NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - TOLEDO VS IOWA STATE

March 18, 2023

Tricia Cullop

Quinesha Lockett

Jayda Jansen

Thompson-Boling Arena

Toledo Rockets

Media Conference

Toledo - 80, Iowa State - 73

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to Knoxville for the postgame press conference from the first round matchup between Iowa State and Toledo.

Coach Cullop, if you would, start us off with a statement about today's matchup with Iowa State.

TRICIA CULLOP: Well, first, it's been since '95-'96 since our team has made a second round. And we talked about before the game, this is our opportunity, let's try to make this happen today.

And I couldn't be more proud of the focus and the effort and the intensity of our kids all game long. But I will say it's a little bittersweet when you have to do it against a friend of yours.

We think the absolute world of Iowa State and their staff. There's not a classier staff out there. That was a tough handshake afterwards. You're excited, but then you feel bad because you think the world of them. They were tough to prepare for because they're so good.

So this team, though, was very determined, I think a year ago to not get what we wanted and then to be able to get back to not only this opportunity but to push the door open for what we really wanted, and that was a chance to see how deep we could go.

So I'm just very, very proud of them. Proud to be their coach. Very honored to be their coach.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Khera was first three out of the gate, kind of sparked you guys. And then towards the end of the first half, you were able to open it up. How were you able to separate and just continue to energize yourself, at least early on in the game to get that lead and keep it?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Just moving the ball around the floor and running our offense. Everybody on our team can really score, but it's just getting those open shots that we can get on offense. I feel like that's what gets us going.

Q. I think you matched up against Ashley Joens a little bit. She obviously was a huge game plan coming in. Why were you guys just so effective at kind of taking her out of rhythm?

JAYDA JANSEN: I mean, I think we were real physical with her. We weren't trying to let her get any easy touches or easy shots off.

In the second half I think we did a better job of being in each other's gaps, sending her a few doubles to give her different looks. We know they go to her a lot, so we weren't going to make her life easy.

Q. Can you sum up the emotions in the locker room afterward? I think by seed this is the biggest upset in school history, 12-5. I know you guys were confident, but still awesome. What's going through your minds as you're on the court and celebrating in the locker room?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: We're still dancing. We're very excited. We just know we still have another game to play, and we're ready to keep playing. But I just know everybody is real excited, and we had a good time out there.

JAYDA JANSEN: Yeah, I mean, we're all excited. We're happy to be here, but we're not content or satisfied at all. On to the next. Got to keep it rolling.

Q. We talked quite a bit the last couple of weeks about your nonconference schedule got you guys ready for this. Up 16, they cut it to 5, no panic in the huddle because of that nonconference schedule?

JAYDA JANSEN: Yeah, I mean, I just think we've matured a lot as the season has gone on. We've had some bumps in the road, and we weathered the storm. I think we showed a lot of maturity this time around.

Our nonconference schedule definitely prepared talent-wise. So, I mean, we've been here before, and we know what we can do. So no panic at all. We did what we needed to do and got the win.

Q. I know Coach mentioned that the bank three that you hit was kind of the dagger, in his eyes. Take me through that play, and what were your emotions after that went through?

JAYDA JANSEN: Yeah, I let it go, it didn't feel good, I'll tell you that. It went in. I mean, if you shoot enough, I guess you'll make a few. So that was that.

I mean, I think it was really just our defensive intensity that really got us through, our defense, our offense, most of the time. Us getting stops and getting rebounds, I think that's what really put the dagger in at the end.

Q. Q, you took a big hit at the end of the game. What happened, and are you going to be okay for Tennessee?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Oh, I'm going to be great. You know, get bumped down, get back up. But I just got hit in the eye, and that was really it. I'm good.

JAYDA JANSEN: You only need one eye anyways.

Q. They missed the three that could have put some more pressure there, and you have the ball, watching seconds tick off, how -- that moment, are you watching the clock, or are you just enjoying that moment? What was those few seconds like?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: You tell it. I was watching from the bench.

JAYDA JANSEN: Thank gosh they missed the three, that's what I was thinking. We secured the board. I just feel like -- I wasn't really thinking much. I was pretty locked in I think. So not a lot was going through my head other than protect the ball and if we get fouled, make our free throws.

Q. I know you guys, obviously, confident going into the game, but seeding 5-12, clearly you're the underdog. You led for 31 minutes. At what point in the game did you realize we're as good or better than this team and we're going to be fine?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: I wouldn't say like -- we knew it coming into the game, like we're very confident in ourselves, and I just feel like we just tried to stay up the whole game and just play our game. That's how I feel like it was the whole time.

