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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 5, 2020Kim Barnes AricoAkienreh JohnsonDanielle RauchAmy DilkNaz HillmonIndianapolis, Indiana Michigan - 81, Nebraska - 75 Q. It seemed like there was a big defensive turnaround. What do you think sparked that? AKIENREH JOHNSON: Coach really emphasized in the locker room that yeah, we're down eight, but we haven't played our best basketball, and it's not even scoring on the offensive end, it's that we weren't getting stops. We weren't playing defense. We weren't getting rebounds. We weren't doing the things that make us a successful team. So she challenged every single one of us individually, called each one of us out individually and told us what we had to improve on. So me specifically she said I had no rebounds and my player had 11 points. So I really made sure I stepped in in the second half and tried to make sure I got rebounds and tried to limit the other team's -- the opponent that I was guarding. Q. And then whenever you guys needed a basket, Amy seemed to get it today. How important was that for you guys? AKIENREH JOHNSON: It was very important. I think a lot of us had a little bit of a slow start, so our shots weren't really falling, kind of lost our momentum, lost some confidence. And then we seen Amy get in there, she was making passes, she was rebounding, she was defending. She was making plays for us, so it was very important. She had zero turnovers, so we're very, very proud of her. Q. She had six assists today. How did that help you guys? AKIENREH JOHNSON: Helped us a lot. She was able to drive so much and score that people started to collapse on her, so she started making extra passes and making the right reads, so it's been very important for our point guard to be able to play at a level that Amy has been playing at the past few games. Danielle Rauch DANIELLE RAUCH: So it was four weeks post-surgery today, and I was working really hard in occupational therapy. And every appointment I went to I would ask the doctor, so what do you think about the Big Ten Tournament? Like do you think I can make it back? Because originally I got like a 10-week diagnosis of when I could come back, but my motion was really good and it was feeling great, so I kind of tried to get myself in practice a little bit this week and get it feeling good again, and yeah. Q. And then Amy obviously, how important was it for her to get going today? DANIELLE RAUCH: Yeah, it was definitely really important. She sets the tone for our team. When she goes, we go. So it was really great to see her play amazing. Had zero turnovers, just lead the team in every aspect and really get it done on the defensive end, as well. Q. What do you think sparked that second-half turnaround for you guys? DANIELLE RAUCH: Coach came in the locker room at halftime and really just challenged us, and we took that challenge seriously, and just knew that people have done this to us multiple times throughout the season, and we wanted to turn the tide and have a really great third quarter, and we came out strong and we were able to do so. Amy Dilk Q. Talk about coming out, how much you like playing not just here at this time of year but in your home state? AMY DILK: For sure. We have two others Indianans, like we like to call them. Just coming back to our home state, home city, having people in the building that have been supporting us since we were little girls up to our careers now makes this experience so much more special, just hearing their cheers in the crowd, knows that it's our people and they're putting the maize and blue on for us is just amazing. Q. You had a big night tonight. What do you attribute that to? AMY DILK: I want to give a lot to credit to my teammates and my coaches who just put so much trust in me to take those shots and to take the decision making that I have to have. But we made a huge second-half adjustment, and props to us for making that adjustment and actually going through with our plan and sticking with coach's game plan. That was just amazing to see just the run that we had in the third quarter and the fourth. Q. You obviously were in this spot a year ago. Can you talk about Maddie, how she showed the nerves early on and settled in and did what she's been doing for the last month or so? AMY DILK: For sure. Just what you just said. She's been taking such a big role this past month and a half. We say every day how proud we are for her, not only being a freshman but just stepping up in a role that she didn't think that she'd be in this season, and she owns that, and she's doing great, and she's a competitor. High-level IQ is definitely what leads her in charge, but her athleticism and her ability to just make decisions is just amazing. Naz Hillmon Q. How were you able to get back in that game when you have to sit right off the bat? NAZ HILLMON: It's definitely frustrating, having to be a coach on the bench instead of on the floor. I wanted to get in, but also making sure that I was focused and locked in, seeing what was working and wasn't working, applying that when I got to the game, while also trying to stay warm and being ready as soon as my number was called. Q. What worked for you when you got back in because clearly momentum started to shift back towards you guys? NAZ HILLMON: I think we really locked in on defense, really tried to force them to get out of their comfort zone and making that transition from defense to offense, so we could get our stuff going. So really trying to emphasize defense and then everything else would follow that. Q. When you guys get a put-back or an and-one and stuff like that, what do you feel like that does to your opponent kind of mentally? NAZ HILLMON: I think that it deflates them. We've all gotten an and-one scored on us, so we know how much we hate it. The other team just gets really rowdy and the crowd guys wild, so getting an and-one is definitely a momentum booster and we all just tried to feed into it and feed off of that energy. Q. This is probably the healthiest the team has been in a while. You get Danielle back. Talk about how you feel physically during this point in the season. NAZ HILLMON: Yeah, it's great to have those -- everybody healthy right now just because people can get a couple of blows when needed, that we weren't able to get just a little while ago. So really happy that everybody is healthy. We love the team chemistry that we have right now. We're just ready to keep rolling. Kim Barnes Arico Q. Coach, you made an unbelievable comeback. Big differential in the offensive rebounds. How key was rebounding today? KIM BARNES ARICO: Rebounding was our number one goal. We knew we would have an advantage on the boards, and that was really key for us. For us to go in halftime only down eight as well as Nebraska was shooting the ball and Naz being in foul trouble, we felt like we would be in good shape, and we just had to continue to fight and claw and do it on the defensive end, and I thought our defense was a lot better in the second half, and we were able to find Naz and Amy did her thing, and it was just a great win for us. Q. The whole complexion of the game seemed to change when Naz came back into the game. Did you have to say anything to her in particular on the bench, or does she just go on her own motor? KIM BARNES ARICO: I mean, Naz is special, and I hope everybody in the country is having an opportunity to see that. She's a difference maker on so many ends, on the defensive end, on the offensive end, but especially on the rebounding end, and she was upset she was on the bench when she got out there, there was a fire in her and a refuse-to-lose attitude, and I think everybody had a chance to see that tonight. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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