	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 9, 2019

Greensboro, North Carolina

Notre Dame - 91, Syracuse - 66

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman and student-athlete Tiana Mangakahia. Coach, an opening statement.

COACH HILLSMAN: Obviously not the outcome that we wanted, but you're playing against a great team in this conference. And it's a grind every day of this conference, I don't care who you're playing against, what day, what night, doesn't matter. It's really good teams in our conference.

All the games have been -- yesterday they were really close and obviously today is one of those games where you've got to hopefully, you have enough wind to finish the game. But it's not an excuse for us. We had shots. We had layups.

We missed a lot of shots but you can't miss shots against a team like Notre Dame. I'm proud of our kids for coming in, competing and winning two games in this tournament. This is a tough tournament. It's the toughest tournament in the country and I thought our kids played really hard.

At the end of the day these are my players. These are my kids. This is my program. I'm (indiscernible) of my team and I'm not even going to count the mileage. It is what it is. We'll just keep doing what we do and get ready for the NCAA Tournament. And all the credit goes to Notre Dame today for being the better team.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Do you feel like you've done enough for your team to get to host in the tournament?
COACH HILLSMAN: Well, I mean, we've got a 10 RPI. And I think, what, a 3 strength of schedule. If we don't, I mean, they're going to have to change the whole criteria. I don't know. I mean, I don't know, yeah, we have.

Q. You had a coaching career here in North Carolina, where it first started. How did it feel to be back here in North Carolina coaching again?
COACH HILLSMAN: I went to Laurinburg Institute and The Patterson School right in here. So it's fantastic, man. I love being here, love being in this state and just have fond memories of coaching prep school and being here in North Carolina. It's a great region, great area. I love it here.

Q. On that same note, what are some of the lessons you learned about coaching prep school here?
COACH HILLSMAN: Teaching and trying to just push your kids to be the best they can be and not let them settle. Obviously being at some of those situations at those prep schools, those kids, it was their last chance, and they had to make it.

I'm really proud to say that we had a lot of kids going to Division I programs and play at a high level and they're doing great in the business sector and in the community. Some of them still playing pro.

It was a great time for me, man. It was two really good experiences. It made me a hard worker and made me appreciate winning.

Q. What have you taken from this weekend that you're going to apply to the NCAA Tournament?
COACH HILLSMAN: I think the biggest thing that we have to understand is that from this game we know we've got to make shots. The games you don't make shots and you don't shoot a great percentage you're going to have a hard time winning that game. We need to shoot 40-some odd percent to have a chance to win this game.

We were at 30 percent again, and we can't shoot the ball that way against a really good team like this. And a bad shot for them is like an outlet pass, so you've got to take really good shots, get the ball in the net, get your defense set. More than anything that's important and we know we can play with anybody. We never thought that we couldn't. So that's just a moot point for us.

TIANA MANGAKAHIA: I think a lot of us have learned the importance of recovery and stretching. I think it's really tough playing three games in a row. And we just need to make sure we take care of our bodies after games and as well on the court, just play to the very end and try to take away what they're good at. So take away the high-low action, the lob, all of that stuff. And just recover properly and be prepared for the NCAA Tournament.

Q. Notre Dame can hurt you in so many different positions. Do you try to steer the ball and pick your poison as far as who is going to take shots or do you just have to take what comes?
COACH HILLSMAN: No. It's tough because they have so much balance. They have so much balance. And we really wanted to try to pack the paint some. When you've got shooters on the perimeter that can make shots, we can talk about it and say this is what we're going to do. But it's kind of hard to not start easing out a little bit to the perimeter to take care some of those perimeter shots.

But at the end of the day they have a lot of balance. It's hard to sit on one thing. But we did try to pack the paint and try to play off the high post a little bit. But they did a good job getting the ball to the high post and getting the ball out to the perimeter and attacking us off the bounce. They did a good job. That's what good teams do. Whatever you give them, they capitalized on it and they did.

Q. What can you say about the depth of the ACC this year, playing a tough schedule all season long? Where do you think the ACC rates compared to years past and the rest of the conferences this season?
COACH HILLSMAN: The rest of the conferences, they ain't close. That shouldn't be in the conversation. There's not a conference that's close to this conference from top to bottom. When you think about the teams that have new coaches and the turnarounds, (indiscernible), Clemson, NCAA Tournament team. They should be in.

And Pitt, they're playing hard and they've been aggressive and they're playing a different style of basketball but they're doing a good job there. And I think the top of our conference is -- they've got two to three teams that could be in the Final Four. So nothing surprises me with this conference or what can happen towards the end of the season because this is a very strong conference. I don't think it's close.

Q. So you're talking about, like, facing a balanced team like Notre Dame and stuff. So how, when you get in the NCAA Tournament, will you go ahead and change what you're going and try to go ahead and fix your issues with that, when in the NCAA Tournament?
COACH HILLSMAN: We don't have to change it because it ain't going to be Notre Dame.

Q. Like other teams and stuff. I'm sure you're going to face other balanced teams?
COACH HILLSMAN: Sure. Yes, definitely going to face balanced teams. But I don't know if we're going to face any team that's going to be as good at all five positions as Notre Dame is. I wasn't really trying to be funny or sarcastic. I'm just being honest. They're just a really good team.

They have scorers at all five positions and they're going to be Notre Dame and I think they'll be able to play some of our same schemes and not get hurt so much in those positions.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297