good adjustments throughout the game yesterday against Dayton. You know, once they got a feel for what Dayton was trying to do. They play hard, I think they are pretty relentless defensively in terms of swarming the ball and having active hands. Pretty physical team, they don't mind bumping and grinding so to speak and I think having played in the SEC that's where that confidence comes from and that aggressiveness comes from. As Maggie [Lucas] said we have to do a good job of trying to contain their guards, you know they are small, they're quick, they're good ball handlers, they're crafty and very good dribblers and they do a good job, [Jaterra] Bonds and Cassie Peoples in particular getting in the paint and creating shots for themselves or creating shots for their teammates. And then they crash the glass very well, the offensive glass, so keeping the ball out of the paint is going to be very important for us.
Q: You've played an SEC team three straight years in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Can you take anything from those games into this one or have you learned anything about playing an SEC-style school?
A: I wouldn't say every team is the same but I think there is one commonality and that is the physical play and the defensive intensity. So we know that Florida is going to be an aggressive, physical defensive team and we'll be ready for that and we know that is what the game is going to be like.
Q: Talia [East] has kind of made it a habit over her career playing well in these postseason tournaments. Is there something about her and about this time of year that maybe causes her game to rise?
A: Yeah, Talia tends to play well when the stakes are high. I guess she focuses in a little more, I'm not sure maybe it's a pressure gene that she has, but she has played well throughout her career during the postseason and hopefully that can continue for her this year.
Q: When you're playing smaller, quick teams do you at Peyton [Whitted] and Kaliyah [Mitchell] as being really important parts of your defense?
A: Absolutely, being able to have a little bit more versatility, maintain our size while adding a little speed and quickness on the floor, that's what Peyton and Kaliyah can bring.
Q: How important is it to be home now after the first round in terms of getting rest and getting practice and just being here instead of on the road?
A: It was good for the first game, I think our kids were in a little bit of a comfort zone and got in a good rhythm being here and certainly during the game having the crowd as an extra energy boost was good. In particular, towards the end of the first half we kind of made a run I think they were up by about nine or ten [points] to cut it to three or five towards the end of the first half and that kind of fed into the start of the second half. So having that home court advantage, it can certainly help. But again, I think I said it yesterday, you have to give them something to cheer about. If you're stinking up the joint, playing at home doesn't matter. So hopefully we'll be playing well enough tomorrow night that our fans have something to cheer about.
Q: How much does size and depth help and factor into your game plan going into this game?
A: Well you know we have a size advantage and they have a speed advantage so you have to look and see which advantage wins out. Certainly we hope our size can be an advantage for us and give us extra opportunities on the offensive end with offensive rebounding but they have some advantages too. It's going to be a challenge for us to defend them and there are going to be a lot of challenges that we have to withstand tomorrow.
Q: Is one of your focuses heading into this match about starting strong?
A: You know I would definitely like to come out strong but the game is forty minutes and that is one thing we talk about. We kind of came out and started out strong yesterday then kind of hit a lull and they went on a run. Number one, the game is long. Number two, it's a game of runs, we're going to go on runs. You can't worry about what happened in the first five minutes or what will happen in the next five minutes, you just have to keep playing and keep focused on that forty minutes is a long game and a lot can happen and if you stay focused on executing the game plan then you have a shot to successful.
Q: Yesterday Maggie was gaurding a 6-2 kid and Ariel [Edwards] was guarding [Jamillah] Bonner, how important is the versatility of your kids to be able to play some of these teams like this?
A: I though Ariel and Dara [Taylor] did a really fantastic job yesterday defensively and their versatility on the perimeter is really key and allows us to kind of mix and match assignments and not lose much. That's been something we've been able to do all year and I think it is helping us now in postseason play.
Q: What are the challenges of scouting a new opponent with only a two-day turnaround? Is it more about focusing on what you need to do or is it just about practicing on this day?
A: It's both. It's a lot about what we do and making sure we do them well. Understanding what they want to do and how they want to attack and being aware of that. It's not reinventing the wheel in one day, it's being sharp with our fundamentals and being sharp with our execution of our game plan and that's kind of what we focus on.
Q: After yesterday's game Maggie was so much more emotional, what are some of the other things that she does so well on and off the court?
A: One thing is her leadership. She's definitely an emotional engine for our team and keeps our kids positive and keeps them energized and enthused no matter what's going in the game. When you see Talia East make big plays down the stretch, maybe what you don't see is the minutes before those plays happen where she's talking to T [Talia] or talking to her teammates and keeping them encouraged about making plays. Those are some of the little things that keep our team focused and how she helps make other people better.
Maggie Lucas, Penn State #33 Position: Guard
Q: What do you feel like it takes to get past the second round and into the Sweet Sixteen?
A: For us personally it is going to take a huge focus on defense. We are going to have to put together a good game. We have to be ready to handle the runs of the game. I think we are prepared for that.
Q: What are the challenges facing you guys when you play a small team?
A: They definitely look to penetrate a lot - penetrate and ditch, penetrate and score. Therefore, we have to contain the ball and have a defensive focus. That is key going into it.
Q: Maggie, you got very emotional out there when you made big shots. Have you always been like that and what makes you get like that?
A: I have always been like that. The fans we get to play in front of are awesome. For me, I just really feed off of them and their energy. I think the rest of the team does too. In times when we feel like we need a bit of extra energy we go to them and feed off of them.
Talia East, Penn State #5 Position: Forward
Q: Did you watch the Florida-Dayton game, and if so, what did you see out of Florida?
A: I got to watch a little bit of the first half. I think they are an aggressive team. They are a good team if they are making it to the second round. We will be focusing on that today in practice.
Q: Florida has been seen as the underdog coming in here. When facing a team like that do you see any dangers?
A: You cannot take any team lightly. Everybody is good team, especially getting down to the tournament for the best teams in the nation. We are definitely not taking them lightly. We know that they are a good team, and we are definitely prepared for that.
LOCKER ROOM QUOTES - Penn State
Dara Taylor, Penn State #2 Position: Guard
Q: Talia [East] has played pretty well during the big games. What do you think she has that makes her step up in games like that? What do you expect to see from her in the next game?
A: I think she is really competitive like the rest of us. She wants to do well and go out there and contribute to the team. When she goes out there and puts it all together, she gets on a roll and gets out pretty quick. She gets a few lay-ups. She is always working on her game.
Q: What were your impressions of Florida yesterday?
A: They are very athletic. They are a typical SEC team - very aggressive on defense. They like to push the ball. They are extremely athletic and like to get up and down the court really quickly. We have to play really good defense tomorrow.
Q: They carved up a pretty good three-four zone yesterday. Did you guys pay attention to that a lot?
A: Yes, definitely. They have great ball handlers. They like to play around the perimeter. They are playing four attack guards. They like to dribble, penetrate and get in the zone. We have to be on our feet.
Q: Are smaller teams tougher to play than your traditionally bigger teams?
A: You have to go out and play any team the same. You have to go out and play well and give your best effort. I think it is all about us defending and focusing on our matchups. Our coaches are going to do a great job of giving us a game plan as far as how to defend people and execute.