BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 3, 2022

Joe McKeown

Veronica Burton

Lauryn Satterwhite

Northwestern Wildcats

Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Postgame Press Conference

Northwestern - 65, Minnesota - 60

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student-athletes.

JOE MCKEOWN: Yeah. We talked, last thing we said when we came out of the locker room was that this is all about survive and advance. And we played a great second half, and I thought Minnesota was everything, came right back at us every time we scored. Give them a lot of credit.

But that being said, we just made plays when we had to. My back court was phenomenal tonight. This is why I recruited Lauryn Satterwhite (no microphone) this is why you play in March. They had the experience last year in the Big Ten tournament. They played two incredible games against, they beat Central Florida against Louisville in the NCAA tournament. They were phenomenal.

So that experience really helps us. I'm going to lean on them all week.

THE MODERATOR: Question for the student-athletes.

Q. Veronica, I asked Lindsay Whalen the question at the end of the game. She said you made a tremendous play against Sara on that three-point shot that kind of basically won the game. Talk about that.

VERONICA BURTON: That's my girl Lauryn Satterwhite. That's a crucial play. But, honestly, I believe that shot honestly probably would have went in if it wasn't blocked, unfortunately. But we're lucky to have won.

LAURYN SATTERWHITE: Yeah. I just saw her. I lost her before early in the game, so I had my eyes locked on her, and right when I saw her get it, I knew she was going to go up right away. I just put my hand out there and I got a piece of it. Super thankful for that. V recovered the ball and we were able to hold on.

Q. I guess for Lauryn. When you hit that bank three with three minutes left and immediately stole the ball right afterwards, what does that do for the energy shift? It felt like you guys really were in the game like that after that and it was totally in your favor.

LAURYN SATTERWHITE: We know basketball is a game of runs and we were talking about it in the locker room right now. I really feel like that changed the game. It gave us that momentum that we needed going into the last three minutes of the game.

And super thankful for Laya being confident shooting her shot because it was at the end of the shot clock too, so that's even bigger and the bench was going crazy. So, yeah, it was a great play by Laya, great two plays by Laya.

Q. It was just such a back-and-forth game obviously. First quarter, second quarter, you guys go up, they go up. What, where do you guys kind of find the composure and the willpower to push ahead and come out on top.

VERONICA BURTON: Yeah. I think we had a lot of people step up. We had Courtney Shaw doing all the little things, all the dirty work, and sometimes it doesn't always get the glory, but really that's what ultimately won us those games and this game especially.

And Laya's three. If she doesn't save the ball from going out of bounds we wouldn't have had that three. So I think we just have different people step into roles. We had the bench really locked in and the energy they brought and I think that really, we knew the team that wanted it more was going to get it and I think the last, the fourth quarter, we really showed that.

Q. Veronica, now that you actually won and will face Iowa, social media is trending that now the matchup will probably be Veronica versus Caitlin [Clark].

VERONICA BURTON: I feel like that's a setup on my end. (Laughing). No, it's good for women's basketball. It's an exciting matchup. It's one that I'm looking forward to. I'm sure she's looking forward to it. And any chance we get to play Iowa, I mean, we had a tough loss to them at home, and so we're looking forward to matching up with them in the Big Ten tournament. She's a great competitor and I'm excited for it.

Q. On the topic of tomorrow's contest, not to not dwell on tonight, but obviously the last time you played Iowa, very difficult ending, kind of a difficult call there with that. Is any of that looming on your minds, motivation, heading into tomorrow? Obviously the other two games you've played against Caitlin, since you've been to Iowa, you were defeated. So is it kind of an unfinished business sense?

VERONICA BURTON: One hundred percent. I mean, that game, that one stung, for sure. That was one we needed and that was one we thought we had. And so to lose at home, overtime, just the way it all went down was tough, tough to swallow.

And so, I mean, we talked about it after. If we see them again, we got to go hard and do what we can do and, yeah, we're excited.

Q. You guys played against Iowa twice, one at home and one on the road. Is it really hard to play another team three times because you already know what they look like and do you feel like tomorrow taking on the top seed might be a little more for you guys' momentum?

LAURYN SATTERWHITE: Yeah. I think, right now we're 1-1, so it's not the championship game that we're about to play. And I think the team who wants it more is going to go out there and play hard and that's what we're going to do.

Playing a team three times, I think this is going to be a really fun game because we know each other's styles pretty well. Iowa's going to do what they do. We're going to do what we do. So I'm super excited. I think this is really, this is going to be really fun for women's basketball, for sure.

Q. Veronica, when you're going against a player like Indiana's Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, what do you see in her defensively and what (no microphone)?

VERONICA BURTON: About her? About Nicole?

Q. Yes, Nicole. If you recall.

VERONICA BURTON: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think I, going into the Indiana game I figured that she was probably going to be on me. We're a little bit different in our styles, defensively. I would say she's one to really get up into you, pesky defender for sure, and someone that as a point guard you don't love having her on you.

Whereas my, I don't know. We're different defenders. But definitely respect her defensively, know what she's about. I think she's really a big hustle player and I always respect that type of player and she's got a really high motor. And defense, honestly, is a lot about effort and I think she really portrays that.

