NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - TOLEDO VS TENNESSEE

March 20, 2023

Tricia Cullop

Quinesha Lockett

Sammi Mikonowicz

Thompson-Boling Arena

Toledo Rockets

Media Conference

Tennessee 94, Toledo 47

TRICIA CULLOP: Well, we needed Tennessee to not shoot well from three because which needed to pack it in because of the size disadvantage.

That didn't work out so well.

They were very hot from three, which made it very difficult for us to match up, because we needed the double team in order to match up on the post.

So, again, difficult matchup for us to face, but, again, they're a very talented team. The size, athleticism, length, in one day it was hard to prepare for.

And we wish them the very best. They've got a great team playing very well right now. I wouldn't be surprised if they fare well at the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes?

Q. For each of you, now that you've seen Tennessee up close, just their length and athleticism, how difficult was it to match up with?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: It was a really tough matchup for us, but we really just tried our best to pack it in the paint, and once we did that they was hitting threes, so really nothing we could do about that.

They was a really good team out there. They played good tonight and I hope they keep playing like thank.

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: Yeah, nothing but the best for them. They played great tonight. Coach hit on it, we needed them not to shoot threes the way they did and they were hitting the threes, and then down low we needed some help and it was hard to do both.

So wish them nothing but the best.

Q. Obviously the emotions are still raw with you guys, senior season coming to an end. You did a lot of things that were incredible this season. Is that starting to sink in now?

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: I think we're starting to talk about it a little more. Just trying to keep our heads up. Like we really have accomplished a lot this year. We have a lot to be proud.

But at the end of the day, you're still -- we're going to miss our seniors, and we're such a close group that not seeing them every day at practices, that's something that I hits you a little bit harder.

But, yeah.

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Yeah, like going off what Sammi said, I know we accomplished a lot this year, but our seniors being gone is the thing that's really hitting us the most.

Q. I know it's still raw and hard with the seniors leaving, and for you as well. Just how proud are you of where this program is, and excited going forward, kind of getting this tournament experience and have a chance to bring everybody back next year? Just how excited are you for where the program can go?

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: Yeah, I think extremely excited. I mean, we showed it in this tournament. The sky is the limit for us. We were talking before this, like thank God for COVID because we're bringing almost everybody back. We're such a close group, that's going to be good.

QUINESHA LOCKETT: What she said. Pretty much everything that she said. (Smiling.)

Q. (Indiscernible.)

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Yeah, I'll be coming back next year and trying to go even further.

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: Yep.

Q. Coached mentioned how tough it is for a MAC team to get to that stage. Do you feel like throughout this run and throughout what you have done, been able to do, you maybe proved some people wrong and put the MAC and Toledo on the map?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Most definitely, and I hope that a lot of people see now that us MAC teams are somebody to compete with and I hope we get a lot more chances moving forward to make it further in a lot of stuff.

I just need to calm down. (Smiling.) But, yeah.

Q. You guys are obviously very close-knit as you said. I know it's in the moment now, but how enjoyable and fun was the season?

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: It as so much fun. There was never a moment, like you don't have a moment you hate being with each other. Every moment is good. We're always have a having of some sort. That's what makes the season so good. When you have that close relationship and you're winning on top of it, it's crazy fun.

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Yes, me too. Yeah, I'm really -- I don't know, I just know I'm going to miss this team a lot. Jayda and 'Stina. For all of us to come back it's going to be fun and we're going to make a lot more memories going forward.

Q. A lot more fun going forward. Does this provide some fuel? Is this maybe a peek into what you need to accomplish, to do to get not only to this point next season but to go further next season?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Most definitely. We played -- I feel like we played a little -- I don't know, like today we just needed to keep our pace up with them, pick up our pace and play -- not play how they play, but faster, and I wish we were a little bigger, but it's okay with that.

Man, we just -- we're going to be good.

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: I think for sure. Last year we were short in Cleveland and this year we came and proved ourselves there. This year gave us experience with the NCAA tournament so like -- so next year, who knows what we can do.

Q. So how much of it was a major confidence booster from that incredible win over Iowa State, a great team? You managed to get that huge victory. Coming up against a team as tough as Tennessee is, do you feel like you really learned a lot from this matchup?

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Yeah, I feel like we just learned a lot by knowing we can't do it all. If we were trying to help in the paint and get them to stop shooting threes, we just needed to, I don't know, maybe hit a couple shots. If feel like if the rim wasn't -- we would do a little bit better. But, yeah.

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: Yeah, she covered it all. At the end of the day they were big. For us to try and compete down there, I'm guarding a girl twice my size, so it was tough.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Congrats on a great year.

QUINESHA LOCKETT: Thank you.

SAMMI MIKONOWICZ: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for coach?

Q. Coach, obviously spent a lot of time with the fans after the game. What's I guess the one emotion you're feeling knowing all you have been able to do, but showing support and things like that? What was the experience like after the game?

TRICIA CULLOP: I think first I want to echo what they said. Our have two seniors were phenomenal. Jayda Jansen and Justina King, I wish I could have coached them longer. Two phenomenal transfers, which is a big reason we won 29 games, 17 in a row, and won the regular season conference tournament.

