NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - BELMONT VS OREGON

March 19, 2022

Kelly Graves

Te-Hina Paopao

Nyara Sabally

Oregon Ducks

Media Conference

Belmont 73, Oregon 70 (2OT)

KELLY GRAVES: First of all, I do want to congratulate Belmont. They earned it. They played really, really hard. They played really well. That's a team that's going to be tough going forward.

You know, disappointed, certainly. I thought neither team shot it well, but I thought it was a well played basketball game by both teams, certainly exciting. We both had chances to win in regulation and each overtime and it just seemed like we did not make that right play other than the shot at the end of regulation when we needed to.

Credit them; the first thing we wanted to do defensively, our game plan was to take away the three-point line, and they made 12. I mean, they took 36 but they made 12. We made four.

I'm no rocket scientist but that's a 20-point difference. We talked about if we make them make twos, I didn't think they could make enough twos to beat us. I still stand by that. But they got 12 threes.

I'm just proud of our team. I'm proud that -- especially these two, they played really, really hard. It's just kind of been our season in a nutshell to be honest with you. We just have never really been able to put it together, from injuries in the early season to just some inconsistencies late.

It's disappointing because I felt like we had the kind of team that could win some games in this tournament. But it's not to be.

Q. Nyara, that last play in double overtime, was it drawn that you were looking for Te-Hina there and then she's blanketed on that near side? What happened at the end?

NYARA SABALLY: Yeah, we drew that play up. It was basically the first open look we could get. Obviously Te-Hina was our first option but Sedona shaping up was our second. But they took that away, so...

Q. Te-Hina, talk through the final play of regulation, especially really the back screen that Sedona sets in order to get you free there and what that was like hitting that and Nyara at the end of the first overtime to at that point save the season and for you and Kylee to come up with those blocks in those moments, that preserved this game, that kept the season alive, those two moments.

TE-HINA PAOPAO: Yeah, so I wasn't shooting the ball particularly well from the perimeter, but that just goes to show that my coaches had trust and faith in me that I'll knock it down from the corner, and Nyara had a great pass to me, and I knocked it down.

NYARA SABALLY: I mean, yeah. I don't really know what to say. In that moment I don't really think in those moments. It just kind of happened. Obviously, it was a great block in the end, but I also got screened before that, so felt great in the moment. Doesn't really matter now if you ask me.

Q. Nyara, if this is the way to go out, that is without question the best game of your career by far. That is a career high in scoring, nearly a triple-double, and obviously you've played with Sab and know what that means. I know it's in a loss, but what does it mean to you that you just went out and had far and away the best game of your career in this tournament? You you waited this long, there were people in the building, this has been quite the journey.

NYARA SABALLY: Yeah, I mean, it was a good game. It looks good on paper but, I mean, I don't really feel too great right now. I could have put up 60 points for all I care. In a loss it just doesn't sit that well.

I know it's probably good for my stats and stuff, but I don't know, I can't really think about the points I scored or the blocks I had or the rebounds. It just hurts right now, so I'm -- yeah. I don't really know what to say.

Q. Te-Hina, you weren't able to be in the tournament last year with the injury and you got the experience and were at the end of regulation the person with the ball in your hands to hit that shot. What's that journey been from where you were last year sitting and watching this all unfold to being the person in that moment on this stage?

TE-HINA PAOPAO: It was a great experience. March is very much madness, obviously. Just to experience that, it was a great ride for me, but we're going to come back stronger next season.

Q. Te-Hina, wanted your perspective on this team was not as strong from three, and obviously you guys lost some shooters in the off-season in T-Mike and Jaz and frankly in Chavez. Is it as simple as three really talented shooters, as talented as you are from three, this was a weaker three-point shooting team compared to any of Kelly's teams? How does that get fixed going forward? Does somebody else need to come in to help you guys? Is it about spreading the floor? Is it about distribution? What's the fix to improve that next season?

TE-HINA PAOPAO: Geez. We obviously lost great shooters, but we also had to play with the players that we had this year. Even though we were one of the weaker teams on the perimeter, we still had great inside game. In order for that to get better, we've just got to get in the gym and come together and be more consistent.

Q. Kelly, so many of those moments down the stretch from drawing up a play, especially when they have their best player down moments earlier, the season-saving blocks from Nyara and Kylee at the end, those are the moments that the higher seed is supposed to take advantage of and put a team away that's a mid-major. How were you guys unable to capitalize on those by the end of it?

KELLY GRAVES: Well, you know, I think we started both overtimes with leads. I think six maybe in the first and four in the second.

You know, we just didn't tighten it up defensively. I thought there were some 50/50 loose balls on rebounds that they seemed to get. I thought there was about a two-minute or maybe one-minute stretch, I can't remember now, of regulation or first overtime where we just went too fast and had a couple of turnovers that we shouldn't have.

I thought we got the ball inside when we needed to. I thought we had opportunities at the rim that could have, should have. You've got to make in these kind of games. Listen, you've got to make those.

Bottom line is, though, I think we were just so inconsistent. Our shooting has not been great and when you have a night with Nyara had, like you said, one of her best games if not her best game, we just needed one more, and it's funny, we put on the board in our keys to success, every possession matters, 40 minutes. How about the offensive rebound they got with a second to go in the first half?

I mean, that's the tough part about losing close games. It's one play here and you can go, guys, if we could have just done this and this and this. It's kind of been a microcosm of our season quite frankly. We just have never really been able to put everything together.

That's on me. That's my fault. I didn't pull the right triggers.

