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

March 17, 2023

Brenda Frese

Brinae Alexander

Abby Meyers

XFINITY Center

Maryland Terrapins

Media Conference

Maryland 93, Holy Cross 61

THE MODERATOR: Coach will make an opening statement and then we'll take questions for the student-athletes.

BRENDA FRESE: This group just continues to want to compete and play hard for each other. You can see why they're just so much fun to coach. Loved the start. We were ready to play. We were locked in. We came out defensively I thought forcing a lot of turnovers with our defense, holding Holy Cross to four points in that quarter. And then I thought our unselfishness. Five players in double figures was pretty important game.

Again, to be able to have Brinae in her first NCAA tournament game. I loved her response coming in with just a ton of confidence. That's how we need her to be able to shoot the ball.

You can see that level of toughness I thought with her and Abby, and just again, a lot of great plays for us. So excited to be moving on. Understand that as you continue through the tournament you got to be that much better. We are going it be going against really, really good Arizona team, but love the way that we came out today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Abby or Brinae, was just wondering when you guys are playing a press like that that really seemed to rattle Holy Cross, they talked about the length of you guys and how it disrupted them. How much did you see it taking out of their game plan and maybe their offensive flow when you have a press that is constantly forcing turnovers, you can't really get into any sort of sets you want to? What did you see from their offense that maybe you guys disrupted?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, you know, that's the goal of our press, right, get their nerves up, speed them up, get a ten second call. I think we had one of those. We were close to a few more.

But, you know, it's kind of like the bread and butter of our defense, is that -- scratch that. You know, that press. I think for us, we're athletic, long, energetic, and that also helps motivate us and helps us find or effort and energies through that press.

So we're going to hopefully continue to hurt teams with it, but, yeah, worked today.

Q. Abby, early couple four or five minutes into the game, Shy got the ball and kind of planted under the basket and hit you with like an eyes-in-the-back-of-her-head pass. You got fouled, but the pass was there. Can you talk about kind of -- she finished with 8 assists, 21 for the team -- how this movement helped today and working the ball around?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, Shy is really getting comfortable at the point guard spot. Just finding the open players. For her, she is such a quick player so she'll get to the basket and so many people collapse on her because she's so dangerous and going to find the open shooter, open cutter.

But also credit to E, who also I think had six assists. So our point guards are really doing their job today, which is what we need from them down the stretch or down the road.

Q. Brinae, that was your first one. What was it like? How quickly were you feeling comfortable and just able to cut it loose?

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, I was really excited to especially be able to play home and have that home-court advantage. I think going in it's easy to have the jitters and the nerves, but once you see the ball go in, especially for me, I think that gives me a good boost of confidence.

But I think it's a great feeling to be out here and be on our home floor.

Q. For Brinae, I asked this to Holy Cross' players, but you had a lot of steals and you forced them into a lot of turnovers in the first quarter, first half really. Was that attributed to you guys reading the passing lanes very well or them making like careless passes? Was there a blend of both?

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, I think for us, we pride ourselves in being aggressive and having the first punch in the game. I think also we know our defense leads to offense, so that's just the emphasis for us and something that we want to keep doing moving forward.

Q. For Brinae and Abby, you guys are both shooting better from the field this year than you did last year at your respective schools. Do you guys feel like you have become better shooters in your year at Maryland? Do you think it's better shots? How do you kind of attribute that development?

BRINAE ALEXANDER: I think for me, it's definitely playing with, you know, girls that can also score at the same high level around me. I think that opens up the floor a lot and that makes us hard to guard as a team.

I think that's why.

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, going off what 'Nae said, we have so many weapons on our team, especially Diamond. She gets to the middle, gets to the paint, everyone collapses on her, and I have a wide open shot.

I have to do less work to make my shots. And credit to the people on the court with me, they make my life easier, which is great.

Q. For both players, did you feel like the way that you guys played today, that high energy, all-court defenses, and then sharing the ball as much as you did on offense, the sharing the scoring load, was that an expression of the identity that you guys have built as a team all year?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, I mean, it's really awesome when every person that saw the court today scored. That just helps with our confidence. We definitely shook all the nerves off approaching Sunday's game.

Yeah, you know, it's a good-feel win that we needed, and I'm just glad that everyone contributed and everyone is happy with this one.

