MOUNTAIN WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 9, 2025

April Phillips

Hennie Van Schaik

Amiah Simmons

Thomas & Mack Center

San Jose State Spartans

Postgame Press Conference

Fresno State - 67, San Jose State - 62

APRIL PHILLIPS: I thought our ladies, we played hard. I thought we played hard and we fought. We did some really good things. We held Jacobs, who was a tough guard, to 14 points and nine of those points came from the free-throw line.

But I thought we did some really good things and just didn't go our way down the stretch. But I thought we did some really, really good things as far as defensively shutting some of their go-to players down.

I'm proud of our seniors, who I think really helped take a step forward with our program. I know that the returners feel a little bit of desire to come back and really step up to the plate and do it all over again in a even better and more disciplined fashion.

Q. What kind of stood out about the resilience of this group, especially to go on that 11-point run late and take the lead?

HENNIE VAN SCHAIK: I think it's been something we've been doing all season. We always stay resilient. Like no matter who we play, I feel like it's never like a blowout.

Not one moment in this game have we thought, oh, we're going to lose. We trust each other. We trust ourselves. We trust our coaches. So we just keep fighting.

AMIAH SIMMONS: I'm just proud of our team. We just stick together through it all and work as a team and push through the adversity.

Q. What is tough about guarding Jacobs? And especially Okkonen had a good night, too.

HENNIE VAN SCHAIK: It was my match-up tonight. She's a three-level scorer it's hard to guard a player who can shoot, basically can do everything.

Q. Four players in double digits tonight. What was kind of working offensively in a kind of a well-rounded way for you guys?

APRIL PHILLIPS: I think when we really turned the ball and got some reversals, we got some really good shots. I think that was the key for us is being able to really move the ball. We had 13 assists, which I think is really good for us.

And I think where we let up a little bit, and the stat that stands out to me that really hurts, it's hard to give up 24 points on the free-throw line.

Q. What kind of stood out to you about the 11-point run, maybe from an Xs and Os standpoint rather than a resiliency standpoint?

APRIL PHILLIPS: I think the collective effort. There was no single person. It was a different person down the stretch. I think our defensive intensity is what kind of fueled that, and so during that moment we just had the momentum on our side. But it started on the defensive end.

Q. Obviously a physical game tonight. What stood out to you about the way you were able to kind of meet those demands and fight to the end?

APRIL PHILLIPS: I think we were able to go into our bench a little bit. With the foul trouble Marisa came in and gave us good minutes, Jasmine and obviously Hennie as well. But the ability to kind of go into a bench a little bit and have some really good output, particularly in that first half, I think, was very beneficial for us.