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MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 6, 2017Jamie CraigheadJasmine SmithDezz RamosLas Vegas, Nevada San Jose State - 76 San Diego State - 58 COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: I thought that we executed a defensive plan tremendously well. We've had some great battles this year with San Diego State. They were all offensive. And I thought we took a defensive game plan and really executed. Tremendous play by these two. They didn't really have an answer for Dezz or Jas. I'm really proud of them. And we're excited to get to play another game. Q. Dezz, just seems to get in the flow, especially in the first half. Sort of just domino from there. And as Coach said, they really didn't have an answer for you. Was it to come out, get things going and show no mercy, because that seemed to be the theme for you guys tonight? DEZZ RAMOS: Yeah, definitely. We knew we had to be an up-tempo game and we thought we did that well starting the game. Q. What are the things you guys see in your team that have you believing you can make a run through this tournament, even as an 8 seed? What are the things you like about your team and the way you're playing right now? DEZZ RAMOS: I like our pace of the game we play. Especially when we're hitting shots, we can go on a tremendous run, and I think that helps us a lot. Q. Jas, was the game plan from the beginning to work inside to you? JASMINE SMITH: Yeah, that was one of the big keys, I thought we did that effectively tonight. My shooters were there to shoot the ball when I was inside and ready to score and I did so. Q. Can you talk about the defensive plan? You stayed down on the ground and it looked like you guys were closing them out when they were trying to get inside? JASMINE SMITH: Yeah, I just really try to help my teammates out as much as possible on the defensive end, whether that be helping ball side. Just try to key in on the defensive end and try to keep going. Q. I wanted to ask you a little bit when you guys played Colorado State earlier this year, it went into overtime. What was the key to that game and can you do that again tomorrow? The things you did right in that game can you do that tomorrow? DEZZ RAMOS: I think we had -- that was a while ago. COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: They've been focusing on San Diego State. DEZZ RAMOS: I think we competed that game. We really wanted to win. We had great energy the entire game. I know everyone is excited to play them tomorrow. Q. What was the key to this win tonight? JASMINE SMITH: Dictating the momentum early, still. Having control over the entire game, each quarter, winning each quarter, and coming out strong the second half. Q. Coach, I know the players answered this as far as what makes them believe they can make a run, but what is different about this team now, this week, in this tournament, in terms of just preparation for the postseason and how you see them now respond? What's different this week that gives you confidence? COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: Well, we have a lot of veteran players. And these two next to me have been in this position and I think Dezz is the best offensive player in the conference. I think Jasmine is a special one-two punch with her. We have a supporting cast that can shoot the ball around them. They're better when we prepare less. So I think they like the opportunity to play a lot of games and not practice, not because they don't like practice, but because they can just play loose and free. San Diego State, I thought they executed a defensive plan, like I said, really well. And tomorrow with Colorado State, at their place when we were successful, we didn't give up the three-point line, and it kept us in the game when we were struggling offensively. We didn't play particularly well offensively, 63 shots is a low for us. We're going to be playing a talented team tomorrow. They've never quit all season long. We've had a tough year. But we played some people in that preseason, and I watched Mississippi State on TV yesterday, and if you can play against those guys, you can play against anybody. Q. Not for any other reason, but to give local girls some love, talk about Taylor Turney, how she's improved over the course of the season, and that little shove at the end of the game, just showing her toughness and her meddle, she was a big-time player here at Liberty High School. Just holding her ground right here on her turf. COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: Yeah, she's done a tremendous job throughout the year. She's playing behind Dezz, that's not easy. I know she wishes she was out there for 38 minutes a game. She's tough. She's stubborn, kind of reminds me as a young Dezz, she gives me a run for my money sometimes. But I think that's who she is, and that's part of it, feeling like she's not going to back down from anybody, and I can appreciate that as a coach. We don't want to back down from anybody. And she wanted to make sure everyone knew she was here in the building today. Q. You were up 19-4 in the first quarter, San Diego State went on a 11-0 run. You called a timeout, Dezz hit a 3, and went on a 12-2 run. What did you say in that timeout that allowed your team to push it out? COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: I'm a really big believer that basketball is a game of runs, especially against San Diego State, the two games we've played them. It's been all runs, us we'd go on a run, they'd go on a run. We talk about the fact that we popped them in the mouth and they popped us back. And we had to go on a run. Q. Third quarter Gomez hit a couple of three-pointers in a row, cut it to 5, and then your team was able to respond and come back. COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: Same thing. I thought we lost a couple of people in transition. To think they only hit four 3s, and two of them were in that quick swing. We locked down on defense. I thought we did a tremendous job, that's why we could go on our runs. We stopped that one with our defense, and were able to score on the other end. Q. Talk about the defense on Lexy Thorderson? COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: She's a tremendous shooter and she can get that shot off quick. We talked about staying tighter and making her put it on the ground. I thought for the most part we did a decent job. She still got up 7 3s. She can get them off fast. She took a couple off the dribble, so that helps us be more effective. Q. Can you talk about your team's defense, the discipline they've played the last two games? COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: Yeah, we started in at Wyoming. You're going to have to play defense in this conference tournament if you're going to win games. I know we can score in bunches, but we've been challenging them, asking them to do things better and differently on the defensive end. And I thought they responded at Wyoming, we couldn't get the ball to go in the basket, which is unusual for us. Tomorrow it's going to be one and the same, they're the best defensive team in the conference and top five in the country. We're going to have to battle tomorrow defensively, as well. Q. I wanted to ask you, you talk about being one of the keys you like your game plays when they're kind of loose and less maybe studious about what they're facing. Colorado State is the team that's got all the pressure on them, they come in as a regular season champ. Is that something you can play up in this game, is let's just go play free and easy and hope that the pressure gets to them, if we play our game? Do you almost overemphasize that for this game? COACH JAMIE CRAIGHEAD: I think Colorado State, with them winning it last year, and going to the NCAA Tournament, they kind of got that monkey off their back. I know the pressure is on them. But I feel like there's a lot of quality teams that can win this conference tournament. For us tomorrow we're going to have to go out and take away the three-point line, and keep Nystrom and Gustavsson off the block. Our players, if we overemphasize too many things they get a little tight. And I just need them to be loose. We're the 8th seed, go out, play hard and see what you can do. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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