NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - FGCU VS VIRGINIA TECH

March 18, 2022

Karl Smesko

Kierstan Bell

Karli Seay

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

Media Conference

Florida Gulf Coast - 84, Virginia Tech - 81

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Florida Gulf Coast, head Coach Karl Smesko, along with Kierstan Bell and Karli Seay. We'll start with an opening statement from coach.

COACH SMESKO: I thought it was an outstanding game. I thought it's the kind of game that you would expect from two teams that are in the Top 25. It went back and forth.

They were pounding the ball inside on us pretty good, and we were a little slow to make an adjustment. But I liked how tough we were down the stretch. And both of these two made huge baskets down the stretch for us. Came through clutch. But it was a great team effort. Everybody pulled together and found a way to hang on at the end.

Q. Karli, that shot was obviously huge clutch. No hesitation from you. Just kind of take us through your thoughts before and after.

KARLI SEAY: They all came in on that. I knew in that corner I have to be ready if she got it to me. I shot it just like we do every day in practice.

Q. Kierstan, obviously you're playing with four fouls the entire fourth quarter. How did you manage that? And also if you could take me through that last play where you passed it to her?

KIERSTAN BELL: I just knew I had to play smart. Coach told me, he was like, I'm not going to be out that long in the fourth quarter, but when I go in, make smart plays don't foul, don't get stupid fouls.

I thought I played good defense in the fourth quarter. That play, I seen one of their players try to help. I saw Karli wide open in the corner and I gave it to her. I had faith she would knock it down, and that's what she did.

Q. Could you talk about TK's defense and just what she brought to the game today?

KIERSTAN BELL: TK's defense was really good. She played off No. 5, a good player. She got off her 3s. TK locked her down. I think she played really well.

KARLI SEAY: We knew No. 5 was a key player. TK is one of our best defenders as well. She shut her down. So she really helped us out there.

Q. Early in the fourth quarter, Kitley goes crazy.

KIERSTAN BELL: 42 points.

KARLI SEAY: Yes.

Q. That's a lot. But then you guys kind of changed how you guys were defending the entry passes and you were able to get a big steal. Tell me what you guys changed. How did that change your defense?

KIERSTAN BELL: We just didn't strike when we were supposed to. We work on that every day. When they throw into the post, we go, grab it, don't let them get dribbles. But we didn't change it up until the end of the game. It helped us at the end and we adjusted quickly.

Q. Kierstan, we knew you were confident coming into this, you told us that yesterday. Was there a moment in this game you felt like, okay, we're in control of this, and we can really do this?

KIERSTAN BELL: I think we were up nine in the third quarter. And then they came back. But I think we had that lead that was the confidence that we needed. Then they went on a run, but we knew they were going to go on a run. So at the end it matters about what team sticks together and we stuck together.

Q. Kierstan, I think Kitley made a bucket to make it 68-66. And then TK brought the ball down and you were (indiscernible) behind the arc, but you let it fly, talk about that and what you saw there?

KIERSTAN BELL: I was just wide open. I felt confident in my shot. I knocked two down out of eight but the two that I made was the ones that we really needed.

Q. You guys left practice on Tuesday and you told me you had this belief that you could do it. Now there's a difference between thinking you can do it and actually proving some doubters wrong and knocking out Virginia Tech, how good did that moment feel?

KARLI SEAY: We had to play as a team. We knew the whole year how capable we are as a team we have great players on this team. When we put it all together I don't think anybody could really stop us.

KIERSTAN BELL: Like she said, nobody can stop us. We all played team basketball. That was what mattered this team staying together, playing FCU basketball.

Q. You guys end up with 15 3s, only one from Kendall. They really seemed keyed in on her. How important was -- obviously Karli hits four. The other players. And I guess what did the way they defended you guys forced you guys to do offensively?

COACH SMESKO: Well, we knew that we were going to have to shoot a good percentage from 3 if we were going to win. We thought we could stretch them out and maybe create some inside/out opportunities for 3s.

One 3 that may get overlooked, because Karli hit that big one at the end. Emma hit a big 3 in the fourth quarter for us. And obviously Bell's in transition was huge. We hit some big shots when we needed them. And then we were able to get just enough stops. They're really hard to guard. I mean, they've got really good offensive players all over the place. And their coach was making great adjustments.

