University of Minnesota Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Minnesota 86, Michigan State 79
2/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Coach Stollings, Minnesota head coach
Opening Statement
"I thought it was a very strong performance from our kids. From the standpoint of coming off a couple losses here and having to handle that adversity, we challenged them in a couple areas, mainly intensity, defensive energy. I thought they responded quite well. We had a lot of individual accomplishments tonight. Shea with her 9th double-double, Amanda Zahui B. breaking the career block record at the school, Carlie with a career high 25 and 5 threes. So just a continuation of them progressing and what an unbelievable crowd, our largest of the season, over 6,500. Just shows how much this community supports women's basketball and loves a winner.
On importance of breaking losing streak...
"I don't think we looked at it as much that way as we are sitting at 17 wins and we have big goals and aspirations. Those goals of which are to go to the NCAA tournament and we are very focused on that. Magical number is typically 20-plus and we are in a stretch here where we play 4 of these games at home, one of which was today. We need to take care of our business here with this large crowd and fan base behind us. So we focused a lot on what we wanted to do, not so much on the losing. With the losing we focused on `why did we lose' and `what did we not take care of'. It was things that we decided that we could control, boxing out, playing with more energy and intensity. So we wanted to control the controllables, that was really big for us coming into today's game."
On 4-17 shooting start...
"We are going to shoot those shots. Sometimes we'll hit them at a little bit of a higher percentage right away, sometimes we don't. But we are very comfortable taking those types of shots that we wanted to get. We would've liked a little more offensive rebounding early in the game. But I thought we got a little bit better at that as the game went on."
On MSU three point success in the first half and change in the second half...
"Initially they had a young lady hitting them that doesn't typically hit them, which can happen on any given night. I thought we adjusted to her. We knew that some of the other ones were going to hit them. They are just that good. We were throwing multiple defenses at them and trying to keep them off balance. They got away from us a few times and they aren't going to miss too many of those shots."
On slowing down Powers...
"Well she's a handful, clearly. We threw everything at her tonight, we had multiple defenders coming at her and she still ends up with 31. She's a pro and players like that are typically going to get a certain number of points. We would've liked to have kept her 20 or below, but she got free a few times. But we feel like she earned a lot of the points she got she had to work for them."
On Zahui 3 before halftime momentum....
"Well it was a big shot going into the half. We allow her to shoot that shot when she has time and space like that or in that moment when the shot clock is running out and we are confident with her hitting that. I thought it gave us good momentum going into the half. We were just a little bit deflated because we gave up the shot previously, but it was good awareness of our kids to get down the floor quickly and for her to go ahead and take the open shot. I thought it gave us good momentum going into the half."
On Zahui's record in only her second year...
"You said it, she's only in her second year and she breaks an all-time school record. It's almost unprecedented. I think she has the ability to probably set it here, barring injury and so forth, probably one that will never be broken. That's quite possible."
On her career day...
"The basket just felt big tonight. I was shooting confidently and my teammates were running the plays and just setting awesome picks and screens for me and giving me the ability to get open. It was a really fun game for me."
On if she felt she had to take over....
"No, I never feel the need to have to take over. We have so many people on this team that can contribute so much. So there's not really pressure on just one person because everyone has the ability and capability of being awesome. So no I didn't feel any pressure that way."
On the momentum that the basket right out of halftime gave her...
"Yeah, I like that corner 3 and to have that one fall it gave me confidence for the rest of them to go."
On if the basket ever looks "small" on tough shooting nights...
"No, if I'm shooting off or my first few shots don't go I just have the mentality that I shoot through it and keep shooting and they'll eventually fall."
Shea Kelley
On shift of second half tempo...
"I think I was just more aggressive, just more aggressive on the boards. Offensively me and my coaches were talking about getting back on the boards. That's what I went out there and tried to do tonight and I think that created a lot for me."
On controlling the controllables...
"I think just picking up our defense. Our defense, the feeling of it on the floor was just greater than its been in past games. I think we were moving at a much faster pace and just really talking and communicating. Our energy was there tonight and I think that showed. Even when we made mistakes they were at 100%. I think that helped a lot."
On defense translating to offense...
"Absolutely when we get the ball, we are able to push and get those transition points. When we were rebounding like we should be , that's when we get our transition."
