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Nov. 13, 2016

Recap | Final Stats

Head Coach Joanne Boyle

Opening statement:
“It was a great game for us today and a really great team win. I was excited for the girls, we had good rotations and I felt like everybody got to contribute. We will enjoy it today and prepare for Richmond starting tomorrow.”

On offense in 100+ point game:
“I think the team did a really good job. Our defense generated a lot of our offense, causing Coppin State to turn it over quite a bit. I thought we did a really great job of sharing the basketball when they went to the zone. We tried our best to play inside and outside and did a really good job with that. We had really good ball movement, I think we had 25 assists on 40 baskets. Mostly it was our defense generating a lot of our offense and sharing the basketball.”

On confidence coming out of this game:
“It’s kind of a coach’s dream when you get to sit down for most of the game and not have to stand up. I felt like I just got to relax and enjoy it a little bit. The girls have put a lot of effort and onus into this team this year and I think, feeding off of what Jocelyn [Willoughby] said, they’re really out there playing for each other and I think you can see it in their style of play. Again, I think that the reason for the points is that we shared the basketball and we created turnovers but everything that goes prior to that happening is just laying a great foundation for this team and chemistry and building a united front. I think that’s what they’ve really worked hard to do.”

On role of the freshmen continuing through the year:
“They’ve grown a lot even from the summer, all four of them. I think they are very coachable, they have a great work ethic, they’ve missed very few practices since this summer and they’re very engaged. They want to work hard and they have a great camaraderie with the upperclassmen. I think the upperclassmen share the responsibility of leadership with them. There’s no jealousy, there’s nothing like that. The upperclassmen, they’re allowing them to just flourish. As coaches, you’re going to give players as much as they can handle and they’re proving that they can handle a lot. We haven’t been fully tested but it’s a great start for us to start building on.”

On depth:
“We have so many different options. I said that to them, it was a great team win for a lot of different reasons but when you have five people average double figures, on any given night anybody can score. It’s just nice to have a lot of shared responsibility amongst them. I’d much rather be in a situation like that then have somebody scoring all the points. I think it’s just a better feel and a better flow for us when that happens. I don’t know too many times when you come of the games and three people have double-doubles but we’ll take every one that we can get.”

Freshman Jocelyn Willoughby

On what has been clicking in the first two games:
“I think, for me, just being confident in my own abilities and remaining aggressive. I feel like my teammates, if I’m not knocking down my shots, they are on the defensive end, getting charges, blocking shots or just being there. As a team, we really pick each other up when the game is down.”

On the team chemistry:
“Obviously it was a great win for us, but we don’t want to grow complacent. We want to still continue to work in the next few days, especially for the game against Richmond.”

On performance and game approach:
“I approach each game pretty much the same way. My goal is to be aggressive, be physical and just do what I do. I think it worked well for me these past two games.”

Freshman Felicia Aiyeotan

On her recent progression as a player
“For the game on Saturday, I was very nervous. Everything was new ââ’¬” starting the game, locker room routine, just getting used to everything. Coming into the second game, I already knew what was going to happen. I was more comfortable than I was for the last game.”

On the past two games helping her confidence:
“Now, I know what I can do. I know that the work that I put in with Coach [La’Keshia] Frett Meredith is working out well for me. Stepping on the court, I know the things that I need to do and the things I need to work on.”

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