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NCAA WOMEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS: SPOKANEMarch 23, 2013Kelly GravesTaelor KarrHaiden PalmerSPOKANE, WASHINGTON IOWA STATE – 72 COACH GRAVES: First of all want to congratulate Iowa State and Coach Fennelly. They are a terrific team. Every time there was a play that teed to be made, they made it and that's what great teams do. I respect Coach Fennelly immensely and he's a great role model, and I like that team. I really like how they play and I wish them well. As far as Gonzaga, I told the kids in the locker room, first and foremost, I mean everybody but one team feels the same after that last game. And we have a lot to be proud of. I think at the start of the year if you would have told me we had be 27‑6 at the end of the season, I would have said you're crazy. But I'm really proud of our team. I thought we made huge strides this year and it was evident by getting to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately we came up short tonight but I was proud of the effort and told our two seniors that I'm really going to miss them. I thought they were great leaders and great teammates this year. You know, we played hard and in the end, we just didn't make enough plays. I thought we had opportunities, but 33 games, we've given up 70 or more points one time, and it was tonight. Our defense was tested and unfortunately we didn't pass the test. Q. Haiden, I think you hit your first 3‑pointer of the game and it seemed like you guys really struggled from the perimeter tonight. How much of it was their pressure defensively and how much was it you guys just missing open looks? HAIDEN PALMER: I think a little bit of both. Just not missing shots that we usually knock down. They had a little bit of pressure but even some of the open looks just happened. So we tried to get it inside more and do some of those things, but normally those are going in. Q. They had you for ten steals, so were you guys thinking that was going to be the way you could beat this team is with the defensive intensity and getting the crowd behind you? HAIDEN PALMER: Yeah, definitely. They have a great offense. They execute so well, post players, shooters. So we just wanted to pressure them, do our best to take them out of their offense but credit to them, they still made a lot of good plays, even under pressure. So we still did our game plan but not good enough. Q. I'm wondering if you thought the three pointer was going to be a big part of their arsenal, too. TAELOR KARR: Yeah, that's what they are known for. They have those three inside kids, but they are always known to be a three‑point shooting team. 22 went off on us, Brynn; I know her from high school days. We lost track of her a few times in the zone and she made us pay, along with other ones, too. We just had a few too many mental breakdowns in man and zone, and they were scrambling and went late in shot clock. But then they hit timely shots at the he have end. I think we played well, he with played hard, tough. We played pretty physical considering with how big they are, but they just hit big shots, so give them a lot of credit. Q. Taelor, you played your last game in a 'Zag uniform, what are you feeling right now? TAELOR KARR: Sad. It's tough to go out like this. But like Coach said, a lot of teams except one. You have to give Iowa State credit, they are a good team to go out on and I couldn't be more proud of my teammates. Played hard. So I couldn't ask for better teammates, for sure. Q. You guys forked 23 turnovers, that's a pretty significant amount. What wasn't working defensively for you guys? COACH GRAVES: I just think we made a few break downs late in the shot clock. You know, we felt we had to do something like that. You see how we're built inside where there was no way we are going to be able to go toe it toe with them so we had to be able to make it some kind of a full‑court game and some kind of a scrambling kind of game. It was almost feast or famine. We have to steal or we gave up a pretty good look to them. Give them credit, they did not miss, every time they had an opportunity, they made the most of it. And if you look at the stats, you know, really the rebound was a factor but when you shoot 32 percent, you're going to give up a lot of defensive rebounds but it really came down to the field goal percentage. That was the disparity. And ten steals, that's got to be among the best ever, right, in a tournament game. Where are the stats people out there. Q. As you mentioned, 32 percent from the field, was it the looks for you‑‑ not getting great looks, or was it just one of those nights where the ball wasn't falling? COACH GRAVES: Again I think like Haiden or one of the two said, it's a little combination of both: They are long, and that size is noticeable, it's there. But the honest truth is I liked our