NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - HOLY CROSS VS MARYLAND

March 17, 2023

Addisyn Cross

Simone Foreman

Maureen Magarity

XFINITY Center

Holy Cross Crusaders

Media Conference

Maryland 93, Holy Cross 61

THE MODERATOR: Joined by head coach Maureen Magarity, Addisyn Cross, and Simone Foreman.

We'll have an opening statement from coach and then questions for Addisyn and Simone.

MAUREEN MAGARITY: Yeah, really proud of my team today. I thought obviously it was a tough beginning of the game. Maryland just did a great job with their pressure, which we had been preparing for, but it's hard to prepare and simulate what they do.

Really proud of how we responded and kind of figured it out in that second quarter and were able to score.

But, you know, credit to Maryland. Obviously that was an incredible team, so well coached, so deep, and just so long, and I really wish them so much luck throughout the rest of the season and the tournament.

But just really proud of this group. It's been a really fun year. Just such a great family feel. Anybody can step up. Every game we've had different people step up and really take over.

So just a really special group. Obviously really sad it's over because it's just one of those years you just never want it to end.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes?

Q. Addisyn, the accumulation of the turnovers early in the game, was that attributed to just Maryland reading the passing lanes or bad passes on your guys' end? Bad communication?

ADDISYN CROSS: Yeah, I think in the first half their press and their pressure really got to us. In the Patriot League we're not really used to seeing that and that type of athleticism, so I think for us they really just sped us up and that led to careless turnovers on our part.

So, yeah that was definitely hard to prepare for. It is what it is.

Q. For Simone, you guys were really able to kind of hit Maryland hard in the third quarter, tying them with 20 points each. What did you see going into the half that you were able to either exploit from their defense or just kind of getting used to how they played?

SIMONE FOREMAN: I think 100% driving on them. I felt like especially in the second quarter when we were able to get off the dribble and get into the paint, and especially like a pump fake or just using our speed or just using like our first step to get ahead of them, you felt like we could really exploit them on that and like try and draw in a foul or draw them in and get a kick-out.

I felt like especially in the third and fourth quarter we were really good at doing that. I felt like that really showed with tying them in the points. But I think that was definitely one thing, trying to get into the paint and drive instead of just taking really quick shots.

THE MODERATOR: Any more questions for the student-athletes?

All right, thanks, guys. Questions for coach?

Q. Wanted to ask about their defense. Like you said, hard to prepare for, but trying to read where to move the ball, you know, especially kind of against that press in some of that early pressure, just curious what would you have liked to have done a little bit better? I don't know if it was just them being so long that they were in passing lanes or if you guys could have made some better decisions on where to move the ball?

MAUREEN MAGARITY: Yeah, I think once we adjusted to our press break, you know, by the time we got it over half court we just were holding the ball too long. We just needed to reverse the ball, get more movement, especially on our weak side.

And then obviously in the second half they switched to a lot of zone, too. So just the changing of the defenses did a great job. And their length, on the perimeter especially. You look at the size difference between our guards and their guards. Just hard for our guards I thought to just see the passing lanes and just to be able to -- you know, they're just shorter than them.

So they just did a really nice job I thought of just taking us out of any sort of flow or tempo we like. Our offense has helped and has really picked up the last week or so in the Patriot League tournament. Just moving and our movement and back cuts, especially out of those switches. We were ready for and prepared for it.

But, again, it's hard to simulate that.

Q. Third quarter you guys evened them out at 20. Fourth quarter they outscored you guys by one. Obviously your offense was clicking even though you were in a heavy deficit at that point. What did you think changed for your offense to allow it to just pick up the pace and really I guess replicate what you've seen in the Patriot League tournament?

MAUREEN MAGARITY: Yeah, I think we just were starting to play with more confidence. They were playing tight. It's NCAA tournament, our first time here. We have a really young group, playing a lot of freshmen especially.

But I could just tell they were just starting to ease into it a little bit more and were finally making some shots. These first couple minutes we were getting decent looks; just weren't falling for us. You know how it goes. Just gets into your head and we were starting to play too tight.

So and then, you know, I just think with the changing defenses, too, I think we've seen some zone and I thought that we were pretty comfortable with that.

I thought we moved the ball pretty well against the zone.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for coach?

Okay, thank you.

MAUREEN MAGARITY: Thank you. Thank you guys.