NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR - ST. JOHN’S (NY) VS. PURDUE

March 15, 2023

Unique Drake

Jillian Archer

St. John’s (NY) Red Storm

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Unique and Jillian. If you don't mind, if I could get each of you to just open up on your comments on the season or the fact that you're in the NCAA Tournament.

UNIQUE DRAKE: I would say us being here is a blessing. It shows all the hard work that we put in. The past seasons that we've had haven't been so successful, but this season has been very successful. It just shows everything we put in, all the hard work, all the tears. And I'm just very proud of my team.

JILLIAN ARCHER: Yeah, 100 percent I think we came into the season with a goal, and just kind of staying focused on the goal and putting in the work, and being able to be here is a really huge blessing.

THE MODERATOR: This will be for either one. What was Sunday night like when you were watching the draw?

UNIQUE DRAKE: It was very heart racing, but once I seen our name was on there, it was probably the most exciting moment for me for this season. Honestly, I was just very happy.

JILLIAN ARCHER: Yeah, definitely surreal.

Q. What kind of was the turning point for you guys during this season where you thought this is a realistic destination for you guys to make it to the NCAA Tournament?

UNIQUE DRAKE: I would say when we went on our 13-0 streak, it was like, okay, we're for real. It showed that my team, we really play hard. We just work hard for each other. We play for our coaches. We play for each other. We're all dedicated. We all have the same goal.

Once we got that 13-0 win, I just knew we're doing something good here.

THE MODERATOR: Jillian, I'm going to ask you. Talk about just the senior leadership on this team. Five or six, if I'm not mistaken, seniors, people that have been around the block a few times. Talk about that.

JILLIAN ARCHER: It's really awesome. I think that, although we're very like minded, all of our upperclassmen are able to bring their own ideas. We're also very open to just growing and becoming better teammates and better women.

So we were able to really mesh together well, and because we're so like minded, we were able to stay focused on the bigger goals.

THE MODERATOR: And I'm sure it was that mentality -- Unique, I'll head to you -- that enabled you guys staying together regardless of the circumstances, that enabled you to have a pretty doggone big win at UConn a couple weeks ago. Talk about that game.

UNIQUE DRAKE: We just honestly went to that game, everybody had the same goal, just to play hard, give it your all because anything can happen on any night in the Big East. I feel like we all just went there, gave it our all, and the outcome came out big for us.

Q. Unique, can you talk about this year, transitioning into a sixth woman role and winning Big East Sixth Woman of the Year, and how you were able to keep a mindset throughout the season?

UNIQUE DRAKE: It was a role I had to adjust to, but I adjusted to it very well. I knew that my coach would never lead me in the wrong direction. He told me to trust him, and that's what I did. I do what my teammates need me to do, what my coach needs me to do.

Honestly, starting never is -- when you come into the game, you have to have the same intensity as the starter. So I just took the role I had, and I did well with it.

Q. Jill, can you talk a little bit about playing alongside Rayven Peeples and how you guys have been able to feed off of each other this year?

JILLIAN ARCHER: Definitely. Ray encouraged me to be a better teammate, a better player every single day. I think our competitive aspect in practice as well as the chemistry we've been able to build has helped us a lot.

I'm able to feed off of Ray's energy and vice versa. So it's been great.

THE MODERATOR: St. John's has not one, but two secret weapons in Columbus, Ohio. The young lady back there taking photos, Mackenzie, has covered a lot of wins here in this arena, and Samantha Prahalis-Holmes, 2,000-point scorer, a member of our Hall of Fame. A lot of people know her here. What have either of them told you about Columbus, if anything, or the Value City Arena or just being here in this area?

JILLIAN ARCHER: I think Mackenzie told me that potatoes are good out here, I don't know. (Laughter).

UNIQUE DRAKE: Yeah, Kenzie talks about the food a lot. Sam doesn't really speak on a lot, but Kenzie knows a lot about the food so --

THE MODERATOR: Did she bring up Tommy's Pizza on campus?

JILLIAN ARCHER: She didn't yet.

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN: Buckeye Donuts.

THE MODERATOR: Buckeye Donuts?

JILLIAN ARCHER: No.

UNIQUE DRAKE: I've got to try those tonight.

JILLIAN ARCHER: Doughnuts on Mackenzie.

Q. What are your expectations for tomorrow looking at Purdue? And how do you think the matchup is going to go?

UNIQUE DRAKE: I think at the end of the day we have to play our game. Not let them speed us up, just play our game, stay at our pace, and just play hard at the end of the day.

JILLIAN ARCHER: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is going to be playing together, playing hard, and just leaving everything we can on the floor.

THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you very much. All the best tomorrow night.