Dec. 4, 2014

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Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw

Opening statement…
“I was really pleased with the way we came out. I thought we got off to a really good start. We executed well offensively. We were able to go inside. We did some pretty good things out of the zone in the first half. I was a little disappointed with the defense in the second half. But I thought overall with Brianna (Turner) going down early that the post really stepped up and Markisha Wright came in and had a really good game for us. Taya Reimer and Kathryn (Westbeld) both played well. So I was really pleased with the post today.”

On Jewell’s performance…
“Jewell (Loyd) had just another game for Jewell. She was phenomenal.”

On how the team responded to Brianna’s (Turner) injury…
“I think any time somebody goes down, the person coming into the game is ready to do whatever it takes. I thought that’s what Markisha (Wright) did today as well as Kathryn (Westbeld). I thought we circled the wagons really well. Everybody did their job.”

On today’s win over Maryland compared to April’s win…
“It’s two different teams. I think we’re still finding our identity, scoring in a little different ways than we did last year. I think we’re looking inside a little bit more. We’re just a very different team, and they are too. I think we both lost really significant pieces to the puzzle, and I’m pleased with where we are. I think we’re coming along really well. I’m really happy with where we are, right here, December 3.”

On Brianna’s (Turner) injury…
“She’s going to get the MRI tomorrow, and we’ll know more tomorrow morning.”

On Notre Dame’s ability to jump to big leads early…
“I think we’ve started every game this year pretty well, with the exception of Michigan State. I think getting out to a good start is something we’re really focusing on.”

On playing in Fort Wayne…
“We were excited about coming here. We’ve heard so many good things about the venue. It was phenomenal. We were so happy to see all those green shirts out there, the fans from South Bend made the trip and they really helped us win today. I think there was a lot of energy in the arena, and we really needed it. I thought the fans were a big part of the win.”

On Jewell’s acrobatic layup off the steal…
“It’s one that brings the crowd to their feet. I think it’s an exciting play that you just get used to seeing. I don’t think we ever get tired of seeing them, but she can make the game so exciting. It’s really fun to watch.”

On series with Maryland…
“It’s a big game for us. It’s a big rivalry, even though it’s young and we haven’t played that much. We talked at halftime about how we had a big lead last year, they cut it, and we had to I think hit a shot almost at the buzzer to win. I think we came into the game confident, but it’s an important game for us. It was a ranked team. We really wanted to be focused.”

On Lindsay Allen’s demeanor…
“It’s hard to tell with Lindsay. She’s so steady and poised all the time. Even when she got the third foul, her expression never changed. It was a big game for her. I think any time you play a team from your area, you want to play well. And she’s played well in every game that we’ve had with them.”

On Notre Dame’s defensive effort…
“I thought the zone bothered them a little bit in the first half. I thought they started getting comfortable towards the end of the half, and I thought we should have probably gone back to man-to-man. But I was really pleased with the zone. I thought we were very active, especially when Jewell was at the point. I thought she did a nice job getting a lot of deflections. We came up with some steals. I thought that was key.”

On future opportunities at this venue…
“I think Fort Wayne should host a regional in the NCAA Tournament. We would love to help any way we can. It would be great. The NCAA has allowed us to finally go back to neutral sites, and this would be a terrific neutral site for us to come to. W would love to come back here, especially during the NCAA Tournament.”

Taya Reimer – Sophomore – Forward

On seeing Brianna Turner go out with an injury …
“It’s hard seeing any of your teammates go down. I think all of us just wanted to pick it up and play hard for her and win this game.”

Jewell Loyd – Junior – Guard

On team’s identity early in the season…
“We’re definitely younger. We’re learning and we’re growing together and it’s a fun process within itself. At practice we go back and we find what works and fix things. When you have a great coach by your side to help you along the way it makes things a lot easier.”

On fan support and her shooting in new arena…
“Walking out here for warm-ups and seeing all green was awesome; our fans came down and supported us. This whole event coming down here has been classy and they really show a lot of support. We came out here and we did a lot of shooting during the pregame and I came out a little bit earlier and did some for shooting. I just let it rip. I had confidence in my teammates. When you have people who are encouraging you to shoot the ball it makes it a whole lot easier.”

On layup circus shot…
“I was just focused. As a basketball player I watch a lot of Kobe Bryant; that’s something he would do. Our guards play a lot of horse and we do a lot of trick shots. I didn’t really throw it at the basket I was focused and looked at the backboard and stayed with it.”

On knowing she’d be fouled on layup circus shot…
“Coach wants me to be tough and strong. I was tough and strong today. I just stayed focused. I knew they were coming behind me and I just took it and finished.”

On her run in the first half…
“I just tried to let the game come to me. I think Lindsay called some great sets to get everybody involved and we just found what was open and we took what the defense gave us and just played.”

Kathryn Westbeld – Freshman – Forward

On coming in for Brianna Turner…
“It’s always hard to see your teammates go down, as Taya (Reimer) said. I just wanted to pick up her energy. She came off and started playing great and I just wanted to bring the same energy when she went off and kind of play for her.”

Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese

Opening statement . . .
“Obviously tonight was a really slow start for us. The first 15 minutes of the game we did not shoot the ball well and defensively, against a great team like Notre Dame, you have that kind of start it’s going to be hard to come back from. I thought we fought hard to finish the half. I thought we did a nice job trying to compete in the second half, but just put ourselves in too big of a hole to start the game.”

On slow starts . . .
“You’re not going to win games against great competition with those kind of starts. We have to continue to evaluate that. Our turnovers are a big concern when you have 13 turnovers in a half. I think we took much better care of the ball in the second half to give ourselves a chance, but, again, we have to be able to have better possessions.”

On the stretch of 12 missed shots in the first half and how Notre Dame caused it. . .
“They come at you really aggressive. We had to be more aggressive in the zone, which we weren’t. We need to be able to attack and be able to really move the basketball. These are all areas we can improve on. Notre Dame set a great example of that, coming in for the knockout punch like coach McGraw said. I think we could take a page out of their book.”

On focusing on having a quick start . . .
“It took us a while to get to our transition, which you saw in the second half. These are all areas that we feel like we can control. I thought our mindset was ready to go but I thought they came out really aggressive.”

On Notre Dame’s changes since the Final Four and continuance of high quality . . .
“Continuing to have an All-American like Jewell Loyd. She makes so many great plays. Obviously, (Brianna) Turner didn’t get to play a lot, but when a player of her magnitude comes in and gives their team what she typically gives. I think the biggest thing for Notre Dame is that they play hard. They compete. They are aggressive. They go for the knockout punch early. They try to mentally get into your mind early with their aggressiveness and they definitely did to us tonight.”

Lexie Brown – Sophomore – Guard

On Notre Dame’s play in the first half . . .
“I think it was that zone. It was really spread out and like coach B said, it was really aggressive. We kind of struggled getting the ball inside. We were taking a lot of rushed, forced outside shots and when they’re not going in, long shots turn into long rebounds and they were getting a lot of transition buckets.”

Laurin Mincy – R-Senior – Guard

On what caused Maryland’s first quarter slump . . .
“I think, like Lexie said, we didn’t really attack in the first half. We were trimming the hedges on offense and they really were spread out. We needed to look to attack but we didn’t start doing that until four minutes left in the first half. I think we just have to lock in.”

On what she can take away from this loss . . .
“Just the little things. Coming in and playing hard for 40 minutes. Notre Dame set a great example of that, coming in for the knockout punch like coach said. I think we could take a page out of their book.”