NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - OHIO STATE VS LSU

March 21, 2022

Kim Mulkey

Khayla Pointer

Jailin Cherry

LSU Tigers

Media Conference

Ohio State 79, LSU 64

MODERATOR: We are joined by head coach Kim Mulkey. To her left is graduate guard Khayla Pointer, 32 points, four assists in tonight's game. At the far end of the table, graduate guard Jailin Cherry, 12 points, three rebounds, and four steals.

Q. Khayla, I'm just curious how difficult is it to try to defend when you're also trying to play catch-up at the offensive end of the court?

KHAYLA POINTER: It's always hard when you get yourself in a hole. I don't know why we do that. But it's not on purpose. Obviously played a great Ohio State team with two great guards. Just try to make them hit tough shots, you know. And we made them hit some tough ones and we gave up some easy baskets there. We let a few other people get out, too. It does take a lot of energy which is why you don't want to get down, but that's just kind of the way the game went. We fought to the end and just came up short.

Q. Khayla, Jailin, first off, I want to thank you all on behalf of the students for bringing the effort and what you all did to this program and for the school. But also just want to know -- Khayla I guess first -- what this season meant for you all?

KHAYLA POINTER: It's been great. It's been fun. Coach obviously told us to think of all of the things we accomplished this year. We came up short. But can't look over, you know, everything we have been able to do and the things we have accomplished. We accomplished a lot of our goals that we set out. The little minor goals that we had. Like I said, we fell short with this one but very, very proud of this team and thankful for the staff for everything they have done for us. Thankful for the fans. They played a huge part in our success this year. And forever LSU.

JAILIN CHERRY: Yeah, this season has been everything to all the seniors. Really the whole team. Personally, I wanted to come back and show people that I can do stuff on the offensive end, too. And I accomplished that this season. So like what Khayla said, we're not going to hold our heads down. Yes, it sucks to lose, and you got to give credit to the other team because they did their thing. But this season has been a heck of a season. And you can't -- you know, you can't overlook everything that we've accomplished, you know. We have never been, us five seniors have never been in the top ten, you know. That's something that we all accomplished. And it's been a great season for us and I'm so thankful. I'm thankful for the coaches and thankful for the fans and everybody else that poured in all their love to us.

Q. For Khayla, I know you played a physical game before, but this game seemed like every drive, every move to the basket somebody was getting hit. Is that because, you know, loser is going to go home and like nobody wanted to go home? Was that the toughest game you played in as far as just taking a beating and going to the goal?

KHAYLA POINTER: Honestly, I played in the SEC, so I go in there and I don't have any fear. So sometimes I go in there and they knock me to the floor. Doesn't stop me from going in there the next possession. It was physical and the refs were letting us play a little bit. I told my team they're not going to call anything, don't go in there looking for the foul. Just had to play. Just kind of changed my mind set and just played through the contract, tried to draw and-ones. But very, very physical game. They're a physical team and we had to get physical with them. But kudos to Ohio State, they did a great job.

Q. For both players, what was it that made you guys start so slow on offense? And once you got behind, what were you guys trying to do offensively to try to dig yourselves out of the hole?

KHAYLA POINTER: We just couldn't put the ball in the hole. And we were still in the game, though. But it put so much more pressure on your defense when you can't score. And not only we were not scoring, when we were scoring we were trading threes for twos. Like I said, with a great Ohio State shooting threes. I don't know that they were shooting from the field but made it tough for us. We got in a hole there, but you can't go in scoring droughts especially at this point in the season. You got to execute your offense. I don't know how many points we got in transition. I don't know if we performed in that area today and that kind of hurt us.

JAILIN CHERRY: We got good looks. They just didn't fall for us, and that's how it goes sometimes. But like Khayla said, we can't trade threes for twos. And we can't give them a lot of open shots, and that's kind of what we did. We got lost a couple of times. We made them take tough shots, but also gave them a lot of open shots and that killed us.

Q. I want to say this is my second LSU game. I loved it. I love my time here. But I want to know, this is my first March Madness and I loved it, too. I want to know what was your experience with March Madness for both of you guys?

KHAYLA POINTER: It was fun. Like I said, we're very thankful what this season has been for us. We've never been able to host. We never made a tournament, we made our freshman year but we're thankful. Thankful we were here and thankful we were able to host and play two games on our home court. Not everybody makes the tournament.

So yes, we lost, but you have to look at the positive things and the good things that we accomplished. The small minor goals that we accomplished and not hold our heads down. Like I said, my team and I, we fought to the very last end. But it's March Madness, you got to come to play for a full 40 minutes. It's hard to get into a hole and come out of a hole and ran into a great Ohio State team and had a great game plan and hit some open shots and we just came up short.

JAILIN CHERRY: And definitely a blessing. You know, we have never been here before. And it was just a blessing to play on this stage and at this level. Yeah, everybody doesn't make it, but we got a chance to make it. And, you know, we did a lot of good things so it's really nothing negative I can say about it. It's a wonderful experience.

