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Quotes: Notre Dame 68, Duke 61
2/1/2016 9:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie
Opening Statement:
“Obviously, it was a defensive game. Not the prettiest game in a lot of ways, especially in shooting percentages, but we just fell a bit short there. I really liked how hard our team played. I liked how we came out after the halftime and took the lead and were aggressive. I think down the stretch we have to continue to just stay with what we're doing, not speed up a little bit there, and also make sure that we're handling basic things like covering back and transition and things of that nature. It's a tough loss because we felt like we could play better and get a better result. At the same time, we will learn from it, own it, and get better for it.”
On the team's varying play:
“I think a low moment was the first quarter. That was terrible. We gave them too many looks and open looks. I think we started out slow. That was unfortunate. That sort of gave them a little bit of a buffer. So that quarter, then you look at the other quarters and, yes, we played better and they finished better in the fourth quarter for sure. A matter of shot selection; a matter of covering back in transition; just a matter of things of that nature, nothing huge. These games are at the margins and you have to win the margin battle and we didn't.”
On Brianna Turner guarding Azura Stevens:
“I think just continuing to play good inside out basketball. I think we rushed during that stretch. I'll have to look at it to remember clearly. We didn't take Azurá to the outside because 11 [Brianna Turner] was guarding her. As a matter of fact, we posted her up pretty well and she got three fouls on her. It's too bad we couldn't get that fourth foul. But the reality was that you could focus on shot making and that's certainly part of it, but at the same time to we gave some real easy things down the stretch, like layups, and you can't do that.”
On the team's progress:
“I think our team is working very hard. I think we need to work harder and demand more of each other. I think we're very hungry and not very happy because we know we can play better. I think that leadership is an important concept. I'll tell you, 22 [Madison Cable] won the game for them. You look at 22, 22 is a fifth year senior and she played like one. Without her on the floor, the outcome would have been totally different. The five steals that she had, the [eight] points that she had, the [four] rebounds that she had, and the lack of any turnovers. It's that kind of thing that makes a difference. Somebody's got to be pretty spectacular and for them she was. It's mostly because she didn't turn it over and she stole the ball five times. I'd say we'd like that ball back for our finish. It's two things: we have to learn and grow and we have to learn and grow that that's the kind of game it takes. In the margins, somebody's got to step up in that kind of way. I think we had good step ups. You look at Oderah [Chidom] with nine rebounds, you look at Amber [Henson] with eight rebounds, Azurá [Stevens] had seven, Kyra [Lambert] got four in there, Becca [Greenwell] got nine. We had some really good blue collar things going on, and that's all part of it. To out rebound them by seven, that's all part of it. Getting to the free throw line; they got a there a few more times than we did. If we had gotten there 25 times, that makes a different outcome. Definitely want to create a few more assists. We shoot 66 times, they shoot 64. This game is very, very even, so it comes at some kind of margin. I think 22 provided that margin.”
On Notre Dame's few turnovers:
“Well, we played a lot of man so that doesn't answer that question. I would say they did a good job taking care of the basketball. They didn't rush. When they have five and we have 12, there's the game right there. Again, there are subtle things that I'll point to and you've got to learn from them as a team and I know our team will, but we've got to own it and feel it and it doesn't feel good.”
On the youth of Duke's team:
“Well, I don't want to make that a factor because I believe our team could beat anybody. I really do believe that our team could put it all together and beat anybody. But, yes, if you're looking at the fifth year senior, that's a lot of years. I mean, you look at what Amber [Henson] can give us sometimes as a fifth year senior. There is no substitute for that. So, to me, she is the most valuable player on that team, without question.”
Sophomore Forward/Guard Azurá Stevens
Sophomore Forward/Guard Azurá Stevens
On the change in attitude and the shift to more aggressive defense:
“The guards did a really good job of forcing them to put the ball on the floor. Some of them are just really comfortable with catching and shooting and [our guards] forced them to come in and we stayed there, didn't let [Brianna] Turner get a catch and we hindered their shot selection.”
On Amber Henson's impact in a game like this:
“She brings a lot of energy all around. On defense she's always talking, trying to get everyone into whatever she's doing. On offense she sticks to what we do and she doesn't go outside of her game. She can knock down shots and also post up smaller defenders. She does both of those and that is really key.”
Redshirt Sophomore Guard Rebecca Greenwell
Redshirt Sophomore Guard Rebecca Greenwell
On what went wrong during the game:
“I think our shots just weren't falling. We weren't taking the best shots we could have, we were rushing whenever we needed to stay poised and run through our offenses.”