You know, the question about the shooting, we're a better team than we were last year, so we didn't win two games in the tournament like we did, but I thought we were a better team.

We don't have the dead eyes, and we've got to either just get in the gym and be better with what we have or go get some others, but I think what we have is enough, and it just wasn't tonight.

And I credit Belmont. Those guys -- you say mid-major. I say bullshit. They're a good team, man. That's a good team.

Q. The last two years I think you've remarked at various points how they've been uniquely challenging in their own ways. As this program has gotten to this level where you've gone from the hunter to the hunted and perception-wise nationally, what's been unique just about the challenges of these past two seasons specifically?

KELLY GRAVES: Well, there was never a season like last year so we'll just throw that out. This was difficult. It was just difficult. I'm not going to make excuses because we had everybody available in this tournament.

But you guys well know, we never played with our best team until January. Okay? And we showed some flashes of really good basketball. We've shown flashes of not very good basketball. The consistency just wasn't there.

I think at times our players have acted and performed entitled. I mean, we have had a nice run. This is the first time since -- well, we made it at least to the Sweet 16 every year since 2017. First first-round exit in a long time.

This group hasn't won anything. We haven't won a Pac-12 championship. We haven't won in the NCAA Tournament, with great depth.

You know, I think we've got to come back and work harder and be tougher. I think at times we're not tough. I think there were times tonight -- at some point you just say, 'Hey, toughen up, let's go.' I know you're banged up. Doesn't matter. We need you.

I just think that happens, and I think it's a mindset. I think we've got to come back and hungrier because we're no longer the hunted. We're hunting like everybody else.

Q. You touched on it there, Kelly, and we've obviously spoken throughout the season about this sort of issue. You mentioned the dead eyes. Okay, looking for skill is one thing, but much of what you speak of is the intangible. How will you go about identifying -- the players you've signed you've signed, but in terms of any other additional talent acquisition, the portal, et cetera, identifying personality, identifying the alpha who you have not had these past two seasons.

KELLY GRAVES: Yeah, well, that's the golden question. We're all searching for that. Some have it, some don't.

It's kind of funny, in the last few recruiting cycles, we haven't had a chance to do in-home visits and find out. I think you find out a lot when you sit down in somebody's living room. We haven't been able to do that in the last couple years.

Yeah, we're missing that alpha, and oftentimes if it comes from the coach, that leadership, then we're in trouble. We have leadership capability and leadership shows up from time to time, but it's the consistency.

If I had to kind of boil the whole season down into one word, it's "inconsistencies." Daily effort, game production, leadership, coaching. I didn't do a great job. I was inconsistent, as well. Same with my staff.

We've just got to somehow either nurture that, recruit that, empower that. We've just got to do a better job, and we didn't. I thought it came back to bite us tonight, and it certainly did in several games this year.

That being said, seriously, I'm really proud of our crew. I don't want to be down. I'm disappointed about the loss. Not disappointed about the season. I love these guys. This group has really been close knit. I think at times that hurts us on the court because we are pretty nice to each other and things like that.

But we did a lot of really, really good things. You know the challenges that we've had, the multiple games -- really didn't have a chance to work on us for the last month until the last few weeks, and that hurt.

I don't want to take anything away from Belmont tonight. Those kids earned it. They earned it. I'm happy for them that they're moving on. Obviously disappointed that we're not, but this isn't a get back to the drawing board. We're not to that point. We've just got to do better.

Q. Defensively this team played pretty well today in most stretches, and over the course of the season has looked pretty good in most stretches. That seems like it's been a pattern now for a few years since really, I think, after that Final Four when you mentioned wanting to make this team a bit more of a defensive presence. Have you sensed that change this year? I know you lost, but is there any sense of pride in just the defensive effort that's been put in on that side of the ball and the improvements made there this year?

KELLY GRAVES: Yeah, our defense was better this year. There's no question about it. Significantly better.

Now, that being said, there were stretches. You can't give up threes in overtime when you've built a lead. Make them make the twos. We helped off the strong side shooter. They mean well, but tactically that's not what you can do. Then they made us pay. They made us pay.

Yeah, offensively I thought this year was our challenging side of the ball. Our defense was pretty consistent. Our numbers have been better than they've been in a long time, since I've been here anyway. It's just now offensively we've struggled a little bit.

I think we have good offensive players, it's just not quite -- we're just not quite there, again, with the consistency.

Q. It is a quirk of the women's tournament that a 5 seed would travel this far to play a 12 seed. You mentioned yesterday it essentially became a home game for Belmont. Is that just where the women's game is right now, or is there a chance to look at where it could perhaps a feel that doesn't give one team such an advantage on what is supposed to be of course a neutral court?

KELLY GRAVES: Yeah, listen, the crowd didn't affect the game tonight. I hate to say anything because the knuckleheads who haven't followed me in the past, they're going to read a quote and then they'll say, 'Yeah, sour grapes, on and on.' I think the women's NCAA Tournament needs to evolve and continue to strive to make it a better product, fairer. Listen, tonight was a good basketball game. People were treated to an exciting game, crowd no factor, the travel wasn't a factor. I've never been that. I'm never going to put blame on that kind of stuff.

We had our chance. We had our chance. We had shots at the rim. We had an open three-point look when we were down two there in the second overtime. You make that and who knows how this thing goes.

We had our opportunities, okay, and whether that was in Tennessee, North Dakota, Texas or Oregon, I don't think it would have mattered. I just think we need to continue to make this game a better and brighter experience for everybody and make it truly a fair event.

People are always going to kind of play close to home, things like that.