BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 3, 2022

Timothy Eatman

Sayawni Lassiter

Osh Brown

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Postgame Press Conference

Rutgers - 54, Indiana - 66

Q. What was it like with Grace Berger being out there, because Grace seemed to get the ball and shoot it when Indiana needed some points.

OSH BROWN: I think overall she's a good player. She can make that mid-range jump shot, which a lot of players can't do.

On our end we didn't make as many shots. We got the shots we wanted. We just didn't make them.

Q. Facing a player like Ali Patberg, she was a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, what kind of matchup does she present for you guys?

SAYAWNI LASSITER: She's a gnat. Like, she's everywhere. So just try to take care of the ball against that. She had five steals. But she's a gnat. She's just everywhere. She was huge.

Q. Coach, how difficult was it to prepare for Indiana when you haven't seen them this season due to COVID?

TIMOTHY EATMAN: Well, we really wish we had played them earlier so our kids could understand the physicality of the game, how was it going to be to try to get in the lane with their size because they have great size. They really pressure you. They really pressure you from the lower body on up.

So we really felt like if we had an opportunity to play them earlier that our kids would understand what they needed to do to get there. But to our players' credit we got to the shots that we wanted. We spaced the floor out. We got the ball down to Osh (no microphone) on the low block. When they came, she was able to kick it out. We hit some nice shots.

So I felt like we got to where we needed to be. We just didn't manage to play and the execution doesn't happen until you put the ball in the basket.

Q. Osh, talk about the closing of the season. You won games here in the Big Ten. You came up a little short today. Talk about the experience of this year with Tim coaching your team and finishing out the season. Even though it was today, you guys had a good ending to your season.

OSH BROWN: It's not how I wanted to end my season overall, but I'm glad that I got the opportunity to play with my teammates that I got to play with. It's a lot of talent on this team. I feel if like we had one more extra year we will be a nice team, for sure. Just having eight new incomers coming in and trying to find that chemistry with everybody and learning everybody. Like, me personally, I like to learn for rebounding where my teammates shots go. It's easier for rebounding and my timing. So I feel like if I had more time with that we'd be a good team in the Big Ten.

Q. Coach, it seemed like you were really keyed in on Aleksa Gulbe today. What was your game plan against her?

TIMOTHY EATMAN: We needed to be up on her to take away the three-point shot. That was the first thing. She's a great shooter.

And then we felt like we could get up on her on the outside and she was driving it we would be in good shape.

So we wanted to make sure we got up in her and when she put it down, that we had good help, and our kids did a great job of that. The couple plays that she did get, they set ball screens and she'd roll, and when she rolled we didn't cut to the basket as fast as we needed to.

We got a foul one time. We had an offensive, and defensive foul the other time. So she's a terrific player. She's going to do good things for them the rest of the way. But I felt like we still did what we needed to do.

Q. Following up on that, how do you kind of handle defending the Indiana post between her and (no microphone)?

TIMOTHY EATMAN: I think one of the things you have to -- first of all you got to know personnel. But then in a traditional 4 and 5 when they get the ball (no microphone) they tend to space you out and you got to know where she is, when she's coming down in transition. You got to front almost as much as you can to limit touches. But when you do limit touches, when she catches the ball I think you do the best job getting to the baseline (no microphone) and making her go back to the inside where she can help her teammates.

So when you prepare for that you got to know that they're, 1 through 5 they're a very good basketball team. But I do think our kids when we stay focused and we lock in that we did an excellent job.