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NCAA WOMEN'S 1ST & 2ND ROUNDS: SPOKANEMarch 23, 2013Katie BakerRobin SelvigAlyssa SmithSPOKANE, WASHINGTON GEORGIA – 70 COACH SELVIG: Well, hats off to Georgia. You know, they are just a really, really good basketball team and they are really good on the defensive end. You know, I thought we executed pretty well. I thought we got enough shots to stay in that game but I think it was 38‑36, and all of a sudden they scored quick. I mean, they made plays when we had a little momentum going and you have to give them credit. They have a lot of weapons and they play hard. Proud of my ladies effort but hats off to Georgia. Q. Twice there in the second half, you pulled within two, the last being 38‑36, Katie, what happened that it got away from you guys? KATIE BAKER: Like Coach said, they just made some plays and big plays and basketball is a game of runs. You know, you're not in it all the time. They got a wig momentum swing their way, a couple footballs, a couple big shots, hit a couple big threes and just like that they are ahead again. But that's basketball for you. Q. Katie, could you talk about how unique of a challenge it is trying to cover Hassell; they are quick and they are thick. Just talk about that a little. KATIE BAKER: Yeah, I mean, it's a different game down there, you know, in the post play. It's very physical. I liked it, actually, getting able to battle with such great, outstanding SEC posts down there. But it's different. They are big. It's a team effort, though, and I think we did well for the most part of helping in. We got a couple jump balls, but that's the game for them. Q. Alyssa, can you just talk overall about the game today, I saw the team doing a lot of smiling there until the very end, imagine you wore proud of your effort? ALYSSA SMITH: That he, that's one thing about our team this year, we are always going to work hard. And you know, like Coach talks about, before we go out on the court, have fun when you play hard, and that's true for me, and I can speak on behalf of our entire team and we definitely worked hard tonight. That's why it's difficult to lose, when you work your butt off. So, they are a good team. They played hard, too, and it wasn't a lack of effort; it wasn't a lack of trying. It's just, you know, we didn't score as many points as they did. Q. For both of you guys, I know it's fresh, but can you guys sum up your careers as Lady Grizzlies. ALYSSA SMITH: You want us to start crying again? KATIE BAKER: You know, wow, I mean, what a blessing to play for the University of Montana; and to meet the girls that I have and the runs that we've done. You know, thinking back to this last year, even capping it off with winning the conference and winning the tournament, you know, it was a picture perfect senior year for us, I can say. But it really just has been the best opportunity, the best career, best decision that I personally have ever made. ALYSSA SMITH: I mean, ditto. I think that anyone who gets to play for the Lady Grizzlies program is extremely lucky, and it's been a ride. It's been a roller coast. But I mean, I definitely learned a lot and not just about basketball but about life, too, and I can speak for myself, I've come a long way since freshman year, and the ending of the season is like a new chapter of my life. I think basketball ends, a new chapter starts, no more scholarship checks, I don't get to see my teammates every single day. Playing for Rob has been one of the coolest things, one of the coolest experiences I've ever been a part of. There's a reason why he was Coach of the Year, there's a reason why we won the Big Sky Championship and there's a reason why we're here today. Yeah, I mean, it would take forever to sum it up I think completely, but I wouldn't have had my last four years any other way. Q. After you get out early and spend a lot of energy trying to come back and trying to tie the game, talk about how tough it is when you can't do that. KATIE BAKER: Yeah, it's frustrating when you dig yourself a hole. And like I said basketball is a game of runs. They get up, they make a few big shots, they take the lead as it seems and it seems like you're down. But I mean, then we hit shots and we come back or we get a stop on defense. You know, that's why I love the game of basketball. Hopefully if you're playing hard and your fight is there, we had multiple chances. We had some good shots and good looks tonight, and you know, they just weren't falling for us. And it is frustrating but like Alyssa said, it wasn't for a lack of effort and it wasn't for a lack of fight. I can speak for everyone that we left it all out on the court. ALYSSA SMITH: I think one thing is, you know, we got a lot of stops on defense. We out‑rebounded them, I'm pretty sure we out‑rebounded them. I could be wrong but anyways, I mean, we didn't convert as well as they did. We didn't score off the steals. We didn't score off their turnovers and that was a huge thing for us. We got a lot of great looks and they just didn't fall for us. That's frustrating, because who knows, on any other night, sometimes those shots do fall for us. But they applied a lot of pressure, which is something that, you know, I mean, they are an athletic team and they are quick, and we have played against teams like that earlier on in the season. But it is tough to play against and it kind of gets you out of sorts sometimes. It's hard to come back against