March 8, 2015

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ACC Championship Postgame Quotes
Notre Dame 71, Florida State 58

NOTRE DAME

THE MODERATOR: WE’LL START WITH AN OPENING STATEMENT FROM COACH BEFORE TAKING QUESTIONS.
COACH MCGRAW: I’M REALLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM FOR WHERE WE CAME FROM TO WIN THIS. TO GO THROUGH THE LEAGUE WITH JUST ONE LOSS I THINK WAS A REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT. WE HAD SO MANY NEW PIECES TO FIT TOGETHER AND I THINK WITH Jewell Loyd’S LEADERSHIP, WE WERE ABLE TO JUST GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER EVERY GAME.

TONIGHT I THOUGHT WAS THE BEST GAME WE PLAYED ALL YEAR. I DON’T THINK IT’S THE BEST GAME WE WILL PLAY BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY THE BEST GAME WE HAVE PLAYED SO FAR. JEWELL WAS PHENOMENAL. Madison Cable, Brianna Turner, Lindsay Allen, Taya Reimer, EVERYBODY THAT CAME IN THE GAME I THOUGHT, GAVE US GREAT MINUTES. GREAT TEAM WIN.

Q. THE STRETCH OF THE GAME WHERE YOU REALLY TOOK COMMAND WAS WHEN MADISON WAS IN THE GAME THERE, HITS THE TWO, 3 POINTERS. JEWELL GETS THE THING STARTED. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING WELL THERE, AND
COACH MCGRAW: WELL, WHEN MADISON COMES IN, SHE ALWAYS GIVES US A SPARK. SHE BRINGS INSTANT ENERGY, USUALLY IT’S ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE, BY TAKING A CHARGE OR GETTING A STEAL. TONIGHT IT WAS BOTH ENDS. SHE HIT THE THREES, SOME REALLY KEY SHOTS.

I THOUGHT THEY LOST HER ON THE WING IN TRANSITION A COUPLE OF TIMES AND SHE WAS ABLE TO KNOCK IT DOWN AND THAT WAS JUST A BIG MOMENTUM SWING FOR US WHEN SHE CAME IN THE GAME. BEST SIXTH MAN IN BASKETBALL.

Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS SCORING BALANCE TO YOUR SUCCESS?
COACH MCGRAW: I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY KEY. EVERYBODY’S GOING TO KEY ON JEWELL AND TRY TO TAKE HER AWAY SO, WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE CAN COME IN AND MAKE SHOTS I THINK IT’S REALLY GREAT FOR THE TEAM.

I THINK IT TAKES PRESSURE OFF EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE AND THEY’RE JUST LOOKING FOR THEIR OPPORTUNITIES. I THOUGHT WE STARTED THE GAME WELL WITH BRIANNA AND TAYA TRYING TO GO INSIDE. I THINK THAT REALLY OPENED THINGS UP FOR THE GUARDS.

Q. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT JEWELL DOES ON THE BASKETBALL COURT THAT SURPRISES YOU, THAT SHE DOES SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT AND SAYS OH MY GOODNESS, EVERY GAME JUST TO SURPRISE YOU?
COACH MCGRAW: I THINK THE TURNOVERS, THEY ALWAYS SURPRISE ME.
(LAUGHTER.)

I THINK THAT THE BACK DOOR OPPORTUNITIES, THE POST UPS. I THOUGHT YESTERDAY’S GAME WAS FUN TO WATCH WHEN SHE TOOK OVER THE GAME IN THAT STRETCH.

AND SHE DID THE SAME THING TONIGHT AT TIMES WHEN WE NEEDED A BUCKET, WE WERE TRYING TO USE SOME CLOCK, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO SHAKE FREE AND GET SOME LAYUPS AND SOME POST UP OPPORTUNITIES. SO, SHE NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME.

