AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

March 10, 2025

Jose Fernandez

Carla Brito

Mama Dembele

Dickies Arena

USF Bulls

Postgame Press Conference

USF - 69, Tulane - 59

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with an opening statement from Coach and then take questions for the student-athletes.

JOSE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I think I liked the way that we got out and started the game, a little different because Tulane, we hadn't played them all year. This is the first time that we met. We knew that they've got five starters in double figures, they run really good stuff offensively. I thought if we can get out in transition and play fast early, that could get us going.

I think it took us a little while to get the ball to go in the basket. Hopefully, we got all our misses out on the first day. But for us, you know, first time on this floor, a lot of guys that hadn't played on this floor as well. So it was good. It was good.

Now a quick turnaround. We're going to play a really good North Texas team tomorrow, which on the road, they beat us pretty good. They beat us pretty good at their place. At our place I thought we did some very, very good things and it's going to be a very good basketball game. They're well coached, they play hard. We're going to have to do a great job on the glass and also limiting second chances and also not giving them extra possessions.

But I'm proud we got the first one out of the way. Usually in these tournaments, the first one's always the toughest one, especially if you haven't played yet, especially on the double bye. So I'm proud of how we responded, especially when Tulane went on that run.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach. Questions, please.

Q. I just wanted to ask you, can you talk about Carla's contributions to the game today.

JOSE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I mean, the biggest contribution, I thought she did a great job defending Pittman, but to come up and score 15 points and have 17 boards. I thought also when they started to press, she had to anchor our press offense from behind. I thought for her, for the amount of minutes that she played, she played with great energy, great effort. When she gets going, her energy and her enthusiasm, there's a lot of things that she does that I tell everybody that doesn't come up on the stat sheet. That's just a credit to who she is.

Q. Mama is up here as well. Her energy was on fire tonight. Can you talk about her?

JOSE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, she had four steals, seven assists, 15 points. I thought she was aggressive. She set the tone defensively, I thought, with some really good ball pressure, had a couple steals out in the open floor. What I liked, that she was really aggressive and got to the rim and she finished.

So we're going to need a lot of that tomorrow, just because North Texas has three really good guards and in Hardaway and Wooten, and Moore. Moore hit those two threes tonight and Wooten hit another one to open the game up against East Carolina.

We're going to need our backcourt to play better because -- that's what I told our guys. We're up seven, eight at half, and we weren't shooting the ball particularly well. I think we were somewhere around 32 percent and you're up seven. If we were shooting a big number, the game at half would have been a totally different score.

Q. Got to stay up and watch you guys play. First question for Carla. 15 points, 17 rebounds. Heck of a game, right?

CARLA BRITO: Thank you. Thank you. I mean, I get more excited to get rebounds more than points, honestly, but I know that's my role and I will do my role for the team. I think not just me, I think everyone rebounded really good today. I think L'or did really good. Sammie too. It was a team effort. So really proud of them.

Q. Mama, what gives you more pleasure, scoring or assists?

MAMA DEMBELE: I'm going to go with getting steals.

Q. Oh, okay.

MAMA DEMBELE: I think I like better to get assists. I think you involve two players. You get two people happy, so it doesn't get better than that.

Q. Coach, you turned defense into offense with 20 points off of turnovers. How big of a factor was that?

JOSE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, especially when we weren't shooting the ball particularly well. So I was happy that -- if you look at the two columns, points off of turnovers and points off of second-chance points. So those are two areas that can really change things when you're not -- when the ball's not going in the basket, right? Second, third opportunities converting on those, and then capitalizing on the other team's mistakes.

Q. It's all about survive and advance. You play a North Texas team that you've beaten and lost to. How much of an advantage is it to play somebody you know? Because you had to play Tulane and hadn't played them.

JOSE FERNANDEZ: Well, the same. We're familiar with them, they're familiar with us. So I think it's going to come down to tomorrow we're going to have to shoot a much better number, we're going to have to do a great job containing the dribble and the glass is going to be very important, right. The same way in the other locker room. He's going to talk to their kids that they're going to have to guard the three-point line, right, they're going to have to do a good job taking care of the basketball, their transition defense has got to be solid. I mean, Coach Burton's, Jason's a very good basketball coach and you can tell. I mean, their guys, they play hard, they play with a lot of energy. It's going to be a war because, you know, whoever wins tomorrow has a chance to play for an NCAA bid and a conference championship. So I think you're going to have two teams that are going to leave it, no matter here, either myself or Jason here are going to come in tomorrow night, and both teams are going to leave it on the floor, and one of our teams is going to be playing for a conference championship. I'm looking forward to our kids getting some rest tonight and getting prepared with film and having a great shoot around and tomorrow getting ready to play a good basketball team.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you, Coach.