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BIG TEN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENTMarch 7, 2013Rachel BanhamPam BortonMicaella RicheHOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS Ohio State – 58 THE MODERATOR: Comments, Coach? COACH BORTON: It was definitely a tale of two halves for us. I felt like we gave up the momentum of the game. I felt we played well for the first 17 minutes, and with Micaëlla and Kionna getting in foul trouble, I felt like the whole momentum changed in the last three minutes going into halftime and then it kind of carried over into the start of the first half. I thought our team played extremely well defensively, keeping them to 35percent. They've been shooting about 50percent in the last five games. We outrebounded them, and just keeping them below 60 points, I felt like if we could, we'd have a chance to win. But some of the things that we did offensively, turning the ball over, missing a lot of layups inside‑‑ I think we missed eight layups in the rim‑‑ in the second half, obviously affected what we were doing offensively. So didn't play well enough to win, and I felt like Ohio State was the better team, at least in the second half, to win the game today. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student‑athletes. Q. In that stretch in the last four minutes of the first half where things just didn't seem to go in at all, was that a frustrating time for you, because if you would have made a basket or two, maybe that would have changed the momentum in your favor going into the second half? RACHEL BANHAM: I mean, I don't know if it's frustrating. I think that's how basketball goes. I mean we're going to get up and they're going to go up, and it's gonna go back and forth. I think it would have helped if we could have scored a little bit there to stop the bleeding a little bit. But that's what happens. We've got to play better. MICAËLLA RICHÉ: Kinda of like what Rachel said, you know. That's what happens. And usually at the second half, whether we're up or down, we try to think of it as 0‑0 and it's a new game and we gotta go in and just play hard and win the first four minutes of the second half, so regardless of what happened in the first. Q. Rachel, what were they able to do in the second half to make things more difficult for you? RACHEL BANHAM: I don't really think it was much of what they were doing. I think I needed to play better. I wasn't finishing, I wasn't being as confident as I was in the first half. And I just didn't shoot as well. I don't know if it was much of their defense. I think it was more my mindset. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions for Coach. Q. In terms of your performance down the stretch, do you feel that you had made a case for your team going forward in the postseason? COACH BORTON: I think we'll see. I think we finished the regular season strong, and obviously Ohio State was‑‑ we met up with a hot team that has won their last seven out of nine games. And they played well. I felt like we're right there, and we'll just let the basketball gods figure it out. Q. I know you said earlier that you felt the defense played well enough to keep you in the game. But can you talk about, a little bit about how the offense seemed to sputter a lot. You didn't get any contribution, or little contribution from the rest of the team other than Rachel. COACH BORTON: I thought we missed a lot of layups. We missed a lot of layups and we missed a lot of layups. They were leaving certain kids open, and those kids needed to step up and make shots. And we knew that. They were going to double team Micaëlla and they were going to double team Rachel coming off of ball screens and make it really tough for her. And I think Shayne going one for 12 and Kionna going three for nine and Sari, you know, those kids are out there trying. They're trying as hard as they can, but we just needed some of those kids to step up and make more shots. Q. Seems like they sort of found a formula almost in the second half against you guys the game in Columbus. You guys won, but that's where Ferguson started at the 4. How different are they with that kind of look? COACH BORTON: Well, they have five players that can score the basketball. I think it just gives you a 4 player that can knock a 3 down. Better passer. Handler. I think before, when they had their 4 player on the court, that you could really help off of that player and make her make shots. And I think their 4 player didn't make shots. I think it was hard for them to win. And I think for them to make that change, Ferguson was playing well and she gives them a 3‑point threat, another ball handler, they're a little more aggressive defensively. So it just gives them a different look. And they're a little more versatile. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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