MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 7, 2022

Stacie Terry-Hutson

Mallory Adams

Sophia Ramos

Thomas & Mack Center

San Diego State Aztecs

Postgame Press Conference

New Mexico - 63, San Diego State - 60

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

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: This hurts because I thought we gave, I thought we played a good defensive game, got stops when we needed to. But I'm proud of our girls for putting us in a situation to win the game. We had control of it, just didn't bounce our way. But I was really proud of the fight, playing yesterday, coming back today on a quick turnaround, quick prep, and I thought we did a good job defensively.

These kids have a lot of fight in 'em and I'm just really proud of how they came out and competed. We talked a lot about having less quit and I thought we accomplished that. We didn't get the victory, but I thought we came out and played really, really hard.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. You guys are both seniors. Could you just reflect a little bit on your college careers?

MALLORY ADAMS: It's difficult to put it into words. We've been here together and I think that's like the part that I'm most upset about because I know that was most likely my last game with Soph. But it's been an incredible four years and I really wouldn't change the group, the staff. It's just a special group of people and I'm just happy to be a part of it.

SOPHIA RAMOS: Yeah, it's tough. There's a lot that y'all don't know that goes on in our lives. So this is bigger than basketball for us. Her family's dealing with medical stuff. My family's dealing with medical stuff. And so to see that it could be over, you know, there's a COVID year so there's a lot of decisions to be made.

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: Hey, now, don't give me hope.

SOPHIA RAMOS: There's a lot of decisions to be made. It's just, it's been the best four years I think either of us could ask for. We have great athletic director who puts a lot of support into us, a great staff support system. It's been a great four years.

Q. You guys doubled your points coming in from the second quarter going into the second half, just those quarters, what was said, what was your main focus in that change?

SOPHIA RAMOS: Just don't quit. Just don't quit. There's something about New Mexico for us that we always play one of our best games. They always play one ever their best games. It's always a fun time. Just don't quit. That's exactly what we did.

MALLORY ADAMS: I think it's also just important for us to know that they're going to go on runs and we're going to go on runs, but it's just a grit and a fight that you just have to sustain their runs and just come back with our own.

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: The first half we played really great defense. We got down early and fought back and held them to eight points in the second quarter. This is a very good offensive team. So I think we have held them under their average two out of the three times that we played.

So that first half was just the defensive battle by both of us and the way we score and the way they score I knew that we were going to come out and shoot the ball a little better. We got a lot of great look that's didn't go down, but I thought we put the ball in the hands of the right people at the right time. Those were the people I want taking those shots. They just didn't go down tonight.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Ladies, you are dismissed and we'll take questions for coach.

Q. Looking back at that last two possessions with the charge at the end, was that the look you guys wanted there?

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: You know, they went zone, which I thought was a good call by him, and the shot that I want is making sure that we are getting a great shot. I'm all over the place. Let me start over.

So with the ball in Sophia's hands is always a good shot for us. So, yes, we still had another shot after that. But I thought we had a good look. It just didn't go our way. Whether she pushed off or not, you know, her going down hill to the basket I thought was a good look for us.

Q. You guys shot 26 threes. Was that you guys playing their game or just shooting open looks?

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: Taking the open shot. All of our games we've shot a significant amount of threes. That's kind of what they give you. I thought we got some really great looks.

But, yeah, that's just kind of the game flow. I think we can play that way. We like to play that way. It's always been, all of our battles have been where we shot a lot of threes. But we have great shooters on the perimeter, so that's a shot I want them taking.

Q. In the previous two games against New Mexico and again tonight you guys got down double digits and every time you came back. What does that say about this team's grit?

STACIE TERRY-HUTSON: That's exactly it. That was the message. It was, we have to have less quit in us than they did. The toughness piece, something that we've been working on, as Sophia alluded to, it's just been a lot of different adversity outside of basketball, outside of COVID, just other stuff going on. So just really proud of these two for helping lead this team in a way and a positive way with all the stuff they had going on. And we've just, they're fighters, these kids are fighters and they have laid everything out on the line tonight and that's all that a coach can ask for.