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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 4, 2011Lisa BluderJaime PrintyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Ohio State – 71 MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening comment from the coach and we will follow that up with questions for the players. COACH BLUDER: I just want to congratulate Jim and the Ohio State team on the victory today. I think they're playing like they are the best team in the Big Ten right now. And it's unfortunate we were paired up against them in the very first round, but that's what we were dealt, that's what we had, and they were the better team tonight. They defended very, very well. We didn't shoot the ball as well as we're capable of, but give credit to Ohio State's defense as well. I thought Jaime had a nice game and did some really good things when we were down to bring a lot of emotion back into our team when we desperately needed it. So, again, we're looking forward to post-season play. MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach. And now we'll open it up for questions for Jaime. And you won't have to say her name as she's the only play here. Just ask the question. Q. Jaime, how tough was their size on your team? I mean, three guards against two centers. They had a pretty big edge there? JAIME PRINTY: It was definitely tough. I mean, they have two centers and they're both really good, and they're really good at defense. So, I mean, it kind of hurt us when we got in the paint and there wasn't really anywhere to go with it. I mean, they're a great defensive team, though. Q. Jaime, what made it so hard, then, to -- were they tough to beat up the dribble as well? JAIME PRINTY: Yeah. I mean, they're an athletic team and they have some quick guards. But, I mean, some parts of the game our offense just wasn't clicking and they're a good defensive team, so when that happens we struggle. Q. Could you talk about the match-up between you and Prahalis a little bit? She was guarding you last time you guys played at Ohio State, she was guarding you tonight, and just your thoughts on I guess the strategy for trying to contain you. JAIME PRINTY: Sammy is a great player, I mean, offensively and defensively, and, I mean, last game they denied me a little harder than this game, but I think we did pretty good playing as a team just giving each other open shots. Q. Jaime, what's going through your head, down 12 in the second half and then come back with a surge at 3? What's going through your mind there? JAIME PRINTY: It was fun. I mean, games like that, close games are always fun, and when you go on runs it's fun. But they went on runs and we went on runs and, I mean, we just came out a little short. Q. You called them a great defensive team. I don't think very many people would have called them that after the way you guys beat them at your place. Do you see them being different defensively than they have been at other points in the season? JAIME PRINTY: I think they picked up their denial a little better and I think we shot the ball poorly, like coach said, and I think that has a big thing to do with it as well. Q. When you had that 11-0 run after it was 52-40, I think 9 of the points were free throws. Was a point of the emphasize, since a lot of shots weren't falling, to try and get to the line? JAIME PRINTY: Yeah, definitely. I mean, when shots aren't falling that's a big key is to get to the free throw line and try to get your rhythm back. So we tried to do that. MODERATOR: Any more questions for Jaime? Thanks so much for joining us. Hard-fought game. We'll open it up now, questions for Coach. Q. Just the beginning of your thoughts. You might have said something completely different, but was the size one of the key differences in the game? COACH BLUDER: I think it was. I think, you know, you get by your first defender and they've got a 6'5" kidding waiting there between them and the basket. It prevented us from getting easy shots tonight. We shot the same from 3-point range as we did 2-point range. We didn't get the easy to-the-rim baskets that we have gotten in tradition. So I think that did hurt us just because they had that post player that would hang back and play in there. Q. Could you talk about when you decided, I guess, change up your offensive strategy a little bit more and try to attack the basket, get free throws, things like that? COACH BLUDER: I don't remember us changing our offensive strategy, quite honestly. We stayed with the same tragedy most of the game just trying to run our offense and get 3s and get to the rim. Q. Were you guys, because of the size or whatever, were you settling for 3s a little bit too much in the first half? COACH BLUDER: No, you know, I think we took good 3s. You know, I don't think we were settling for 3s. I feel like we're good at that penetrate and pitch and hit the 3, so I think that's actually a strength for us, but it wasn't tonight. Q. Coach, I know in the short term, but what's the response from here? Where do you go? COACH BLUDER: Where do we go from here? We have two weeks of practice and get ready for the NCAA tournament. That's what our goal is is just to work hard. We'll be able to have some time to really work and get ready for that. Q. They had Jantel on Kachine. Could you just talk about that match-up a little bit and how you guys coped with that? COACH BLUDER: Yeah. I thought Jantel did a great job on Kachine. You know, I thought she stopped the drive very, very well because Kachine is good at that. She's good at taking the ball to the hole, but she really took Kachine out of that, being able to get to the basket. So Jantel impressed me with her versatility and her ability to defend a very good driver. You know, she played off and used her size a little bit, and that was a good strategy. But I think Jantel did a really nice job defensively. Q. You weren't really playing for an NCAA berth. I mean, I don't think anybody thinks that. But your teams really took this hard. Why do you think they are so down versus even an ordinary loss? COACH BLUDER: Because I think we thought about it for a year. You know, it was the championship last year and, you know, just not being able to come out of here with a tournament title. I mean, that was a goal for us, and so that's unfortunate. But I think, again, it was just like, you know, it was Ohio State, it was the Big Ten tournament like it was last year, and a lot of thought went into that over the past year. Q. Brittany Johnson was obviously a focus from your game in Columbus. She nailed a ton of 3s there. You tried to tweak some things defensively, but she's still able to go 7-14 from the 3-point line. Talk about that. COACH BLUDER: She's a good player. When you bank in a 3 from the sideline, you know life is going pretty well for you at the time. She is a very, very good set shooter, and you have got to know where she is all the time. And she got open for some open 3s. She had some really good open looks, and Ohio State does such a great job of finding her. But, you know, we let her, you know, get away from us a couple too many times in the zone. And, unfortunately, you know, she was able to put them down. But she is a really, really good 3-point shooter. Q. Ohio State has those -- their four starting guards I think -- or three starting guards are all sort of offensive-minded players coming into college. It's been a long struggle to kind of get an effort out them defensively, and your team is one that has taken advantage of them in the past. Do you feel like they are a different look kind of defensively from Prahalis and Johnson and Hill? COACH BLUDER: I think they're playing better defensively, absolutely. I just think they seem like they're playing more team defense, they're more -- they'll help more. I think their on-ball pressure is a lot better. But they're just willing to help each other out, I think, and play a little bit better team defense than they were the first time that we played them. MODERATOR: Thanks so much, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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