PAC-12 CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 4, 2021

Taylor Mikesell

Oregon Ducks

Postgame Press Conference

Oregon State - 71, Oregon - 64

TAYLOR MIKESELL: I'm proud of how we fought tonight. I think we showed a lot of character and a lot of fight at the end, but we dug ourselves a hole in the third quarter that we couldn't get out of.

I mean, that's about it at the end of the day: They scored more points than we did. So credit to them. They had a great game. They're on a great run right now. But we're not done yet. So keep on fighting.

Q. You dialed there particularly in the second half I think, it might have been a career high from two-point range for you. When did you know you were kind of feeling it there in the second half and especially from inside the arc?

TAYLOR MIKESELL: At that point in time we had to get stops and scores, in. The particular way they were guarding our pick-and-rolls, we got a lot of looks of our guards coming off pick-and-rolls. I had Nyara rolling a lot of times. Just try to play a two-man game between me and her, whoever was guarding the pick-and-roll.

Q. You mentioned the defense in the third quarter there, I think they had like a 15-0 run. What happened during that run, why was it so difficult to stop it?

TAYLOR MIKESELL: I think we took our foot off the gas. We were down five, I think, going into halftime. Held them to 24 in the first half, which was great, compared to what they've been doing. Then we let up. I think we gave up a couple of really easy shots and putbacks, a couple of 3s. And it snowballed.

Q. How has Von Oelhoffen changed Oregon State's team since December when you guys handled them?

TAYLOR MIKESELL: Changed it a lot for them. She gives Goodman a lot of changes off the ball and gives her a little bit of a break at the 1. And then her scoring ability, you've got to guard her as a 3-shooter, but she's a scorer coming off the dribble. She makes the right play. Coming out of high school, that's pretty big time. But we just didn't have an answer inside.

Q. Besides your rollout which has been pretty defined all season, how much just in this past week has the role in the back court for everybody changed without Te-Hina there that everybody is playing in a little bit of a different capacity, how challenging is it as a whole. But even for you to play with because the rotations are different, the times are different, everybody's individual roles are different, just how much of a challenge is this the last week?

TAYLOR MIKESELL: I mean, I think it's definitely challenging, because T's been the head of our team for this whole entire season. But K.G. was big on it. And we've been talking about it all year, just next person up, be ready when your number's called.

Whatever role that is needed of me or of my teammates, we're trying to step into it and put ourselves in a position to win that game. We've gotta do it for T, gotta do it for our seniors, and March is still going.

Q. Taylor, you came here from Maryland, a lot of success there. Obviously Oregon has had a ton of success the last couple of years. How difficult has it been I think since January 1st you guys have lost more games than you've won. And what's that been like and what's the mentality right now for this team after a tough loss?

TAYLOR MIKESELL: I think it's definitely been tough, but me, playing the best conference in the country, like the teams we're losing to aren't bad teams, by any means. They're teams that are playing really well. I think Oregon State has won the last six, or seven of the last eight now. We're playing teams that are really good, playing at a high level and that's going to help us in a tournament we get to play a team from another conference that might not see a good team like that day in, day out. So we've been tested every single day and ready for what March Madness has in store for us.