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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 5, 2015Shae KelleyShayne MullaneyMarlene StollingsAmanda Zahui B.HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS Minnesota – 82 THE MODERATOR: We're joined by head coach Marlene Stollings, Shae Kelley, Amanda Zahui B. and Shayne Mullaney. Coach, an opening statement. COACH STOLLINGS: Well, first of all, we'd like to say Purdue gave us, obviously, a heck of a game. And we knew that they would give us their best effort. We feel they have a lot of talent on their team and a lot of experience on their team. So credit to them for playing quite well. On our end, I was very proud of our young ladies for their resiliency and fight and for handling the big comeback Purdue made in staying strong to what we wanted to do. I'm very proud of our program. It's the most wins in 10 years for our program, with the win tonight. And just outstanding play from the three young ladies that are sitting up here, who really carried us tonight. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student‑athletes. Q. Shae, just talk about when Amanda fouled out and the clutch free‑throw shooting that helped close the game out? SHAE KELLEY: I think Kayla came off the bench when Z went out and just really stepped. Our bench players are always ready, ready to go. So I think that we just stayed aggressive in that sense and just kept attacking and got to the free‑throw line and knocked them down. Q. Can you also talk about that, Shayne. You and Kayla both hit some clutch free throws at the end. The team hadn't been shooting that well from the free‑throw line before that? SHAYNE MULLANEY: Yeah, the free throws were really big at the end because that kind of was sealing the deal for the game. And we were always practicing free throws in practice, and we know that we need to make those to win games. Q. Shae, what was it about the Purdue defense that was giving you guys such fits? SHAE KELLEY: I would say it was kind of more of ourselves making our own mistakes, just kind of rushing some passes, and we just really needed to be patient. And when we were patient we got what we wanted, and I think that was just key for us, to slow down and be poised. And then when we were, we came out on top and scored or got a foul. Q. Shayne, could you talk about that big 3‑pointer you hit. What was going through your mind at that point? SHAYNE MULLANEY: I was just taking what they gave me and just I knew that I had to make that. I knew that was big. I think especially coming off two losses, we had a lot of fire in our bellies. For this game, we had a lot of energy coming into this game, and we knew we had to win this game, and we wanted it really bad. Q. Amanda, what do you guys need to improve upon the most for that game against Ohio State tomorrow? AMANDA ZAHUI B.: We have to lock in on defense, focus on that and just keep on playing our own game and everything will go our way. Q. Amanda, just talk about throughout the game, you had a pretty big impact, especially in the first half, but when you were on the bench in foul trouble, what did you see from your teammates to keep the Gophers in the game? AMANDA ZAHUI B.: Can you ask that again. Q. When you were on the bench in foul trouble, could you talk about how your team played to keep you guys in the lead? AMANDA ZAHUI B: Everybody played really hard, played their souls out. They never gave up and I just trying to keep them going and everybody wanted to win this game. We'd been talking about this. We wanted to advance and you could really see it in everybody. Q. Shae, Purdue really came out of the gates in the second half. Did you see a big difference between the first half and the second half for you guys? SHAE KELLEY: Just for us, for our team? I think the main thing we just kind of, our defense. Our defense is the main thing, when they made that run there in the second half, I think we just kind of got relaxed a little bit. But once we picked it up we got to our spots a little faster and just really keying in on Bays trying to get to her sweet spot a lot at the high post. It was key for us to move defensively. Q. For Amanda, are you motivated at all to go against Kelsey Mitchell, the other Big Ten Player of the Year? AMANDA ZAHUI B.: I'm motivated to go against any team right now. We're just trying to win and have fun. We can't focus on awards right now. We've got too much at stake. And just want to have fun and whoever is out there, we're going to bring it. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach. Q. After you guys were up 18, Purdue started to make a run, what was the message during that timeout? COACH STOLLINGS: Well, we just tried to keep our kids poised. We know it's a game of runs, and we knew they were going to make one. And we were trying to make some adjustments defensively during that time. We went a little bit long there without scoring, longer than we like. But we did like the shots we were getting during that time but we didn't do a good job of getting second shots. But we just told them to keep fighting and stay poised. We didn't want too big of a reaction one way or the other. Q. Obviously in the second half there, when Amanda was out with foul trouble, can you talk about leaving her on the bench as long as you did and at some point you felt like Purdue was getting back in the game and she had to get back in there? COACH STOLLINGS: Yes, we didn't have a particular time in the game in which we knew we were going to put her back in. We were just trying to fill our way through it and we reached a point there where our entire staff agreed it was time for her to go and certainly we didn't want her to be out at all. But I thought that for the shape we were in, we came out okay with it. Q. It was not the most consistent performance for your team. What do you want them to take out of this and what do you need to change for tomorrow? COACH STOLLINGS: Well, I'll take out of it the 82 points. Still a high scoring game for us. Defensively I think we have to stay a little bit more consistent and tightening up what we're doing. We play multiple defenses and I thought we lost some coverages there to start the second half. But it's a constant chess match, and they adjusted a little bit and we needed to adjust a little bit quicker to what they adjusted to. But I think as you look at tomorrow I think our kids are excited about that game. We obviously beat Ohio State on their home court earlier in the year and a game in which Amanda was out in foul trouble quite a bit. So I think she in particular is looking forward to the game tomorrow night and hopefully staying on the court. Q. The problems that Bays and Clemons gave you tonight, why do you think they had the success they did inside? COACH STOLLINGS: Well, they're very talented players. And you know Purdue is extremely well coached. We expected nothing less, and we knew that they were going to go‑‑ they would be looking for interior passes. And they played us at home last time. I believe they scored 48 points in the paint. We knew that tonight would be no different in terms of what they were looking for. And I thought Whitney had to work for some of those shots. But she is just that talented. And she hit a lot of contested shots, I thought. And they're very good. With Clemons I thought we let her get a little too deep at the basket, too deep at the basket. I would like to shore that up a bit don't like them to get that deep in there on us. But two very talented young ladies. Q. The free‑throw shooting, seems like when your team was under pressure, they shot it better from the free‑throw line and for Kayla to come in in a situation like that and hit those free throws when she did, talk about that performance. COACH STOLLINGS: Kayla's been solid for us down the stretch. We call her our X factor. And she was very key when she came in. She got a couple of key rebounds for us as well as hitting those free throws. But she's very capable in those moments, and she likes those moments. And she knew that we needed her and she just stepped up for us. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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