On how the development of the younger players has helped the team as a whole:
“We're doing better with each Game. Kyra [Lambert] really came along in the second half and hit some good shots for us and it really helps take some pressure off of everybody else. I think [Kyra is] doing a great job and will continue to do that.”
On how her shoulder felt after bumping into the scorers table:
“No, I didn't really feel anything at the time, so it did not really affect my play afterwards. But now it hurts really badly.”
On whether the game was “chippy”:
“It was definitely chippy. You saw that with Angela [Salvadores]. It was just a tough game all around. The rebounds: you had to fight for them, you had to fight for loose balls but it was a fun atmosphere to play in.”
On how the more aggressive attitude and the scoring runs affect the team:
“It brings energy to everyone playing. When we went on a run, it gave us more confidence and the crowd got really into it. That was fueling us on the offensive and defensive side. Tough environments are fun to play in and they spark energy all around.”
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw:
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw:
Opening Statement:
“I thought we showed a lot of poise in the fourth quarter. We got down in the third quarter with Lindsay Allen on the bench. She is so important to our team; she keeps us together. I think having her on the bench, that was when Duke made their run. And I thought we did a really good job in the fourth quarter of getting better shots and moving the ball and then defensively we got some stops. I thought maybe the key to the game in the second half was when I put Brianna (Turner) on (Azurá) Stevens, Stevens was really hurting us in the first half. We didn't want to put Brianna on her because of foul trouble, but we matched them up together in the second half and she held Stevens to four points. That was maybe the difference in the game. I thought Arike (Ogunbowale) was phenomenal off the bench; what a spark. Just gave us great energy and instant offense when we really needed it.”
On considering Madison Cable for ACC player of the year and All-America awards:
“Absolutely. She is a little bit of an unsung hero because she deflects the praise constantly. She is somebody that is having a phenomenal year. She was leading us in scoring most of the season. She hits big shot after big shot in the game. She is great defender. She comes up with big plays. She is so clutch. We want to get her the ball late game situations, want to get her to the free throw line. She definitely does not get the attention she deserves.”
On taking control of the game in the final seven minutes:
“Bri on Stevens, I thought, was key and then Madison was on (Rebecca) Greenwell. I thought that Greenwell played well. I think that we were trying to help off some of them and trying to give them some of the shots that they took. Really trying to key on Greenwell and Stevens and trying not to let them be the ones that beat us.”
On having only five turnovers:
“Yeah, that was amazing. We have had two games this season where we have had seven turnovers in a game and I thought that was phenomenal so tonight to look and see we only had five turnovers, that really is amazing. They played a lot of zone, they didn't press much and we didn't beat ourselves which was a good thing. So I thought we did a great job taking care of the ball.”
On what helped them the most offensively:
“We were trying to get to more ball screens when they went man to man, and we were trying to use the high post ACC area when they were in zone. I thought we got some really good shots. Stevens blocked a bunch of them, you know, we kept challenging her. I thought that shots that we normally make were blocked. So I thought that was a little bit of a problem. We got stagnant on offense a little bit, I think, in that stretch where they made their run. We didn't have the right people shooting the ball. Just a lot of things. We were in the wrong offense, I felt, a lot of the time, and Lindsay was not in the game for most of that. We had trouble getting into stuff and trouble communicating. But other than that, yeah, it was great.”
On coming up against unranked Duke:
“Oh, they're a great team. I think they are a great young team. They've got tremendous upside. They've got some really, really good talent. Stevens is having a spectacular season, I think Greenwell is a really good player. Their point guard (Kyra) Lambert does a really good job for them. They just have so much size. They really, really can beat you with their size. I think right now they just look young finishing the game. But I think they are going to be a team nobody wants to play.”
On how winning this tough road game will help them down the road:
“I think we did it little bit at Georgia Tech, we just weren't shooting the ball well and we had to abandon the threes and move to a little different look on the offense. And tonight we really wanted to attack the basket more so I think its great confidence for our team to know that we can come in, not play particularly well against some great defense and pull out the win.”
Sophomore Forward Brianna Turner
Sophomore Forward Brianna Turner
On battling back at the end:
“I think that with our team we have a tight-knit group so we came together and knew we weren't going to lose the game, so we really just came together.”
On guarding Azurá Stevens:
“Like coach says, she is such a great player, so I just tried to stay in front of her at all times and really tried to deny her when they started their offense, just not let her catch it at all.”
Freshman Guard Arike Ogunbowale
Freshman Guard Arike Ogunbowale
On offensive mindset:
“I was just taking what they were giving me. I am a driver, but I will shoot too. I just try to come in and give our team good minutes. I wanted to get to the basket and drive and make them have to come out and hold us so that our shooters can be more open when I am driving.”
Players Mentioned
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