Post Game Quotes vs. Longwood
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Nov. 22, 2015
Head Coach Joanne Boyle
Opening Statement:
“We are happy to be 4-0 and we are going to try to work every day to get better as we head into a really tough tournament. We are going to focus on preparation for these next three games.”
On the preseason goal of having four players in double-figure scoring and this happening 3 out of 4 games:
“We are a much better team. We are better balanced, we are harder to scout and it takes a little more prep time when you have multiple people averaging in double figures. I’m really pleased with the balance of our scoring lately.”
On the offseason for Aliyah and the impact it’s had:
“There’s a process to everything that happens. Different teams operate different ways based off of youth and maturity. I was really happy that Aliyah got playing time last year. She was really able to work through some things and see the pace of the college game. In the offseason she really got in the gym. The payoff is that she is comfortable. We saw that in her breakout game against Auburn once she hit a couple of shots. In practice she shoots all the time and makes shots. It’s about finding that rhythm and once you make a couple, you get to take a deep breath and know that you’re the player you can be. That’s what we’re seeing, and you can see it in her body language that she is very confident. She’s doing a really great job finding different ways to score for us. She has also been rebounding for us. She had seven tonight. I appreciate that every day you get the same Ailyah. She walks in the gym and whether she has had a good or bad game, she is the same. She’s coachable, patient, has really worked hard to get where she is and that’s why we are seeing success.”
On defense, leading ACC in steals, and overall approach:
“I think we have our lulls at times, but I think the more aggressive we are, the better we are. Sometimes we, as coaches, may over prepare and over think things, but the more aggressive we are the less mistakes we make. It helps our offense because we turn them over and get some easy baskets. It’s been good, but it’s a work in progress. I’d love to have all eight of us on the same page for 40 minutes and that will come in time.”
On play in third quarter:
“We challenged the team at half time because even though we were up 20, I felt like we weren’t playing that well. We were very passive defensively, but in the third quarter we really came out and got locked down. We got a little bit more aggressive and I think that’s more of who we were in the third and fourth quarter.”
On what Breyana can do to improve throughout the year:
“Breyana sleeps with the words ‘keep attacking’ in her head because that’s all that coach Cory and I tell her. It’s a repetitive thing that’s going on in her head and she’s unstoppable because she is a stronger guard and it is so hard to knock her off the ball. Her comfort zone is her mid-range shot and attacking the basket. When she does those two things we are a better team.”
On upcoming Paradise Jam tournament:
“We are playing three quality and very different teams. I’m really happy with how we have played on the road because we have really improved from last year. We are able to be consistent and put a team away in a hostile environment. It’s going to be a fun trip, but it is very much a business trip. Our goal is to go 3-0 and we are going to need everybody to be able to do that. The more aggressive and the more we are able to defend and rebound, the better off we’ll be.”
On the length on the offensive end:
“With Aliyah, two steps to the basket and she’s there. With Breyana, she’s more of a power guard. We are quicker to the basket because of our length. I think we can extend better and finish better because we are above people. I was happy with our rebounding tonight because we decided this year that we were going to try to up our shot attempts. One of the ways to do this is send more people to the glass. I feel like we are probably plus-10 on shot attempts because of getting second chance points.”
On team’s pace of play:
“We are able to play fast as long as we are scoring. We went through that lull in the second half against Auburn where we subbed and couldn’t get a basket. That put more pressure on the defensive end of the floor because that’s just easy transition for people. We will run as much as we can based on if we can score the ball. I don’t want to just get in a track meet and run up and down the floor with no purpose. The pace of play has been an emphasis of ours and we are in much better shape to be able to do that. We have to find those points in the game where we are sloppy and we might need to run a little bit more. I don’t want to give up on transitions because I feel like we are really attacking the basket.”
Sophomore Guard Aliyah Huland El
On scoring 20 points in back-to-back games and how that contributes to team success:
“It’s really important. We have five different guards who can all score in different ways. We are all very skilled and I think we are almost interchangeable to some degree. It’s really important that we all score and balance out because that is very hard to guard and scout when five guards can score”
On confidence level last year versus this year:
“I think the difference is reps in the gym. In the offseason I got a lot of reps with coaches, and even by myself. Last year I was still getting used to the whole college dynamic with school and it’s not that easy here. I think I’m used to my situation now. I’m comfortable and I’ve gotten in the full swing of things.”
On conditioning:
“We did focus a lot on running in the offseason. I am in a better place cardiovascular-wise than I was last year.”
Junior Guard Breyana Mason
On balance of scoring:
“Having four or five people on the court who can go off on any given night is good for us. It makes us really hard to scout and it helps space the floor with the guards we have. It’s a wonderful thing to have the amount of weapons that we have.”
On the behind the back lay up shot:
“Sydney got her hand on the ball and she was dribbling it, but I don’t know if she was comfortable taking it coast-to-coast and she threw it to me. I saw that the girl cheated the play, so it was an instinctive move to throw it behind my back. She tried to stop me, but then I put it up. It’s a natural thing and nothing too special. It’s something that I have practiced and it just flows within the game.”
On the importance of the Paradise Jam trip:
“This is a good test. Since I’ve been here we haven’t been able to win a Thanksgiving tournament, so doing that would be great. It will show our endurance and ability to bounce back from games because so far we have had a good team and then a lower quality team. It will be three back-to-back high quality teams, which will be what we see in conference play and, if we make it to the NCAA tournament, that’s what we’ll see as well. We have to be disciplined and on point with all of the things we need to do.”