ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5, 2021

Wes Moore

NC State Wolfpack

Postgame Press Conference

NC State 68, Virginia Tech 55

WES MOORE: This game always scares me to death because the other team has played a game. I really feel like they have an advantage in this first game. If you're trying to win the tournament, the whole thing, then obviously it's great getting that double bye, but that first game they've gotten the tournament jitters out of the way. They've been able to shoot in here and get up and down a little bit.

So I always worry about this first game. So I thought it was important we got off to a pretty good start, had a lead at halftime. I thought they struggled to shoot the ball. It just happens. People don't understand, that's an aspect of a team and coaching and preparing. At some point you've got to hit some shots, and they struggled a little bit in the first half. I was kind of disappointed we didn't take better advantage of that because they're a team that can get hot and get on a roll.

But again, proud of our team the way they hung in there. I thought we handled things pretty well. Elissa Cunane, obviously she makes a big difference, so having her in this game obviously was really, really a big part of it.

Didn't play our best game by any means and we had some people that struggled, so hopefully tomorrow we can -- now that we've got this out of the way, hopefully we can get a little momentum.

Q. Wes, you said after Sunday's game that in order to go deep in this tournament, in the postseason, you guys would need Jada Boyd to be great. What did you see from her tonight?

WES MOORE: Yeah, again, a double-double. Awesome. I just think she's so good at getting to the rim. Obviously she played a lot more minutes tonight. Does a great job of getting to the rim, getting to the foul line, obviously getting to the boards; 10 rebounds, pretty strong.

Again, she's a little bit of an X factor for us. She can help take us to another level. Like I said, today we had some people get in some foul trouble a little bit and not have their normal game. And again, I thought it was a good lineup.

When you have her and KJ and Elissa Cunane, all three in there, you've got pretty good size, and it gives you an opportunity to really do well on the boards.

Q. You guys went 2 of 9 from three-point range in the first quarter and then in the second quarter Jada attacked the basket and scored inside with Camille. Did you make a concerted effort during the break to tell them to get it inside?

WES MOORE: Yes, and we got away from it late in the game. You've got a lead, come down, you've got Elissa Cunane who's pretty doggone good down there on the block. Again, if you're going to Vegas you're going to play the odds. The kid shoots over 60 percent from the field. Get her touches, get her the ball.

We just came down and settled for threes some and shot early in the clock. A little disappointed in the way we played in the fourth quarter from that perspective. We've got to work inside out, get touches. It was a rough day.

Again, we didn't shoot it great from outside, so I'm proud of them for being able to defend and rebound and do the other things, so that was good. But we've got to be smart and pick our opportunities to take that shot, and other times maybe slow down and work the ball a little bit.

But yeah, we definitely were trying to get some post touches.

Q. I think the first game you played Virginia Tech they hit 12 threes. I think they hit 11 in the second. You guys held them to five today. How much of that is sometimes the variable they couldn't shoot and how much of that was you guys did a good job of running them off the line when you had to?

WES MOORE: Well, we obviously were trying to run them off the line, and I'll tell you what, some of the ones they hit -- that last one that Cayla King hit, I don't know how. That was unbelievable. We had hands up and everything else and she's falling backwards.

Again, they've got some kids that can really shoot the ball. They're an NCAA Tournament team and they're going to be tough now. You've got Kitley down there who's really, really good scoring inside, and then you've got some people around her that can -- we were fortunate Sheppard didn't shoot her normal game. I think she had about 27 on us in the second half at Virginia Tech, so we were fortunate that her shot wasn't going as well.

But like I said, we didn't shoot it well, either, for that matter, and hopefully we can get back on track, because definitely Elissa is better when we're knocking some threes down around her. Hopefully we can get that going tomorrow. Again, first game in here I do sometimes think it's a little tough, so hopefully we got it out of our system.

Q. With COVID and just the unbalanced ACC schedule, you did have a chance to play them twice. How much did that help you from a scouting standpoint coming into this game?

WES MOORE: Well, obviously we know each other very well. Coach Brooks, Kenny, does an unbelievable job preparing them and they scheme really well. They take away things. They try to exploit you on offense based on how you're playing. He does an awesome job, and like I said, part of it is hopefully, yes, I think we did defend pretty well. I thought we did a nice job.

