Nov. 5, 2014
Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw
Opening statement…
“I thought that was a great beginning for us. It was a great chance for the freshmen to get in front of big crowd for the first time. It was a chance for them to see what it was like to put the uniform on, and I thought all three of them performed well. Brianna [Turner] performed well on the boards and did a great job running the break. Taya [Reimer] played a great game and showed a lot of experience and maturity. She looked really comfortable in the game and was our leading rebounder. She could have scored as much as she wanted to. We were really unselfish with the ball. Mychal Johnson coming off the bench had a fantastic first time out. Jewell Loyd was pretty much unstoppable, which we hope her to be this year. I was really pleased with everything.”
On Taya Reimer’s improvement from last season…
“I think she’s become more aggressive offensively. She has become more of an impact player, which she is capable of and we expect her to continue to do that all year.”
On the matchup problems that Reimer creates for opposing teams…
“She is a really difficult matchup because she is big and strong and she can play on the perimeter. It is very difficult to find someone who can match up with her strength and quickness. She’s great with the ball and in phenomenal shape, so I think she will be a nightmare matchup for everyone we play.”
On Brianna Turner starting her first game at Notre Dame…
“She earned it, and it happened quickly. I think that we came in needing blocked shots, and she filled that void immediately. She gets more comfortable every day. It’s fun coming to practice and seeing what improvements she is going to make because she wants to get better and she’s been doing that on a consistent basis.”
Brianna Turner – Freshman – Forward
On playing with Jewell Loyd and Lindsay Allen…
“Jewell and Lindsay are always looking to pass. Lindsay passed up a three and gave me a layup instead. It’s really great playing with guards like them.”
On playing across from Taya Reimer at the forward position…
“She’s a really great role model for me. I get lost and confused a lot, so she’s always there to help me out. I want to be able to run the floor like her one day.”
Taya Reimer – Sophomore – Forward
On the lessons she has learned from the Final Four…
“It had a huge impact on my summer. I think I had to grow up a lot during the Final Four after being thrown into that role. It gave me a taste of what I’ll need to do on a consistent basis this year. I’ve really been working to be more aggressive and be in attack mode all the time. I’m focusing on scoring and rebounding as well.”
On the team’s balanced lineup…
“The great thing about our team is that we have so many people that can do so many different things. Honestly, we’re out there on the floor sharing the ball and having fun. We like to play together, and everybody had a great game.”
On playing with Brianna Turner…
“Brianna and I have played together on national teams and I’ve known her for a really long time. She’s one of my favorite people, on and off the court. I love playing with her because she is so athletic. She loves the game and is always trying to get better everyday. She is all over the court getting offensive rebounds. I think she elevates my game through how hard she plays and how hard she works. We have so much fun out there.”
Ferris State Head Coach Colleen Lamoreaux-Tate
On Notre Dame’s matchup advantages…
“The bottom line is they compete against the best, so they train for the best. It is hard to simulate that in practice for us, we do have some really good practice players though, which I think paid off in the second half. We started to see some good things out of our girls once they worked through the jitters–they were taking some shots in the first half and slowly hesitating on their shots, but once we got that out of the way we really started playing more aggressive, especially defensively and rebounding-wise.”
On how her players handled the challenge of playing at Purcell Pavilion…
“There are two types of players that can walk away from a game like this. There are those that will throw their hands up and say `Well, it is Notre Dame, coach.’ Then there are the types who will recognize how games like these expose their bad habits. These types of games and teams will really expose our bad habits, so as a player, you have to adjust your game, or if not you had better have a nightmare about it.”
On Notre Dame’s athleticism…
“Their strength and their height are huge advantages, but their real advantage is that they make their `puppies’ (the basic things). The bottom line is that you are going to win games at the free throw line and making layups, with good defense of course. I thought they did a good job at the defensive end, but they really made their layups and passed the ball.”