JAYDA JANSEN: I agree. Before we even started, we know what each other are capable of, and we're really confident in one another. I mean, us against the world, honestly. We're not scared of anybody.

Q. You mentioned there's more work to do, getting ready for Tennessee on Monday. Coach mentioned off the top this is the first time this program has won a tournament game since 1996. That's a lot of years that have gone on between now and then. How have you guys been able to process what you guys were able to accomplish? Because I also believe 17 wins now is a new program record as well. How do you process what was accomplished today?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: I don't know. Maybe it will really hit when we go back and watch our film, how we played in the game. But I just know we're just excited for all of this to be happening, and we're ready to just keep playing.

JAYDA JANSEN: Yeah, I agree. We're not thinking too hard about the records or anything. We're just trying to stay present, live in the moment, on to the next.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for the student-athletes? Thank you so much for your time. Congrats on the win.

Questions for Coach.

Q. You knew Iowa State had advantage in certain areas, certainly bigger. You guys got out and ran, you were running your offense so well in transition. Did you think you had a pretty good edge in athleticism coming into this game and a good show like this?

TRICIA CULLOP: We hoped in transition that we could get Q loose because her speed is tough to guard. But I think Jayda did a fantastic job as well. And I thought our depth was good today. I thought that Nan coming off the bench did some really good things, Jayda did some really good things.

We didn't know. I mean, you don't know when you haven't seen someone. Probably the best answer I can give you is we have a lot of respect for them. They're a very talented team.

We were nervous that they were going to get hot from three. Fortunate for us, it wasn't their best day probably shooting the three because I've watched them -- I got nervous watching film and shut my computer because I saw the rolls that they can get on.

What I hoped was that our defense would limit their good three-point looks. Early in the game they were able to drive us to the hole, and our big speech in the huddles was just keep them in front of you. Because if we all have to come running in, they're going to get wide-open threes.

So very, very proud of the defensive effort today. I thought our kids did a great job in limiting them for most of the game to one shot. They got I think two or three in one possession toward the end of the game, but for the most part, we did a good job of only allowing one shot.

They're too good of shooters to give them another chance. You don't want to give them second and third chances.

Q. How impressive did you think your defense was on Ashley Joens? And it seemed like there were times where you would change who was guarding her. Was that strategically to have a fresh person?

TRICIA CULLOP: We did do that some, but we also switch. And so sometimes just by the luck of the draw of what was happening in their offense, it was a different person on her. Because we do switch 1 through 4.

And so different people ended up on her, and we wanted to bring some help when we had a mismatch. And at times we did a good job with that, and at times our bench was going crazy because she had a good look at the basket.

I thought what we had to do late in the game was we kept allowing her to get to the free-throw line, and their team is second in the country, I think, in free-throw percentage.

So we wanted to stop fouling. That was a big thing we shared with our team late was let's stop letting her score from the free-throw line.

Because I thought, other than that, we did a pretty good job. I thought defense was phenomenal today, and it had to be in order to win this game.

But I really love the composure that our kids showed. And, again, earlier, it was kind of mentioned, nonconference prepared us, and I do think that's true, but I also want to say our conference prepared us.

We have really good teams in our league. And I think the BGs and the Ball States of the world deserve a lot of credit too because had we not gotten better in our conference tournament and even late in the season, we wouldn't be prepared for this.

So it did help that we were able to play with for three quarters Duke, it was great that we were able to beat Michigan at Michigan and play Penn State to the wire.

But let's be honest, it helped us that we game from the great league, too, and I feel like our league doesn't get enough respect.

Q. You mentioned preparation. You were able to build a lead in the second quarter and then hold on to it throughout the rest of the game. How were you able to not get too far ahead of yourself and maintain that lead?

TRICIA CULLOP: I think, number one, taking care of the basketball; two, being very decisive on what was a good shot and what was a bad shot.

But I also thought in some moments where the offense broke down, Jayda and also Quinesha Lockett and even Sophia Wiard just found some opportunities for us. They made chicken salad. And I was proud of them because those moments are decisive in games, and they hit some big baskets for us.

Q. I know you guys aren't satisfied, but it's just such a huge win in program history, like you said, first one since '96, biggest upset by seed in school history. How thrilled are you for everybody in Toledo, and just personally what was it like in those final seconds?

TRICIA CULLOP: It was awesome because in 2017 we were so excited to be in, and it had been I think a decade, over a decade since we'd been in the tournament, and to go all the way out to Oregon, and I felt like it was over in a second. And then we were in our plane on the way home, and it was like, gosh, that moment kind of went by us too fast.