We just are happy that we're moving on and that we beat a great team.

Q. The first quarter, 15 of 18 shots were from 3. Was that a little overkill did you think? Looked like you guys were trying to pound it a little bit inside and drive to the rim a little bit more after that.

COACH SMESKO: There's a couple times where I thought we shot it when we should have drove. Now, part of that is probably my fault because I told them hey we're going to be shooting a lot of 3s today. And we're going to need to shoot a good percentage if we win. But we didn't have to shoot every one. We could have attacked the paint a little bit. Even if it was a 3, as long as it was a little bit easier 3 than some of the ones we took earlier. I thought we settled down and our shot selection got better the last three quarters.

Q. Late in the fourth, did you guys switch strategies against Kitley, or were you executing what you had planned to do to make those entry passes harder?

COACH SMESKO: Well, we were having some different matchups than we were expecting to have because we were getting in foul trouble. So that put people in different positions. And we weren't executing how we were going to play on deep catches very well.

And part of it is my fault because at the beginning of the fourth quarter they kept going into her. And I kept yelling at the other end what to do. And I'm sure they didn't hear me.

And I'm thinking, boy, this game is going to be tight at the end. I hate to waste a timeout, but I don't think it would have been wasting a timeout. By the time we were able to get together, make the adjustment, we were able to force a couple turnovers on the post entry. But Kitley played fantastic, and they did a great job getting her the ball. And that's why she's an All-American post player.

Q. What did you think about the contributions you got from Andrea Cecil today?

COACH SMESKO: I thought she was huge. They were backing off a couple of our players. And Cecil's got a lot of experience. She's a really good player. And she's a threat from 3. She's an excellent shooter. So I thought when we put her in, it kind of stretched their defense out a little more and we were able to do more things offensively, like now TK can get to the rim. There's not as much help in there. So I thought she had a fantastic game. One thing I told her this week, because she didn't play a lot in the tournament championship game. There were some different matchups. I told her that I could see her having a big role in this game. And then as the second quarter started, I went down to her and I said, Get ready; in about a minute you're going to be getting in and going to be going.

She came in, knocked down a 3. She was ready. Give her a lot of credit. She's a great player. When she's got the opportunity, she made the most of it.

Q. Did you give Kierstan some instructions when you put her in the fourth quarter about the foul situation, like how to handle that defensively?

COACH SMESKO: We moved her off the kid that kept going to the foul line. And then we told her not to foul. That's it.

Q. I knew you said you couldn't get off to the start you guys have been the last couple of games. How important was that? And also start of the fourth quarter, after the play by Kierstan got the foul, it was six and they tied it up, how concerned were you at that point?

COACH SMESKO: Tied or down two in the fourth quarter you're concerned. Can't waste any possessions. Know you have to make a couple of shots and hopefully make a couple of defensive plays.

We played -- we played a really good game. And we had to beat a good team. We had 19 assists and three turnovers for a whole game. That's taking care of the ball. We shared the ball well. And to beat a team as good as Virginia Tech that's the only way to do it. I'm glad that we played team basketball and so many people were able to make great contributions to this win.

Q. What's your message headed into Sunday, regardless who you're going to be playing, as you get to your first Sweet 16? What is your message going to be then regardless of who you guys will see on Sunday as you guys try to get into your first Sweet 16 ever?

COACH SMESKO: I think it's just get back to work. We celebrate this win. It's great. But very likely we're going to have to play another great team in a couple of days. So we can't waste any time. Whoever wins this game out there, they're both really good teams that pose challenges for you. So we'll see who wins and then we will try to get as prepared as we can possibly be in a short turnaround.

Q. I noticed you have this really big sheet that I see football coaches have. I don't really see a lot of basketball coaches have. Want to know what's on it.

COACH SMESKO: It's like football coaches. We've got plays and ideas that we want the execute during the game. And it's part of the game plan. I don't want to be during a course of a week, I think there's certain things that will work against a certain team. And I don't want to have to remember all in the moment.

So I have it written down; and as different situations come up, I can refer to it and have a couple of things in mind going forward. So it's definitely something that football coaches do, and I guess I do it as a basketball coach.