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, I think we focused a lot on -- we're big on momentum, and I think just having a good team win like that where everyone contributed, you know, everyone got a good look, just is good moving forward.

Taking one game at a time, and now we just know what we got to do next.

Q. Brinae, this is for you: Game high 18 points. Everyone who played today scored. Talk a little bit about the team's depth.

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, like I said, or Abby said, I think we do have a lot of lethal weapons on this team, and that definitely makes us hard to guard. Hard to scout as well, because you can't just shut down one player.

I think we do really well playing the inside out game.

Q. Brinae, obviously this is your first NCAA tournament game. You're shooting 40% from three, but on the first couple buckets you got easy looks in the paint. Was that your a intention, to get comfortable early inside and eventually open up from the outside?

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, unless I have a wide open look I try to get some looks in the paint first just to see the ball go in. Like if I miss my first shot it's kind of easy to be like, oh, dang.

But I think getting looks in the basket, easy looks off offensive rebounds or even just easy looks in the paint really gets me going, so...

Q. For both players, in the second quarter they came out and played a lot better, kind of closed the gap. Was that kind of almost a needed message when you have a team that you kind of allow in the first quarter but they start to come back. This is a really competitive environment in March. Anyone can do anything. What kind of messaging does that say that you have to be on your game at all times against any opponent right now?

ABBY MEYERS: Yeah, it's the narrative around March, that any team can -- any team can really win, right? Because you're playing for what could be your last game, and so people are going to step up. Even role players are going to step up.

Yeah, you know, the start of the third quarter we didn't bring the same energy and intensity we did the first half, so that's a little disappointing. But I think that we'll take this as a great lesson that down the road it's March Madness. You got to play all 40 minutes, because any minute can be detrimental or really good for the game.

So, yeah.

Q. For Brinae, you barked a little bit Ava after there at the end to take a shot when she decided to pass to Gia there. What do you think of your role as a leader when your playing with some of the younger players, and how important are those moments in this stage to prepare them?

BRINAE ALEXANDER: Yeah, I think I gel well with our freshman and I want to see them win. Trying to get them open looks the best that I can. You know, trying to boost their confidence as well when they get on the big stage and get in those moments.

So the reason I yelled at her is because I thought she was open. She was like, I wasn't. But I'm so glad she got a look there at the end. I'm just rooting for them, so...

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you guys. You guys are good to go.

Questions for coach?

Q. Curious, with the aggressive defense early and the press, was that something that identified watching film them on them that you saw an advantage, or did you just want to come out aggressive? I know you guys like to start fast and that was just part of what you wanted to do, you know, put your will on them.

BRENDA FRESE: I think a little bit of both. We hadn't played a game in a couple weeks, so we're always able to set that tone on the defensive end.

I did feel like we -- our length and our athleticism, we were going to be able to kind of set that tone on the defensive end.

So you just love the aggressiveness, and you could tell that yesterday in practice that we were going to be ready to play.

Q. Going off the defense, and you spoke about it in your opening statement, defense to offense today was very good for you guys: 37 points off turnovers. Just curious what that metric says about your team's ability to turn defense into offense?

BRENDA FRESE: It's something since the Big Ten tournament we've been really intentional, is just being able to really get our D to O going. It shows in our practices. We've had really good practices since we finished the tournament.

Just really, really locked in on both ends of the floor.

Q. I was just wondering for -- there was a big height difference between the two teams that I noticed in the beginning. What did you guys do to prepare -- is that why you went more inside the paint and less threes?

BRENDA FRESE: I think definitely we wanted to exploit that matchup when we could. We knew we had the height advantage, so we were really intentional in some of our play calls.

I thought credit the team. Just really unselfish play being able to take what the defense gave us.

Q. Just a follow up on what I asked Brinae and Abby, I remember talking with you a while back about Shatori and how much of a better shooter she was when she left the program than when she came in. Obviously we've seen Shy grow from year one to year two. I guess is that ability to become a better shooter something you take pride in and develop? I know you need a lot of pieces to make these guys' lives easy, but what do you kind of think is the mark of that program and how well you're able to develop these guys?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, well, shot selection matters, so it's really, really important. When you look at five players in double figures, you have to be really, really efficient when you have so much great talent around you.

So that is an area on the offensive end that we're constantly being able to really execute with our team. So the shot selection matters, especially if you're going to only get 7, 8 shots.

