Jan. 24, 2016

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2015-16 University of Notre Dame Women’s Basketball
Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech
January 24, 2016
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Indiana

Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw

Opening Statement …
“I thought we started the game looking a little fatigued. It was our third game in a week. There was a lot of hype. We just couldn’t get the energy, and then I thought we got it off the bench. I thought Arike [Ogunbowale] came in and gave us great energy. I thought Mychal Johnson gave us good energy. Using the bench was key. We didn’t shoot it as well as the other night. We were just expecting it to go in. We had a bit of an off night and we had to score in different ways. I thought we got it going in the second quarter and in the third quarter too.”

On whether it was in the game plan to give the ball to Brianna Turner
“No, it wasn’t. We just weren’t making them tonight. We did think we had a little bit of a mismatch inside, but we were trying to shoot threes until they stopped going in. Then, we decided to go inside after that.”

On defense…
“I was really happy with the defense, which doesn’t happen often. That was great. We did a lot of really good things defensively. We talked and communicated. We really worked. It was very intense. I think they did a really good job knowing who the shooters were. I was pleased with that.”

Arike Ogunbowale – G – Freshman

On developing her scorer’s mentality…
“There has been a lot of coaching and talking to the coach, seeing what she wants me to do. I did not want to come in and go crazy. It’s hard to get into a college mode. But I think I’m getting more comfortable and I know what coach wants me to do so I’m trying to do that.”

On the timid nature of opposing teams once ND builds a lead…
“Yes, things start[ed] going our way. I wouldn’t say they [were] backing off. But when we click, we start gelling. It’s more us than them.”

On building a lead…
“I think it starts on defense with getting stops. If we are scoring and they are scoring, that’s like nothing. If we get stops and we are scoring then everything is going pretty good.”

Brianna Turner – F – Sophomore

On her defensive presence on the perimeter today…
“Yeah, on some of the ball screens we ended up switching so I ended up on the guards instead of on the post. I was working on my perimeter defense today.”

Virginia Tech Head Coach Dennis Wolff

Opening Statement…
“Obviously it was a tough game for us, Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the country. In order for us to be able to hang in the game with a team like that we need to be able to be way more efficient on the offensive end, be way more locked in on how to guard them and create problems. They have a terrific post player and a great guard and two wing shooters so it is a little bit hard to decide how you are going to help. I credit them, but we weren’t quite aggressive enough with the exception of Sidney [Cook]. Everyone else seemed to play back on their heels.”

On Notre Dame’s defense…
“I think they have good size, the guards are pretty good-sized girls as well. I think they can switch and not get hurt. They also have one of the best coaches in the history of women’s basketball. I think they do a great job of taking away what you’re good at and playing off of your weaknesses. I think that they played some of the kids hard that can shoot for us and then stayed off the other kids which made our defense tough.”

On Notre Dame’s intimidation factor…
“I think that is part of what happened and it happens in women’s basketball. I think sometimes you get a mindset of ‘I don’t know if we can beat them or compete with them’ and I think that gives them a leg up to start.”

Sidney Cook – Junior – Forward

On her mindset…
“I feel that every game I just do my best and try to play my hardest. My shots just fell today and my teammates kept giving me the ball. I’m just always trying my best.”