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BIG EAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTMarch 5, 2017Natasha AdairFaith WoodardChicago, Illinois Marquette - 80, Georgetown - 66. NATASHA ADAIR: Well, obviously not the outcome that we wanted. But like I told our team, this time of year, it just comes down to those extra-effort plays. I felt like coming out of the half, we made a run. But there were just opportunities that we needed to capitalize on that we didn't. The beauty of this team is we didn't quit, and that's just not who we are. We competed. But my hat goes off to Carolyn and her program. They stepped up. They made big shots. That's just what they do. You know, it's hard as I sit here because it's more about my players, Faith Woodard as a senior, who's had one heck of a senior campaign, who's even -- I mean, we're not even sitting here without her. So you know, this part is hard, but the big picture is where we've grown as a program, as individuals. This doesn't feel well, but we're still a team that will be playing in the postseason, so it's not the end of our season. But this also means that there are things we have to work on because our ultimate goal is to be Big East champions. We fell short today, but we will be back. Q. Faith, what's it like coming into Marquette and playing against the home team that's hosting the tournament? FAITH WOODARD: I mean, we've played them multiple times. We've played here, and I know for myself, like as a senior, I've been in this arena, I've played in this arena, and I think there was just a certain focus and a want to get it done. Obviously we didn't get the win, but it was something that we focused on all during the week. You know, we've been here for quite some time. We played, ran through some plays, and we couldn't get it done. But our coaches were just re-instilling like we have a third chance to get it done. We've played them, we know their personnel, and it's going to just come down to toughness, grit and want-to. Q. As coach said, you guys are going to be a postseason team. What kind of things are you looking at developing going into this last push? FAITH WOODARD: Probably just pushing over the hump and just refocusing and buying into all of the things that we said that we wanted to do at the beginning of the season, because it will be a new season for us. So just staying focused and staying true to the things that we said we wanted to do because I think that it's well within our capabilities. And I just think if we just are mentally tough and are able to put this behind us and start fresh, I think that we have a good shot at going pretty far. Q. Faith, you've been a part of this program in some tough times and have risen up to this level here. What can you say about what Coach and you guys have done here as this program has risen? FAITH WOODARD: I would definitely say when I came in as a freshman, there was a lot of change going on. But I'm just really thankful for the staff that I got, Coach A, Coach Jenkins and everyone else, Coach Chambers, Coach Howard, to just give that sense of consistency, that love, and just that we're in it together, and that's something that, you know, they've instilled in this program since they've gotten here. Even when we don't get the ballgames that we want, and even though we have some adversity to face, I know at the end of the day that we'll be able to do it together, and that's something that they just said from the very beginning. My experience here has been really awesome, and I'm looking forward to just keeping that going with this team during postseason. Q. Is there anything in particular about this Marquette team this season that's given you guys a little bit of trouble? NATASHA ADAIR: Well, they can score the ball, I'll tell you that. No, I mean, coming in, you know that they're very efficient from the field, and what makes them hard to guard is they're not one-dimensional. You know, they can score, they can take it off the bounce, and again, we change defenses a little bit, and that's something we worked on. We went man, we went zone. But your room for error against them, and especially this time of year, is minimal. If you're just a half second off that rotation, Yentz is letting it go, and she's pretty efficient. If you close out and you leave your feet, Blockton is going to go downhill. Things that we talked about. But then on the flipside of that, we make a run, and we get six straight possessions, and we don't score. And so I think it's a double edged sword, where you're trying to contain them and slow them down, every opportunity that we get we have to capitalize on it, whether it be lay-ups, whether it be free throws, the easy opportunities. And so I think it was more about us not finishing those plays versus what they were going to do because they didn't do anything out of the norm. I just felt like we didn't finish in areas that we needed to. Q. You guys had -- I felt like you guys moved the ball really well today. It was something like 14 assists on 24 made field goals. The passing looked good today. Can you talk a little bit about that? NATASHA ADAIR: Well, we worked on a little five-out option and we didn't want the ball to stick. Again, if you're not moving the ball, defense is stagnant. So we just really wanted to have more movement, and in our offenses, everyone who touched the ball is an option, it just depends on where. We wanted to open the floor, create opportunities to the rim. But again, they packed it in a little bit, and teams force us to shoot because our three-point field goal percentage isn't as high as we would like for it to be. But there were still opportunities for us to bring them away from the rim and get things around the rim. So I felt like the game plan going in was the right one, and I just felt like in areas where we got the shots that we wanted, we had the pace in a sense that we wanted, it just came down to finish, and we just didn't finish. Q. In terms of that and in terms of what you said earlier about being a postseason team, what are you guys looking for in terms of selection, and given that, what are you guys going to work on going into the postseason? NATASHA ADAIR: Well, right now, we'll see what the postseason options are. I haven't looked that far. But I know there will be some. Regardless of who we play, it's going to come down to defense. It's going to come down to making sure we make it hard for any opponent. And then on the flipside, the efficiency of what shots we're taking, who's taking the shots, and we'll go back and watch some of this film, and film sessions are learning sessions for our team. Good shots, bad shots, winning plays, time and score, because this team is still learning, and for us to be that team that we want to ultimately be and consistently be, we have to continue to grow, and so we will get better. Q. How does playing in this conference prepare you for the postseason? NATASHA ADAIR: Oh, it's the best conference in the country in my opinion. To go night in and night out from top to bottom, it doesn't even matter who finishes where, all the coaches in the league are very talented. Each team, they pose a different challenge, and I think that whoever we face, whether they play a five-out motion, whether they have perimeter scorers, whether they have players that can take you off the bounce or just defensive-minded teams, playing in this league night in and night out will prepare you for anyone in the country. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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