Q. So I'm a freshman here and this was my first, you know, year covering you guys and obviously first March Madness. So it's been a great experience and thank you for all you guys gave to this school. But regardless, how did it feel just walking out to the P-MAC for, you know, the last home game and seeing all of the fans and all of the students and just the great turnout that you guys had for your last game?

KHAYLA POINTER: Yeah, they definitely showed up for us. I think I said when we were I said wow, it sounds like Tiger Stadium here when they were screaming LSU. Felt like we were at a football game. They have been rooting for us all year. We are so, so thankful for them that they support us. And today they stuck with us to the very last end. We didn't get the outcome we wanted, but we are grateful and thankful they came out to support us today.

Q. I guess I will hit both of you with it. Jailin, if you could start. You guys are kind of -- there is a lot of seniors, but you are kind of the Batman and Robin of this thing.

What was it like to watch Khayla go off tonight and obviously do what she needed to do to kind of get you guys back into it? How much fun has it been to you two to kind of play complementary with one another this season?

JAILIN CHERRY: Oh, man, love watching Khayla play. Sometimes I just get caught in the moment watching her do her thing. Coach is like go rebound. Like Coach, she fixin' to make this. But no, we have been here five years together. I remember the first time we welked in Bruce Hall and we hugged each other. And we lived together for five years, and this has been my best friend since. I'm thankful that I got a chance to meet her and play alongside of her. And I love her to death, and I know that she's going to be great at the next level.

KHAYLA POINTER: Same here for J. I have seen this kid grow so much from freshman year and even so much that she's done this year and the player that she's blossomed into. Not just the player she blossomed into on the court, the person she turned into off the court, too, as well.

I'm very, very thankful to play with her. It's been a great five years. Like I said, we came in together. We've been roommates, we've been close. So we decided to come back for another year. And man, what a year it has been. We are not going to hold our heads low. We're happy we were here. We came up short, but it's forever LSU always.

JAILIN CHERRY: Definitely.

MODERATOR: Thanks for your time all weekend long. Congratulations on your season and congratulations on your career. Questions for Head Coach Kim Mulkey.

Q. Coach, I saw you kind of tearing up as the players were talking. Just what kind of draws that emotion for you when you hear them talk so highly about this program and you know what they have been able to do for this season?

COACH MULKEY: I need to apologize, my voice, I didn't strain it, just off all of a sudden it's gone. I don't know ifs pollen,, I don't know what it is. So y'all just bear with me. If you don't understand me, ask again. I wasn't tearing up, actually I was just sitting here listening to them. Just proud of them. Happy for them. I'm happy for LSU.

I -- I can only imagine what those kids felt like the last two or three years with nobody in the stands. And what it was like to lose those close games. And then to stay with a new coaching staff, and you preach to them good things come to those who wait, good things happen for those who work hard. And for those five seniors to do what they did, I had to remind them in that locker room you were picked eighth in the league, and you finished second.

You got as high I think as sixth in the polls. You got to host a regional. You're on a national scale viewed as one of the top 16 seeds in the country.

It was first win the other night for those seniors ever in the history of postseason. There is so many things that we tend to forget after a loss. They didn't want to disappoint the fans.

What an unbelievable atmosphere. It was just -- it was so loud and electric in there. But I said this early in the year and I hope people when they left here tonight felt the same way, those kids never stopped playing hard. Even when we're overmatched or the other team is more talented or it might not be our night, those kids play their hearts out for you. And I said when and if it ends, there is no bad story that can be written about what you witnessed this year. Other than you're disappointed as a competitor, there is no bad story. It was -- it was a community, a state that was starving for something positive and was hungry for something on a national scale that was good. And these seniors gave it to us, the whole team gave it to all of us and gave it to us as a coaching staff.

Q. Slow start in the first and the second. Just too much to overcome. What do you think contributed to that?

COACH MULKEY: A lot of things. Lay-up -- missed lay-ups. Missed free throws. Point blank range shots.

You got to make those. You have to make 'em. It wasn't like we weren't trying. It wasn't like we weren't getting good looks. It just happens.

I said in order for us to win this game, a third player for Ohio State can't have a good game. And a third player did. We had our hands full.

Those two kids right near, not only do you ask them to score the ball, I'm asking them to guard the two best players on other team. And for the most part I thought they did fine. But you can't allow that third player to have a good night. Particularly when you don't have Alexis Morris at full speed. And they're good. There's a reason they're moving on, they're good. I thought they were well-balanced too. They have been out-rebounded all year if you look at the stats.

And I didn't think that we dominated at the post rebounding and in a lot of ways that could have really helped us.

But I'm not pointing the finger at not one kid in that locker room. Those kids gave me everything they've had all year.

Q. Coach, you kind of mention, but how much did Alexis' injury really kind of limit what you all were able to do on offense and just depth wise?

COACH MULKEY: I don't make excuses. Injuries are a part of life and part of a game. The timing of injuries are more impactful when you are in the playoffs. You know Alexis wasn't full speed. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to sit there and see that. But when we started pressing at the end, no way was I going to let her be in there and cut and move and do all that. But you know, injuries are a part of it. But I'm not going to sit here and tell you we lost because of her injury. I think that you all know the impact that injuries can have on any team.

