BIG EAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 4, 2023

James Howard

Mohegan Sun Arena

Georgetown Hoyas

Postgame Media Conference

Connecticut - 69, Georgetown - 39

COACH HOWARD: Tough night tonight out there. We definitely got the best of UConn. And I think their defense off the bat really took us out of some of the things we wanted to do, work inside/out. And they shot the ball well and we didn't. So that was a big piece.

Once you get down, they're going to continue to come. And it's one of those games you hope you learn from. And we've got to take it and we go from there.

Q. You've seen UConn a couple of times before. Games were close. Having Fudd on the floor or as part of the equation, how does that change what they do and what you have to do to defend them?

COACH HOWARD: Well, I think it gives them a lot more energy. Whenever you have a player like Azzi Fudd back out there, you're talking about an All-American, the kid can score from all three areas of the floor -- pullup jumper, get to the rim, shoot the 3, also make her teammates better with the ball in her hands.

So when you have Azzi, you're talking about Final Four type of team now. The chemistry, the flow is just a lot better.

Q. Could you reflect on the season where you are in terms of where you want to be and what you think (inaudible)?

COACH HOWARD: When I look back on the season, I felt like it was a few games out there that we left -- that we had an opportunity to win, and we didn't. So I thought that this year I was really looking at about an 18-game winning season with a young team, and only having one senior. Graceann Bennett still has that one year of eligibility.

Those building blocks and we came up short on probably four of those games to get to 18. But I like the youth of this team. Now it's about the development of the youth in this team going forward, along with adding a couple more pieces.

I think the grit is there. I think we showed that this year against some of the better teams in the Big East Conference. Now it's about taking the next step. But there are a couple of pieces that we will add that will help us try to get above the top five in the conference.

Q. Speaking of Graceann, when her and Kristina came off the floor, obviously they were very emotional. I mean, what were you saying to them as they checked out? And as a follow-up, what did you think about your pep band's tributes as they checked out, especially with the "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" for Kristina?

COACH HOWARD: You just want to give those two young ladies their last time out there on the Big East floor. Now, again, with Graceann, Graceann still has a year, but you never know because this young lady is one of the brightest young women I've ever met. And she's going to get great opportunity at Fortune 500 jobs and stuff like that.

If she chooses to come back, which I think she's leaning that way, she will be a great piece for us. But we wanted to recognize her just in case she didn't. And I thought our pep band did a great job. And having Kristina Moore for one year, as I told her in the locker room it's been like she's been with us for four years.

She brings so much love and passion and laughter to this team -- a veteran. So "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie," for all the things that she have done for us, I think our pep band was able to just give her her last farewell song from Georgetown women's basketball.