looks tonight. I thought we had some pretty good looks and we had some good second shot looks in the paint, one of those things, the pressure of the moment, perhaps, defense, but when you're playing teams like Iowa State or anybody in the NCAA Tournament, those things can't happen. You have to step up and make shots and make plays and that's what good teams do, and that's what Iowa State did tonight. Q. I know Shelby had early foul trouble, but then she sat for most of the game, so what was going on there? And then, also, give me your perspective on the efforts you got from your bench, people who really stepped up. COACH GRAVES: Yeah, 25‑0 bench points, that's considerable. Had several freshmen in the game tonight. You know, as far as Shelby goes, sometimes some teams are better match‑ups for others and quite frankly, Keani and Shaniqua did a good job, and Stephanie Golden, as well, they were playing better. So as a coach, you have to make that decision, who you're going to go with. I thought honestly, I thought defensively, we had some letdowns in our post area. You know, Williamson was open too many times in that corner, and we weren't getting that coverage. So maybe you guys don't see what we're seeing as a coach and we know what responsibilities we're trying to cover. But the future's bright. I mean, you look at this is a young basketball team, including our transfer that's been sitting out this year. We have 11 freshmen and sophomores. That's a good group that's coming back. So I like where we're at. Q. You're real aggressive on the perimeter. How much of those good looks they did get was because of that, and how much was because of stuff you didn't do? Were you kind of leaning that way, knowing you might give those up? COACH GRAVES: Yeah, we are the type of team that puts a lot of pressure on the basketball. We try to make things happen. Often times, we do give up some good looks because of that. You know, it's one of those trade‑offs but we felt going in and game preparation, we were not going to be able to sit back in a softer zone or man‑to‑man and give those inside kids good looks. I thought early in the second half, that's where they got that lead. They did a nice job of getting us‑‑ pinning us deep and made easy baskets, and so we had to then kind of extend the defense a little bit and try to make some things happen in that regard. And for the most part, hey, Iowa State doesn't get turned over 23 times very often. And we made a lot of those count. We just didn't make enough. THE MODERATOR: Ten steals is four away from the NCAA record. COACH GRAVES: Four away, my goodness. Well, I'll tell Haiden it was closer. THE MODERATOR:  And one away from the school record. Q. Speaking of, like you said, 11 sophomores and freshmen‑‑ Meghan Winters, could you have asked for a better senior leader, and Taelor Karr and everything she's meant to the team the last two years? COACH GRAVES: I'm proud of all our seniors, Meghan Winters is an amazing teammate. You have to have one of those players, we call her kind of a mother hen. She gets everybody organized. She makes sure everybody is where they are supposed to be and always does it with a smile and is a great leader. She won 115 games here in her four years and went to Sweet16 and Elite 8; twice Sweet16 and once Elite 8, that's an amazing accomplishment for her. As far as Taelor goes, what a godsend, when she decided to transfer and come here, she has‑‑ you know, she's become one of the favorites. People love her here. Teammates love her and play for her. I'm really going to miss her. I'm telling you, she put her stamp on this program in two short years, and that's difficult to do especially with the great players we've had through here. She's so poised, has so much class and plays so hard. I'm really going to miss her but, boy, she taught those young kids what it's like to be a winner and what it's like to play hard and what it's like to play with class. I really appreciate Taelor and we are going to miss both Taelor and Meghan, great question. Q. It's going to be the first time in five years you're not preparing for a second round game. Any thought what tonight and tomorrow night is going to feel like? COACH GRAVES: I might sleep. You know, those that know me, I don't sleep during the season. If I get four hours in a night, that's a great night. Maybe I'll get seven tomorrow. It's disappointing. You know, it really is. I don't have many hobbies other than going to watch my kids do things. And I unfortunately won't watch much of our tournament. It's tough after. But I'm really pulling for Iowa State. That's a class outfit. Bill Fennelly is as good as there is, and those players, they play the game the way the game is supposed to be played, so I will be secretly rooting for them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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