Those two, their leadership and their maturity and the skill level that they brought, work ethic, just great teammates. Phenomenal leaders.

My remember our last loss, Jayda was one of the people who spoke up I heard in the all-player meeting and said, hey, our post players got to get their tails together. We didn't lose another game until today.

You look at the leadership that we lost there, two amazing, amazing human beings, skilled basketball players. But I feel like their time with us was just a blip and I think the absolute world of them.

They're going to be so successful long after Toledo. We're going to read about their amazing accomplishments, because I know what kind of people they are and the work ethic.

That was the first emotion.

The second one was so grateful to everybody that came down here. We finished the season I think 25th in the country in attendance at Toledo. To do that at our level school is phenomenal. To do that, top 30 ten out of less 11 years in attendance is a amazing. We're so grateful to have the fan base we do. It prepared us to be able to play in front of a fan base like this today and not be as phased.

Now, the height and the athleticism was the difference, but I think we weren't as nervous playing in front of this crowd because of that.

It is a joy to play in front of people who care about women's basketball, so that was a big reason why our kids wanted to go up and say thank you, because they don't only show up at Toledo, they show up on the road.

Q. The last two seasons have obviously been a lot of wins. This season you took another step winning the MAC tournament. How much have a building block was this for what's to come next season?

TRICIA CULLOP: It's huge. You look at last time this happened it was 1996. I think once all the dust settles and we get over the hurt of the season being over, all these kids should look back and be extremely proud of what they accomplished this season.

It's a phenomenal feat to go to the second round when you're a mid-major. I think when you're in the NCAA tournament it's all about matchups. I think that first-round matchup was a little better for us than this one.

Sometimes it's the luck of the draw of who you see along the way. I am so proud of what they were able to do, and I think this is a great benchmark for the returning kids to say, that was so much fun, let's work even harder to get back.

Because once you've experienced it, it makes you want it that much more. To see them open all their gifts from the NCAA in the locker room the other day was like Christmas. It's fun to watch things go through for the first time for this group.

They weren't on our 2017 team, and it's a joy to watch them experience this. I know they'll be extremely motivated to try to get back.

Q. And then how difficult will it be to replace Jayda and how high is that on your to-do list this off-season?

TRICIA CULLOP: It's difficult because she brought a lot. She wasn't a one-end-of-the-floor kind of player. If she didn't play the way she did against Iowa State we don't win. In the conference tournament, she was an integral part of our Ws.

So someone that can be a scoring threat and play defense, if they're watching this press conference in portal, they should call me because we're definitely looking for that.

You know, I think that if we find that, I think it could be a lot of fun going forward because we now have Hannah who's 6'5" coming back who would've been nice to have had today. Unfortunate she got hurt before the season.

Soleil Barnes and some others. Jayda is a big piece. You know, I don't think it's really easy to replace a kid like that.

Q. You guys talk about how hard it is for a mid-major to get to the tournament and then you go second round of the tournament. Do you think going forward you guys have kind of put yourself on the map, earned that respect? Could this be a year where Toledo starts in the top 25 next year? I don't know, such an incredible foundation. Could this truly be something we've never seen before next year?

TRICIA CULLOP: I hope so. I said it before I think the first press conference we had here that I don't think our conference gets enough credit. The unfortunate thing is if we lose in our conference tournament you don't see Toledo here because we're judged and we got to be perfect.

And that would've been a shame, because this team is really talented and deserved to be here. I'm glad this year we finished it, but I thought even last year's team probably could have won a game in the tournament.

I'm glad we got here this year, but whatever we have to do to elevate our league I want to do, and I want talk to our fellow coaches about, because I think we have got great teams in our league that could do some damage in this tournament if given the opportunity.

But I think the tough thing is that little niche of what's right below the BCS level that's a really good mid-major. You've almost got to be perfect to get into this tournament.

I wish we could find a solution because there are teams be left out that are really, really good. I'm so glad we weren't this year can, and we're going to work our tails off to get back.

But it's tough. I mean, look at it. How many people won this many games in a row to get here? There is a lot of BCS schools that go in their conference tournament and they lose and they're forgiven and they get to go right in. It's hard as a mid-major.

Q. You talked a lot about scheduling. Obviously beefed up your schedule a lot this season to prepare yourself for the tournament. Do you feel like more big schools might want to play you now knowing what you guys were able to accomplish this season?

TRICIA CULLOP: I hope so. Our schedule is not going to released for a while, but there will be some new names on it that we haven't played and that some of our fans will be excited about.

But I think obviously everyone will know we return Michigan at home. That will be a great game. We've got Duke on the road. That will be fun for our kids to go to Cameron indoor after coming here.

It's kind of cool they get to see two back to back really amazing arenas. But there will be some other opponents that I think the fans will be thrilled about. We're trying to beef up our schedule to prove we deserve to be here. Anything we can do for our tournament resume we need to do, but I also think we got to work really hard to make sure that we're prepared for this schedule, too.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach.

TRICIA CULLOP: Thank you.