Nov. 17, 2011

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Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw

Opening Statement…
“I was really pleased with our start tonight. Brittany [Mallory] got us off to a great start with the three’s. Natalie [Novosel] didn’t miss a shot in the first half. Her and Brittany [Mallory] were both perfect from the field, and then Skylar [Diggins] shot extremely well. Going into halftime, I felt really good about the way we were shooting the ball. Defensively, I thought we did our usual good job.”

On the team’s defensive start…
“We like to get a good start. When Skylar [Diggins] gets up on the ball, and Brittany [Mallory] takes away their best player it’s tough for an opponent. Then you’ve got Kayla McBride who is a really good defender. We’ve got a really good defensive team, and I think they take a lot of pride in it. They want to defend. I think they get annoyed sometimes when we take the press off. There is never a drop off when the bench comes in either. We want the defense to create some easy baskets for us, and we were able to do that a little bit tonight. I think that transition is a big part of our offense. We don’t want to have to run a half-court offense.”

On the pregame ceremony…
“That was a complete surprise to me. It was really nice. It was just such an honor to see the banner. It definitely brought tears to my eyes. When Murphy came out, that just really made it special. It’s been such an honor. I’ve been so blessed to be here. It’s hard when you’re in the moment to look at things, and that video of the history of our program was really great too.”

On the team’s offensive execution…
“I think we got a lot of good looks tonight. They did a nice job of drawing the defense, kicking it out and making an extra pass. I think we’re a really good shooting team. I think the anomaly is going to be the off nights. I’m still not happy with the offensive execution. I think we can run it a little better than we are. Tonight, the guards got good looks, and they did a nice job of using the ball screen. They found each other. They’re starting to play well together, and it’s fun to watch.”

On playing in a competitive game on Sunday…
“I think it gives us a good chance to really see where we are. I think it’s going to be interesting to see the depth that we have playing against the number one team in the country on the road. Only good things can happen. We’re going to find out where we are, especially where are strengths are and where our weaknesses are.”

Hartford Head Coach Jennifer Rizzotti

Opening Statement…
“Obviously we were excited for the opportunity to come play Notre Dame. We started the season 2-0, but we ran into a buzz saw today. We got to see what one of the best teams in the country is like and how hard they work. I think that we can take a lot from this game. Our kids have high standards and high expectations of themselves. We want to learn how to compete with one of the best teams in the country. We will learn our lessons, and use them to make us better.”

On Notre Dame’s defense…
“I think they do a very good job of playing team defense. They can be really aggressive on the ball because if one player gets beat, they can scramble. Having four guards in their starting lineup allows them to switch a lot of screens, and that can be very disruptive if you are not used to playing against it. You can tell that they are a veteran team. It is not just about having great athletes. It is also about having players that can play together.”

On her team’s defensive effort…
“If we play good defense and they make all of their shots that is one thing. When we are making mistakes defensively or you have a lack of intensity it is a little harder to take. They shot the ball very well, but I feel like we didn’t have the focus that we needed defensively. We have struggled against good teams with our execution. It is a focus for us that extends through the whole team. It is something that we are going to have to work on throughout the season.”

On her team missing free throws…
“I am not one of those coaches that is going to tell my players that it is okay that we lost to Notre Dame. I am too much of a competitor. There is a way to lose, and there is a way to win. Notre Dame didn’t make us miss those free throws. Yes, there are some things that they did that affected our execution because they are very good defensively. But when we carry the ball, or we throw the ball out of bounds that is us. Missing free throws is a perfect example of something that we could control, but didn’t.”

Notre Dame Player Quotes

Brittany Mallory – Senior – Guard

On not missing a shot in the first half…
“I don’t really think about it too much. If I’m feeling it, my teammates find me, and I’m going to keep shooting because Skylar [Diggins] gets mad if I don’t shoot when I’m hitting.”

On having a previous great shooting night…
“The last game I remember having a really good game was versus Oklahoma last year. It’s still early, so hopefully I can have a lot more of these games.”

On how she was able to play off the zone defense…
“They were in a zone at first, so when Skylar [Diggins] or Natalie [Novosel] gets in the middle, everyone draws on them, so I just find the open spots on the three-point line and trail behind the play.”

Skylar Diggins – Junior – Guard

On being coached by Muffet McGraw…
“It means a lot to this program. We’ve been able to see what she has been able to do with the program and the players she has been able to develop. It’s special for me to be around for these moments, in particular to go to her induction into the Hall of Fame. You know how special she is to the program because a lot of players came to the induction. She’s just a person that everyone wants to be around.”

On being able to feed off defensive stops…
“I think it gives us energy. Our intensity starts off great, and I think that’s when we’re able to play the best when we start off in transition. Coach preaches getting out and making them uncomfortable early. That defensive intensity is what leads to offense. It gives us a lot of momentum to start the game.”

Hartford Player Quotes

Daphne Elliot – Junior – Guard

On Notre Dame’s defense…
“Whenever you play a team that is that aggressive and that eager to steal the ball, it does take a while to adjust to the pressure. We practiced it all week, but we didn’t convert it onto the court.”

On Notre Dame’s backcourt…
“They are all great players. We came into the game trying to be the best team that we can be. They defended well, and they played very well offensively. It is different playing at Notre Dame, and playing against the No. 2 team in the country. I think they are very good players, and they showed us up tonight.”

On her team’s three-point shooting…
“We focus more on our defense first. I think that the fact that we could shoot the ball well from beyond the arc really helped us. We needed more than just the three pointers to help us stay in the game, but they did help us out.”