Q. Lauryn, your second half surge, it was incredible. First half no points. What changed? Like, what came through you in the second half to get you going?

LAURYN SATTERWHITE: My teammates. Man, they were just telling me to keep shooting because I was a little down on myself because I had great looks. They just weren't falling.

But halftime my teammates were telling me to keep shooting and they emphasized go to the basket, see it go in first, and then step out. So I really took their advice on that and their encouragement. And when I can see the ball go in, it relaxes me a little bit more and makes me more comfortable to start shooting more. And kind of just like I said, took their advice, went to the basket, tried to get to the line and I think that's what I found in the second half.

THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the players and continue with coach. Thank you, ladies.

Q. You have had a lot of close games this year and been able to come out on top of a lot of them. What impressed you about tonight's performance the most?

JOE MCKEOWN: Just how well we shot free throws at the end. It was just incredible. I would like to see the same people getting fouled tomorrow, if those things happen. We got the first game out of our way. I think that we -- same thing, we've been shooting, we were 3 for 23 from outside the arc and we're not a -- our three-point percentages are not great but we usually make, we'll make five or six, we'll shoot 16, 17 to 20.

So I think we got that out of the way tonight and hopefully -- but I think we're playing hard, we compete. Every time that Minnesota made a run, we got off to a really nice, I really liked our start, we I think it was 19-12 maybe, something, I would have to check, but we just were playing well, we were in a good, I think we were in a good place. And defensively we got off to a good start and then they came back. But I think the month of February we end up 5-3, played six out of eight games on the road, which is asking a lot for any team, let alone to travel in between that we had. So the way we responded, I'm really proud of the way we responded in February to the schedule. This is a neutral, this is great tournament, so it's a neutral site, but you still got to travel. We just got back from Nebraska, turned around and came here. So I think we've asked a lot from our student-athletes. Our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament and they have done everything in their power to try to facilitate that.

Q. Interesting game. Both teams shot below 40 percent from the floor. What are some of the things that you're telling your team in the huddle before they go back on court after the timeouts?

JOE MCKEOWN: I think the biggest thing is you got to rebound the basketball. Because we were forcing them to take tough shots. I thought our defense was really good. But then we needed to keep them off the foul line. So but I think rebounding the ball was the key for us. We out rebounded them tonight. The game we played in Minneapolis a couple weeks ago, those guys were hitting 30 footers like Stephen Curry. But I thought we defended the three ball pretty well. That's what we kept saying is just get a hand in their face, keep them off the foul line.

Q. Another double double tonight for Shaw. Can you talk about her growth this season going through the biggest moment of the season right now?

JOE MCKEOWN: Yeah, you know, we talked about Veronica and Lauryn, but Courtney has been part of this incredible run we've had the last four years and probably the most underrated player in the Big Ten. Just really proud of her. She's undersized playing against 6'-4", 6'-5" all the time and just gives you everything she has.

Q. We saw Jillian go down hard a little late there. Do you suspect that she will be a hundred percent to go? I know she stayed in but especially a hundred percent to go tomorrow?

JOE MCKEOWN: We'll know a little bit more later tonight. So I couldn't answer that. I just came out of the game.

Q. What will you tell your team to help with the concentration tomorrow since it's going to be a really big game for both teams, what will you do or tell them to get a hundred percent tomorrow?

JOE MCKEOWN: Well the good thing is, as these guys, you guys have asked that, we played Iowa twice already, so -- and we feel like we know each other. So I think that helps going into the game that you know who you're playing against, you know what they run, they know what you're going to do. That's what happens in tournaments too as you progress. So I think the biggest thing is just say have fun, play hard, understand what they're trying to do, trying to take them out of it. The same thing for Iowa, I'm sure they will be saying the same thing tonight. But these have been great games the last couple years.

Q. So those last couple offensive possessions were super important and I know there were a couple timeouts in there. Just what was kind of going on in that time there for you guys to set up those final couple possessions?

JOE MCKEOWN: Well I think the biggest thing, you know, everybody in the building is trying to find Veronica Burton, including all of Minnesota. So we needed some people to step up, whether it was just getting the ball inbounded or Lauryn made big plays, Hart made a big shot. Other players got involved. I thought that we needed that, we needed that push from somebody along with V, who was phenomenal as always. It's hard to explain her decision making how good it actually is.

Q. You mentioned the Hartman injury there. I wanted to kind of go back and recreate that. I think it was a Shaw who got the rebound and passed it up to Burton who picked it up. I just kind of wanted your, to hear what you saw on that play.

JOE MCKEOWN: Yeah, I thought that Laya did a great job of, she caught it knowing the clock was running down and kind of regrouped, got herself set for her shot instead of just catching it and just trying to beat the clock. So really proud of her poise on that play. I thought it really took away some momentum Minnesota had got. So I think it just, in a way, it shut the door. But it was a huge play. She's done a great job all year for us. She's kind of an unsung hero type role. Should be fun tomorrow. Thank you.