Q. TALK ABOUT THE DEFENSE IN THIS TOURNAMENT. YOU’RE HOLDING A VERY GOOD BASKETBALL TEAM SHOOTING UNDER 40 PERCENT. WHAT’S GOING WELL?
COACH MCGRAW: YEAH, THAT’S GREAT FOR ME TO SEE. WE ARE A TEAM THAT HAS WORKED ON OUR DEFENSE ALL YEAR LONG. I THINK SINCE THE FIRST TIME WE PLAYED GEORGIA TECH, I REALLY WASN’T HAPPY WITH THE DEFENSE AND FROM THEN ON I THINK WE’VE REALLY MADE SOME GREAT STRIDES.

OUR HELP SIDE IS BETTER, OUR ON THE BALL DEFENSE IS BETTER, OUR ZONE IS BETTER. I THINK WE’RE MIXING THINGS UP A LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO I THINK THE FRESHMEN ARE GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE AND MORE AWARE OF HOW WE’RE TRYING TO ROTATE.

Q. JEWELL, WITH ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES LEFT TO GO IN THE GAME YOU GOT THE BALL AND YOU DROVE TO THE BASKET AND BULGAK WAS THERE. AND YOU PUT ON A MOVE THAT I DON’T THINK TOO MANY PEOPLE CAN PUT ON A MOVE. YOU WENT UNDER YOU DUCKED UNDER AND THEN YOU HAD SOME KIND OF SPIN ON THE BASKETBALL THAT GOT THE BALL IN. HOW LONG DO YOU HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE FOR THINGS LIKE THAT?
Jewell Loyd: WELL, I DO HAVE AN OLDER BROTHER WHO USED TO ALWAYS BLOCK MY SHOT AND THEN PRACTICING AGAINST Brianna Turner, YOU LEARN. YOU HAVE TO. AND HAVING TRUST AND KNOWING THAT MY ABILITIES TO GO IN THERE. BUT HAVING CONFIDENCE FROM MY TEAMMATES FOR SURE HELPED A LOT.

Q. MADDY, WHEN YOU SEE A PLAY LIKE THAT YOU WERE ON COURT AT THE TIME BUT WHEN YOU SEE A PLAY LIKE THAT, DO YOU SAY, HOW DOES SHE DO THAT?
Madison Cable: I LITERALLY STOOD THERE AND SAID, WOW. I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN RUNNING BACK ON DEFENSE BUT IT WAS AMAZING PLAY. BUT LIKE COACH SAID, IT DIDN’T SURPRISE ME.

Q. JEWELL, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHEN MADISON COMES IN A GAME, AND THE ENERGY SHE BRINGS, AND THE WAY SHE PLAYS, HOW MUCH INSPIRATION DO YOU ON THE OTHER PLAYERS DRAW FROM THE WAY SHE PLAYS?
Jewell Loyd: I LOVE IT. MADDY IS AWESOME. SHE’S DEDICATED, SHE RISKS HER BODY, SHE ALWAYS BRINGS ENERGY NO MATTER WHAT. SHE HAS CRAMPS IN HER LEG AND SHE IS STILL GIVING YOU A 110 PERCENT. THAT MOTIVATES ALL OF US TO PLAY LIKE THAT. SHE’S THE REAL MVP.

Madison Cable: THANKS, JEWELL.

Q. DID YOU TAKE A RIGHT WHEN YOU CAME IN EARLY IN THE GAME YOU GOT IN A LITTLE COLLISION. LOOKED LIKE YOU TOOK ONE TO THE SOLAR PLEXUS?
Madison Cable: I TRIED TO STEAL IT BUT I DIDN’T AND I GOT THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF ME, BAD TIMING. I’M FINE.

Jewell Loyd: SHE’S TOUGH.

Madison Cable: YEAH.

Q. HOW LONG WHAT’S YOUR PLANS NOW WITH THE LONG BREAK AND
COACH MCGRAW: WE’RE ON SPRING BREAK, SO THE GIRLS ARE HEADING HOME FROM HERE AND WE’LL RECONVENE ON FRIDAY.

