Dec. 20, 2016
Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery
Penn State Women's BasketballPenn State vs. IonaDecember 20, 2016
Coquese Washington | Head Coach Penn State
Q: Coach, you guys started out 5-for-6 from the three. What does that do for you guys, and how does that affect them defensively.
A: We're a team that feels pretty confident in our ability to make outside shots. When we're open, we take them. I think sometimes when you knock a couple down it gives you some momentum. It's a big boost for the team; and sometimes, it can be deflating for the defense. Starting out that well offensively was a confidence boost for us.
Q:What did you see from Lindsey [Spann] tonight with 16 points?
A: I thought she shot the ball well, and with a lot of confidence. She's a kid who's been in a lot of battles. When she starts making some shots and gets on a roll, she plays with a lot of confidence.
Q: In the third quarter they went on a 13-0 run and you guys responded with an 8-0 run. What did you see from the team in that response?
A: I thought that in the third quarter Sierra Moore really stepped up, particularly on the defensive end. I thought she got some big rebounds for us, some and-ones and some shots in transition. I thought she made a little bit of a difference there. Also, Jaylen Williams had a pretty big third quarter as well with her rebounding and defense.
Q: You guys have a little over a week off with the holidays. Do you have a message to the team with that long of a stretch off?
A: Well, they've been off for a while now. They've just had games that they've had to show up for. Mentally, I think that they need the break. It's been a long semester academically for our kids, and they just went through finals week. Also, it's been a long semester for us, particularly with the travel and the games. This break is coming at the right time. Hopefully, they can go home and rest and refresh and get ready for Big Ten play. The Big Ten Conference is always tough.
Q: you guys are 10-2 heading into conference play. Is the team at where you'd hope they be at this point in the season?
A: From a win-loss perspective I'm happy with where we are. We're still young and you see that out on the court. We're able to put some things together, and sometimes we have some mistakes. Some experience mistakes. Some of the things that happen that the players haven't seen before. We just want to continue to grow so we can be a little bit sharper when we get in conference play.
Lindsey Spann | Jr. | Guard
Q: What can hot starts (like tonight's) do for you guys?
A: It can definitely give us the momentum we need to start off the game. We've been focusing on trying to get great starts - to start strong, start fast, and kind of dominate from the start of the game. So having starts like that will definitely help us in the long run.
Q: Did you guys notice anything with their defense and does that force them to adjust?
A: It'll make teams adjust but, at the same time, we still are going to play to our strengths and do the things we know work best for us.
Q: You were able to be successful, 16 points tonight. What did you see out there specifically?
A: Just trying to hit the gaps and find the open spots, running wide in transition, getting out, getting easy buckets. My teammates found me.
Q: They went on a little bit of a run to cut the lead to four. What were you able to do to respond there?
A: We just had to buckle down on defense and get stops and rebound. Rebounding is something we definitely have been focusing on. That's what we needed to do. Don't let them get easy offensive boards and put backs and things like that.
Q: Can you talk about your non-conference play and how you feel going into Big Ten play?
A: Non-conference we ended 10-2, which is a great start for us going into Big Ten play. It'll give us a lot of momentum and a lot of positive things have come out of our non-conference play and we have learned from those games. We're going to take what we've learned and go into Big Ten play with the focus and determination to play as a team and play as the way we have been playing so we can be successful.