Q. Kim, what can you tell us that they did to kind of neutralize you guys inside? Your post players weren't able to help very much.

COACH MULKEY: Well, we wanted to go inside, and we did go inside and missed point blank range shots, but we kept going in there. And I -- I would have to look at the film, Scott, to just tell you, you know, did they do something just in particular?

Just off the top of my head, it was just we just missed 'em. We just missed 'em. That's the way it goes. That's how basketball is, you know.

Q. Coach, I want to say that you made a major impact on this program, you basically packed it out today. Got to the tournament as a two seed. I want to know -- and finalist as a head coach of the year. I want to know how would you wrap this whole season up?

COACH MULKEY: One of my most enjoyable years ever in my career. I personally judge good coaches based on the talent they have on that floor and are they overachieving. Did we beat some people this year we should not have beaten? You bet we did. We beat a lot of 'em. We beat ranked teams. We didn't start this baby ranked. We came from nowhere and just built it.

One of my most enjoyable years obviously because I want -- we were winning and we've won, but it is enjoyable because you can see the impact that one program can have on an entire university.

You can see it. And I think all of us in this room saw the impact and it was done in one year.

Not let me tell all of you right here, we lose five seniors. Experience matters. When we tie those shoes up next year, it's going to take a while. We may not have this record. Oh, my God, what's wrong? Nothing's wrong. We're going to be playing freshmen and sophomores. They got to grow.

There's an old thing it's like don't win too early, Coach, they'll expect it next year. No. Follow me. I have been doing it a long time. I was blessed to have inherited experience. We don't have that next year. We can get in the transfer portal, and we will. But we're going to build this program with high school seniors as well. And those high school seniors are going to be McDonald's All-Americans. They're going to be the best in the country that we can get in here. But that doesn't make them able to compete immediately against juniors and seniors in the SEC and in the playoffs. It's going to take time.

So this bunch jump started this program again. It revived it again. It gave everybody an interest. And I'm forever grateful to them. Forever. Never had one minute's trouble off the floor. I think about that. Do you know how many coaches can go to work every day and not have to deal with distractions off the floor? Not many. Those seniors were mature. And they just embraced us as a staff and let me coach 'em.

Q. Coach, what can you say about Ohio State just composure or just seemed like any time your crowd got it revved up in there they always seemed to make a three-pointer or a bucket to quiet the house.

COACH MULKEY: Well, they're good. You know, they're good. They have experience. They have players that have gone to, you know, the next level in the playoffs.

You know, they have transfers in there. Kind of just give 'em their dues. Kevin's a good coach.

And they didn't -- he didn't -- they just had poise about them. They had poise about 'em.

Q. Hey, Kim, congrats on a great season. You have been involved in a lot of NCAA tournaments as a coach and as a player at a few different places. And I wonder given the result tonight with your team and then what happened yesterday with Baylor and Iowa getting upset, do you think that we reached a point in the women's tournament where we need to play every game on a neutral floor?

COACH MULKEY: No, I do not. We've tried that before. It doesn't work in the women's game. And there is nothing worse than to go out on a court to an empty arena. And we're not -- we're not -- it didn't work so why do we think it's going to work now?

Q. Thank you. Coach, you mentioned this was one of the most enjoyable years you've had. Just for personally did you feel like I don't want to say necessarily you needed the rejuvenation because you were enjoying what you did at Baylor but looking at what it has been like. What has it been like for you personally not just to see the program succeed but like you said the impact in the community? How has that affected you, you know, personally?

COACH MULKEY: This is home, Michelle. And it's why I came back. I didn't go to LSU. I competed against LSU. And it's our flagship university in the state. And I have seen what has taken place here through the years the final fours and the great players that played here and the stands being full. I knew what it was capable of being like.

And timing was right in my life to come back. And as I said in my first press conference, I wanted to be a positive, I wanted to be a positive for LSU. I wanted to be a positive for the state of Louisiana. And that's why it's so enjoyable. There is just something in your heart and gut tells you in your career this is where you need to be.

I don't know if maybe you can tell me, I don't know of any coach in men or women's basketball that would do what I did, that would leave a dynasty and leave basically a very talented team to come and just say the reason I came is this is home. The reason I came is it felt right. I think a lot of coaches are scared. A lot of coaches become content to stay where they are. A lot of coaches, they just don't do what I did, right? But it was the right move for me.

Q. Coach, you guys disrupted Jacy Sheldon quite a bit down the stretch, but what she was able to do throughout the game no doubt led Ohio State. What just makes her tough to guard?

COACH MULKEY: Well, she's a threat from the three for one thing. Her ability to penetrate and find open players is a threat. So it's kind of like how do you really defend her? I'm not familiar with her career, but I think I was told she's not even a true point guard. She was put there because someone got injured or something. I don't know. But I don't think I would move her if I was Kevin. I think I'd leave her there. She's an outstanding player.

MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for your time all week long. Congratulations on your season. Appreciate it.

COACH MULKEY: Thank you all.