ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 5, 2021

Nell Fortner

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Postgame Press Conference

Georgia Tech 60, Clemson 57

NELL FORTNER: It wasn't a pretty game offensively, but boy, we scored there at the end when we had to. I thought we made some really big tough plays. Our seniors, Lorela Cubaj and Kierra Fletcher stepped up big there at the end, knocking down some shots, and we made some defensive stops that we had to have.

Really proud of Loyal McQueen. I thought as a freshman coming into her first ACC Tournament really did a great job knocking down some shots in the first half that allowed us to have a bit of a lead at the half.

And then turned around and did an outstanding job on Kendall Spray. Spray always works really hard against us. What did she end up with? Only five points. Really proud of Loyal for that because she was on her all day.

Q. As your team get set up on defense for that last sequence, describe what you were telling the team coming out of that time-out and how you wanted to handle things with a focus on Kendall Spray?

NELL FORTNER: Yeah, well, Loyal was going to stay on Spray. We weren't going to switch off, but we were trying to switch some screens with everybody else, just try not give them a good look or an easy path to the basket.

I thought that -- that's what we were doing, so Loyal would stay on Spray, not giving her anything easy; then there was a switch with -- then Nettie had to switch, and I thought we just made a good defensive stop.

Q. Proud of the way your seniors stepped up in the fourth quarter again? They were kind of all the story there in the stretch.

NELL FORTNER: Yeah, they just really stepped up big. It was kind of a slow night for Cubaj. It was a struggle. Clemson is really a physical defensive team, and so takes you a while to kind of settle in to how to attack that, and I thought that Lo and Kie really did a good job down the stretch.

Q. How difficult was it against an opponent where the two of you were so familiar with one another with the two tough games you've had already this year?

NELL FORTNER: You know, it is what it is. I don't even really think about that. It helps you in the scouting department because you're familiar with personnel, but we knew it was going to be a battle. There is never -- it's always a close game with us and Clemson or with us and any ACC team. It is what it is. It's tough games.

Q. You kept Clemson basically 23 percent on three-pointers. Let's talk about your defense and how you clamped down on that.

NELL FORTNER: Yeah, well, we really tried to work really hard to keep Kendall Spray away from the ball and not giving her any good looks, and it's a chore. Again, Loyal McQueen did a great job with her tonight, so was proud of her for that.

We know how she can be. Spray can get seven or eight threes quick on you. I was just really pleased with our defense on her.