THE MODERATOR: THANK YOU. FASTSCRIPTS BY ASAP SPORTS….

FLORIDA STATE

THE MODERATOR: WE’LL START WITH AN OPENING STATEMENT FROM COACH AND THEN TAKE QUESTIONS FOR THE PLAYERS.
COACH SEMRAU: WELL, THEY’RE A TOUGH, TOUGH BASKETBALL TEAM. I THOUGHT THEY PLAYED EXTREMELY WELL. I THOUGHT DEFENSIVELY THERE WAS A STRETCH WHERE THEY HELD US SCORELESS FOR AWHILE. I THOUGHT THAT AFFECTED OUR DEFENSE. AND ANY TIME OUR DEFENSE IS AFFECTED, THAT’S NOT OUR STRONG SUIT.

WE HAVE GOT TO BE ABLE THAT’S WHAT WE HANG OUR HAT ON, DEFENDING ON REBOUNDING. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE BEEN OUT REBOUNDED ALL YEAR.

I THINK THAT’S WHAT HURTS THE MOST IS THAT IN A BIG GAME SITUATION, WE LOST WHAT WE WERE BEST AT. GIVE CREDIT TO NOTRE DAME. I MEAN, THEY PUT US IN TOUGH POSITIONS DEFENSIVELY AND MADE BIG PLAYS.

Q. DO YOU THINK THE FACT THAT NOTRE DAME HAD BEEN IN IT LAST YEAR AND THAT YOU ALL WERE VERY RIGHTFULLY TO BE IN THE GAME MADE ANY DIFFERENCE?
COACH SEMRAU: WELL, IT SURE LOOKED LIKE IT IN THE FIRST HALF. I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I THINK ANY TIME YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE AT SOMETHING IT’S A GREAT TEACHER.

I FELT LIKE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE PLAYED AT NOTRE DAME ON JANUARY 2ND, THAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS A GREAT TEACHER FOR US FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. FOR THE REST OF OUR CONFERENCE GAMES.

THIS EXPERIENCE WILL BE A GREAT TEACHER FOR US.

Q. OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT SOME MORE GAMES TO PLAY, MAEGAN, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE ACC TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE AT THIS POINT?
MAEGAN CONWRIGHT: WE PLAYED AGAINST SOME OF THE BEST, SO GOING INTO TOURNAMENT, THAT GIVES US A REALLY STRONG SUIT AS FAR AS GETTING STARTED. WE’RE PLAYING AGAINST SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE, POTENTIAL FINAL FOUR TEAMS. SO TO LEARN FROM THEM WE WISH WE COULD HAVE WON, BUT TO LEARN FROM THEM AND GET BETTER IS REALLY THE THING THAT WE’RE GOING TO TAKE OUT OF THIS.

Q. YOU’VE BEEN PLAYING VERY WELL. IS THIS JUST KIND OF A BLIP PARTICULARLY SINCE YOU GOT SO LONG TO GET READY FOR YOUR NEXT GAME?
COACH SEMRAU: YEAH, I THINK IT WAS JUST MORE MENTALITY AND POSSIBLY IT WAS I JUST HAVEN’T SEEN MY TEAM RESPOND THAT WAY IN SO LONG.

WE HAVEN’T VERY, VERY, RARELY HAVE PLAYED FROM BEHIND. SO, YOU CAN ASK MY SID, THE STATISTIC IS UNBELIEVABLE. THAT WE LEAD IN MOST GAMES FOR THE ENTIRE GAME. MAYBE THEY COME AND MAKE A RUN.

SO, LEARNING HOW TO PLAY FROM BEHIND IS SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WE GOT A TASTE OF HERE TODAY AND WE’LL LEARN FROM THAT.

THE MODERATOR: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COACH SEMRAU: THANK YOU.

FASTSCRIPTS BY ASAP SPORTS….