But yeah, there is another aspect called HTM: Hope They Miss. Sometimes we play that HTM defense. But again, I thought we did have good energy. We flew around. We tried to cat and mouse a little bit at Kitley because she's so good when she gets it down there on the block.

Yeah, I think, again, we defended pretty well.

Q. You put Dontavia in for the last minute of the first half and kind of made me think of Camille Hobby's minutes in last year's ACC Tournament. Do you make a conscious effort trying to get some of the younger players into the game in these tournament situations, kind of give them some confidence into the future?

WES MOORE: Well, I wish I was that smart. I was more concerned about foul trouble. But no doubt Dontavia is somebody. She is super athletic, and I would like to give her some chances out there. Probably should have subbed a little bit more maybe, especially Camille. Elissa was just playing so well.

But we've got to realize this is -- hopefully you're going to play multiple games, and so you need to be aware of that and try to pace them a little bit. Again, Camille gave us some -- I thought in the first half she gave us some great minutes and did some good things. But Dontavia, she's probably one of the best athletes on our team, if not the best, and so it would be nice if we could try to get her some minutes and get her some experience so we'd have a little extra depth in the NCAAs.

Q. When you subbed in Camille midway through the first quarter, was that a foul trouble thing with Cunane or was that trying to give Kitley a different look?

WES MOORE: Yeah, it's a combination. You know, Elissa we obviously wanted to keep her from getting her second one that early. Camille has played so well for us and I thought Elissa looked a little winded, and when she gets tired, that's when she's more likely to foul.

Then if somebody goes in and plays well -- I thought Camille was playing well so I rode with her. That's what all these players got to understand. If we're playing well as a team, I don't touch it a whole lot, as y'all probably see. I'm going to let them stay out there.

Again, I thought Camille did -- I should have got her in in the second half. I regret that I didn't play her more. Again, hopefully have opportunities tomorrow.

Q. You alluded to it a little bit, and I know you have so much experience from last year's team, but how does this first win kind of help your players mentally prepare to go into the semis tomorrow?

WES MOORE: Yeah, like I said, I think the first game is tough. Last year we played Georgia Tech the first round and it went -- I know the last five minutes it was a close ball game. Like I said, I've got great respect for Virginia Tech, their offensive weapons and Coach Brooks, so I was scared of this game.

It's good to have it under your belt. Hopefully, like I said, our players -- people ask, Well, do you have pressure on you because you won it a year ago? I look at it the other way. We won it a year ago, so now we know we can do it. We know our process, our preparation works, and so hopefully that gives us a little bit of an edge from that standpoint.

Definitely hopefully we can get the momentum going. Like I said, Raina played too many minutes. That was because Jakia got in foul trouble, didn't get her out. Kai Crutchfield played too many. We've got to hope that we don't have to do that. Hopefully we can stay out of foul trouble and keep the rotation going.

Q. Kenny Brooks since he's been at Virginia Tech, this has been a really competitive game. Not just this year with those guys beating you, but seems like every time they give you a run. How worried were you going into this game? Do you see the Hokies as a team that really could compete at a high level in the NCAA Tournament?

WES MOORE: Oh, no doubt. Again, they've got so many weapons. We really struggled with Amoore, keeping her in front of us today. She can set the table, but she can also put up points herself. Like I said, Cayla King, some of the ones she shot and made today were unbelievable. Kitley, if you just let her sit down there one-on-one she's going to eat you up.

I thought Elissa did a great job, but we also were trying to cat and mouse with her some and make it a little bit tougher, and she still scored 20 on us.

And then Sheppard, obviously she's one of the best players in the conference. Had a rough day today. I know she tweaked maybe her ankle last night or something. That could have been affecting her, as well. But you get her back on track, and with that lineup, Baines is obviously very good, great offensive rebounder, gets to the rim, you can't really help off anybody or they're going to make you pay.

I think they're a very dangerous team. I'm glad -- hopefully if we see them again it's going to be deep, deep in the NCAA Tournament because I don't want to see them early. They're very good.