When you look at like a Brinae, you look at Lavender, they came from programs where they were taking a lot of shots, and so maybe your percentages weren't as high. So I think it really fine tunes them and makes them a better player, that they've got to be really efficient on the offensive end.

Q. Coach, you all forced some 24 turnover and held them scoreless for almost six minutes in the first quarter. How important was that defensive ability to set the tone on a big March game for you all?

BRENDA FRESE: Really important. We discussed that from the tip. We wanted to come out and see how long we could hold them on the defensive end. I thought that's where it starts for us. We were really, really aggressive turning them into 24 turnovers, and then on the other end us being unselfish.

Q. Hey, coach, I wanted to ask you about couple of plays that started off the game. Faith gets a steal, gets a layup, another steal. She hands it off and then you get a three-point possession with a free throw from Abby, and then a layup from a Diamond. Faith finished the first quarter leading the team with 8 points. What have you seen about her this year that has just made her become such a stronger player and start for the first time and now be back in the NCAA tournament after missing to last year with her injury?

BRENDA FRESE: You can see how much we missed Faith last year. She's the glue player, unsung hero, and just is our grit, scrappiness. I loved being able to see her initiate the start for us on the defensive end.

Then the unselfishness followed. I thought Diamond was really good. They were collapsing on her with two and three players. She just made easy offense for her teammates.

So credit, I think Faith set the tone. I love the fact that she was right there on the defensive end with the three steals, and that's how we want to play.

Q. Just wondering, obviously Holy Cross is a younger, smaller team, and now you get to go up against an Arizona squad that I think is an all-starting five of seniors. Do you expect to throw the press out as much maybe with a longer and more veteran team that you're going against? And how do you think that type of pressure defense could work against them?

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, you know, I think obviously you evaluate the scout. Arizona is a great team out of the Pac-12. For us, our conference has prepared us for a game like this. They press, we press, so it's definitely going to come down to two teams, and who executes better on both ends the floor, who can get stops defensively, and who can execute on the offensive end.

Q. After the big Iowa home win here you said, I'll let them celebrate tonight and tomorrow we're moving on. That's kind of the mentality you have to have in tournament play. You have a strong game. Great, you move on. Just talk about what you're telling the team. It's a veteran-led team. They know how to take care of business. Just the mindset of all right, we won, we're moving on, next game?

BRENDA FRESE: I think they truly understand it given that it's the NCAA tournament. You know, it's a time -- families are in town for them to go enjoy dinner and spend some time with their family.

But then understanding it's a quick turnaround of their rest and recovery and understanding the scout of what lies ahead.

Q. Just a quick note about Pac-12. You've seen them a couple times in the round of 32. They've had success in this building. What is it about teams in the Pac-12 that make them really hard to play against this time of the year that you've seen?

BRENDA FRESE: Well, I think you see in Arizona, a lot of teams, some very defensive-oriented type teams. I think it's in the Big Ten a lot of offensive-oriented teams, so you're definitely going to have a lot of great styles.

But any of your Power 5 conferences you're going to see nothing but great teams. Anyone that's in the round of 32 you're also going to get nothing but teams that are -- have had a lot of the success and are going to be more than prepared.

Q. I guess following up on Arizona a little bit, watching them today they seem to be able to score inside and outside. They have a post player who had 25 today. I guess what specific challenges do you think they'll present to you?

BRENDA FRESE: They're really deep and talented and have great size. They I think have weapons at every single position. They're a great defensive team. Very scrappy.

Like you said, I think they can get their offense going in a lot of different ways with their guard play, inside game. So I think they kind of understand who they are and what's working.

So for us, it's really understanding the scout and putting the best 40 minutes together.

Q. You spend a lot of time with your former teammates at Arizona. I know you have reunions. Talk about that dynamic. I'm sure you got some texts or calls from them.

BRENDA FRESE: Yeah, you know, I'm looking forward to it. We're talking about doing a reunion in the off-season, so I'm going to have to see who they're rooting for in this game.

Yeah, you know, college are the best years of your life, and so I am, I'm really close to my college teammates that I was able to play without in Arizona.

It's ironic. I've never had to coach against them here. We've been to the U of A one time in my coaching career. Taken a team back there. So pretty ironic tore them to be able to come back here.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you, coach.