Today it's nice to know that we live for another day. But I'm really proud of this group because they've earned this opportunity. This is an unbelievable group to coach. They get along so well. Their chemistry shows on and off the court. They're very skilled, but they're very unselfish.

And I think that just what great teammates they are makes it just a joy to coach them. Our staff has thoroughly enjoyed coaching them because the people that they are.

Q. Bill said Quinesha is a Big 12-caliber player --

TRICIA CULLOP: He can't have her.

Q. When you were recruiting her five, six years ago, did you envision her developing this way, or were there some leaps and bounds along the way?

TRICIA CULLOP: I don't think you ever know exactly. But I will say that we were sitting at a court watching a kid from the Midwest, and we kept glancing over at this kid that was getting up and down the court and doing amazing things, grabbing rebounds, getting steels, in transition, no one could catch her.

And we got up and went and talked to the coach, and he said, Yeah, she wants to go away from home. That was music to my ears. Because she's from Omaha. And thank goodness the schools in Nebraska weren't interested in her at the time.

But we knew we had a special kid. But the credit goes to her and to my assistants that have helped develop her. She is an incredible person and has worked really hard to get better at her ball handling, her shooting ability, her defense.

And, gosh, what a great leader. She gives everything she's got on the court, has a smile on her face most of the time. She got the heck knocked out of her on the court, and she's the first one dancing in the locker room.

She's just a wonderful kid. And in my mind she is that level. And she's a big reason why we're here. But no one else can have her.

Q. Once again, Jayda and Nan were huge off the bench. You guys outscored them 29-7 in bench points. Just how important have those two and the bench been in this run you've made kind of starting with the MAC Tournament?

TRICIA CULLOP: I thought Jayda was probably in the running for All-Tournament team in the MAC Tournament because she had such a great tournament run, and we wouldn't have won it without her stepping up.

But I thought especially today when I saw the confidence that she was playing with, I kept her on the court because she was knocking down big shots. She wasn't afraid to take the ball to the hole. And sometimes having that senior leadership out there of a kid that just doesn't want to go home is that little bit of an edge.

But I thought, too, Nan hitting big shots. Nan is used to playing at this level. She came from Penn State. So she relishes those moments. But what she does for our program is how much she can stretch the defense because of her ability to shoot the three and even come down in transition.

When she's on the floor, I think we're a lot harder to guard because no one can sag. And that opens up lanes for Quinesha and even for our guards to post up.

Q. You mentioned Sophia. She had ten points I think in the first five minutes. How excited were you to see her start the wave? And also Sammi playing against Ashley for a lot of time and her defense against Ashley Joens?

TRICIA CULLOP: I'm glad you mentioned Soph because I thought she was great today. One thing we talked to her in the locker room before we stepped out was just we're a better team when she looks to score. I ran a play for her at the very beginning because I wanted her to want to score.

And so I think it's important that as we go on, she's got to continue to be a threat because her teammates feed off of that. Takes pressure off of some other kids that maybe carry that weight most of the time.

But she's a great player. She's like having a little assistant out on the court running the show because she really understands what we need at different moments, and she understands time and score.

Q. Were you seeing Toledo travel, your reaction when you saw all the fans out here and hearing your name being chanted as you walked off the floor?

TRICIA CULLOP: I don't know that my name needed to be chanted, but I will say that I was -- it brings joy to our heart to see so many people in the stands. I hope more get in their cars and come down here. We would absolutely love to see more Toledo fans in the stands. It's going to be tough to drown out this Tennessee crowd.

But I will say it's a shot in the arm to hear our Toledo fans cheering and here and being a part of this. It's been since '96 since our fans have gotten a chance to enjoy this. And I hope they come down here, and I hope they're a part of it too.

But for the ones that are here, I hope I get a chance to hug all of them. Really appreciate them.

Q. You mentioned that he can't have her with Quinesha, but when you have a mid-major program that has this kind of success, you're in the second round, do you start to maybe worry that some other coaches might start looking at your roster, thinking, hmm, transfer portal, who can I poach?

TRICIA CULLOP: I think every coach worries about that. This is a different landscape. And you don't always know what's happening in back channels.

But I will say she's a loyal kid. She's worked really hard. This is a family atmosphere. I hope we can do everything we can and keep this kid here. Because she's had a great career, surrounded by wonderful teammates that I know she loves to death. And I hope that matters more than anything else that can be dangled.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else? Thank you so much, Coach.

TRICIA CULLOP: Thank you.