MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 11, 2024

Lindy La Rocque

Kiara Jackson

Alyssa Brown

Amarachi Kimpson

Thomas & Mack Center

UNLV Lady Rebels

Postgame Press Conference

UNLV 83, Fresno State 35

THE MODERATOR: We're ready to begin with UNLV. We have student-athletes, Kiara Jackson, Alyssa Brown, Amarachi Kimpson, head coach Lindy La Rocque. Coach, let's start with you.

LINDY LA ROCQUE: I thought our team played well. And this was the biggest game of the year because we don't get the next one without this one. We talked about that.

I thought they had great intention and focus to come out and get the job done.

Credit Fresno State. They are very well-coached. They have some really skilled players. I thought our team did a great job of limiting them and taking away kind of their favorite things. A really good team that is really young and is going to continue to get better in the years to come.

But proud of our group. We got everyone in. No one played major minutes. We're moving on to the next round, so that's the best thing.

THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for the student-athletes.

Q. When four players, nearly five, scored double digits in a game like this, what does that do for your confidence as you move further down in the tournament and try to win your third title straight?

KIARA JACKSON: It just shows how deep we are that we can all contribute. It means a lot because we don't have to put pressure on one single person. We can all make plays and help us get the win.

Q. Alyssa, how important is it that you guys are just relentless and kind of hounding on defense like you were today, and how important is that to what you guys want to do and feed you offensively too?

ALYSSA BROWN: When we execute on defense, it puts a lot less pressure on our offense. I think we really keyed in on what they want to do today, and we took away their first, second options in some cases, and it just made it easy and fun. We just kept feeding off of possessions.

Q. A.B., coach has said plenty of times in the season (off microphone) worried about your guys' offense. When you have the starts like you did earlier in the game, how much of that is just kind of grinding through that moment, understanding that shots (off microphone)?

ALYSSA BROWN: Exactly what you said. It's just grinding through that moment and staying disciplined, locking in. We know that eventually our offense will start to come together. It's just about getting stops.

Q. Kiara, walk me through the first quarter, the buzzer beater, what you saw there and got it in for the buzzer beater?

KIARA JACKSON: I mean, Rachi was playing great defense. She made her cough it up, and I was right there, and I was like, oh, shoot, I have to shoot it, and I threw it up there (laughter).

Q. How important is it to have a day like today on the offensive boards where you grab eight and you are able to score ten off of those offensive boards?

ALYSSA BROWN: Offensive rebounds are easy opportunities for offense. We are right there at the basket to put it back or you have kick-outs. It honestly puts a lot of pressure on the defense, and it's a little deflating for them, so for us to get eight in and convert those points, it's great.

Q. A.B. does a lot for you guys on a night-in-and-night-out basis. It doesn't necessarily show up on the stat sheet. When it does, she's usually hauling in 12 or more rebounds. How much of a boost is it for this group to see her get it going offensively?

KIARA JACKSON: It's amazing. She helps us in the paint. She's always talking. She brings so much energy. It's nice when she actually scores the ball too.

ALYSSA BROWN: Thank you, Ki.

THE MODERATOR: We'll dismiss the student-athletes at this time. Questions for Coach.

Q. How do you game plan for a player like Mia Jacobs, and what do you think worked on that end today, holding her to 3-of-12 shooting?

LINDY LA ROCQUE: I mean, she's a great player. Really good player. I think she was who we were most concerned about on their team, and she's a great shooter. If you kind of let her -- if you let her get free, have easy looks at the basket, she makes them.

So I thought we did a great job. We were switching everything with her and just made it tough for her. I don't think she enjoyed it, but that's what we had to do to limit her because she is such a great player.

Q. 25-0 run at the end of the first half, beginning of the second half. You've been part of a dominant run like that. What was working there during that stretch to close out the first half and start the second half?

LINDY LA ROCQUE: Yeah, well, I think I don't keep track of how much we're scoring and how much they're not. Obviously I kind of know the points.

For us the emphasis is just continue to do the right thing. I thought we did a great job. The first quarter it's just trying to figure out a little bit of the balance of the game, a little bit of a slow start, but then once we really got locked in defensively, that allows us to get out in transition.

Then whether it's the end of the first quarter or first half, we always want to finish strong and talk about there's two minutes, three minutes left. Let's get stops and scores.

Then, of course, coming out of halftime, it's kind of the same message of let's start this thing out right, get some scores and some stops, and we can give ourselves some cushion.

Q. You mentioned in your opening statement, but just how important is it to put them away early to be able to rest some players in a setting where you have three games in three days potentially? How important is that rest?

LINDY LA ROCQUE: I just think it's critical. Games are more intense. They require more than just a practice. So, of course, we've practiced three days in a row, but playing three high-intensity games, that's our goal.

You've got to win the first, and now we've got to take it one step at a time, but it's just preparing us for tomorrow.

So I thought it's huge. We're going to get some great recovery. No one is too banged up, so we should still be hopefully pretty fresh for tomorrow.

Q. Again, third straight season with an outstanding freshmen: Kiara Jackson, Jasmyn Lott, and now Amarachi Kimpson. It looks like this season for Amarachi is different from the vantage point of as these games have gotten bigger and bigger and freshmen tighten up, she's done the opposite and loosened up for you guys. Ten of her points all in the first half for you guys. I'm wondering from your angle, from your perspective, if this freshman season for her feels a little different than any other you've had?

LINDY LA ROCQUE: I mean, they've all had great freshmen years. They're all a little bit different. Rachi is her, herself. She's not Kiara. She's just being who she is.

I credit her parents and her family for a great upbringing. She is so humble. I tell her that she got the award, and she's looking around. I'm like, The only person surprised here is you.

She's had a phenomenal year. Her humbleness has kind of just made her maybe naive to the moment a little bit, and she just goes out there and does what she does. Her teammates have great trust in her. Obviously we do. She's a confident player too.

A phenomenal freshman year so far, and we want to keep it going for her.

Q. Lindy, talk a little bit about how your thoughts of how you guys shot behind the arc. You shot over 50% today, and you've been doing pretty good the last couple of games from there.

LINDY LA ROCQUE: I thought we took the right shots. They kind of roasted A.B. a little bit, but her being 3-for-3, she took the right ones. She was in rhythm, and that really helps us.

Alyssa Durazo-Frescas got some good looks and knocked them down. Amarachi got some good ones. I think it's a combination of we had some great post play, we were getting out in transition, so we had some great looks, and we knocked them down.

We don't just settle and kind of jack up a bunch of threes, but when you get great looks and we've got great shooters, they're very capable of shooting this percentage.