a team like that, especially when we do dig ourselves a hole, we have to be able to convert, which we weren't able to do tonight. Q. I don't know what your game plan was, but I imagine you did everything you wanted to do except make shots maybe. COACH SELVIG: Yeah, and you have to give some of that to Georgia. They are pretty good defensively. I thought we did a pretty good job of getting shots, but we had 11 turnovers at the half and that was their pressure that did that. We haven't seen as good of pressure as they have put on us this year and the kind of pressure; so we end up with 20 turnovers, which against them isn't horrible. We had enough good shots, so that game could have gone‑‑ we could have stayed with them. What they did is when those spurts, like when we were at two, that score, they transitioned a couple of those to steal a basket and nail a three, and they did it so quickly, and we never scored that quickly. It was just tough. Q. What was the attitude of the team at halftime? COACH SELVIG: Yeah, I mean, we are pretty fired up. We had a slow start in that game, and we finally started coming back and making shots and finally started getting some stops. There were stretches in this game where they had a hard time scoring. They still end up getting 70, because boom, boom, they scored so fast. But I think, what was it at half, 32‑25, that's very manageable, and that was after a slow start for us. I felt we would get better against their pressure just because we threw it around the gym a little bit early, because I think we were a little excited. So they were fired up. We came out, the start of the second half is always important and I thought we didn't take control of the game but we certainly were assertive and got it right down to where it was hopefully going to go down to the wire type game. But again, Georgia did a heck of a job, they hit big shots when they needed it, and they hit two threes when they needed it and they started getting into Hassell late there. They played better than us. They had more weapons to score tonight. Q. Maybe not what you wanted there at the end, but having all those young girls, what does this mean for those girls moving forward? COACH SELVIG: I think it's valuable. Being in the NCAAs, which we've had the good fortune to be some and I think we were two years ago, I think it motivates the kids. It's a great atmosphere here. Gonzaga, because they have a great following, it's a great atmosphere, we are playing the SEC, one of the premiere programs in the nation, we played them toe‑to‑toe most of the game and those are the kind of things that should fire you up. We always play ten‑deep, we didn't have Shanae; wish we would have had her tonight. But a couple kids who have not played as much got in tonight and they played well in practice. I think the experience is valuable, not only to be a better basketball but just for your college experience. I'm very happy that our kids get to do this. Q. Looking at this group of seniors that you're going to be losing what have they meant to you for your time here? COACH SELVIG: They are serious basketball players. They want to win, they want to compete, they want to get better, and they are great people. I mean, it's all you can ask for as a coach. And as they said, and it is really true, there wasn't‑‑ actually all four of them, there wasn't a drill in practice or a minute in a game where they weren't competing like crazy, and that's what I ask of them; they don't play perfect, but it was never for lack of effort and they are just why you coach. They are great people and fun to be around and they have enriched my life. Q. Specifically, talking about Katie and Alyssa, very emotional for them. COACH SELVIG: Yeah, it's always hard. They accomplished a lot of what they wanted‑‑ they were so determined this year, we are going to bring the tournament back to Missoula and go to the NCAA; we went to quite a few; we didn't go to a couple. They were so thrilled when we did that, and they‑‑ you know, we lost some games where we didn't play very well this year and I'm sure some people probably thought we weren't very good but they never ever‑‑ they knew what was going to happen. I didn't know we were going to do that necessarily. I told them, I said, you guys made believers out of me. In fact, every time they lost a game, they came back with a vengeance, and bounced back, where you might get discouraged they got motivated. Alyssa and Katie, can't remember a drill that it wasn't giving everything they had. Boy, that's fun to be around. Q. If you could say something about Torry, it seemed like she came a long way at point guard? COACH SELVIG: She played well tonight, had a little shaky start, turned it over. Their pressure was not all Torry's fault, but she made big shots. What Torry's become, you look at her and think, she doesn't look very fast and quick; she has become a really good defender. She did some brilliant things on defense tonight, not only pressuring kids that look an awful lot quicker than her but she was in help and her mind‑‑ she's someone I never said for two years that she ever did anything good on defense. The lights clicked on for her, and so I'm really proud and she's become a play‑making guard. She kind of scoots around out there. I thought she really played well tonight after that little bit shaky start. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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