Feb. 28, 2008

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Q: How difficult was it to defend Lavender in this game?
A: Well, we just struggled to guard her. She is just a tough match up for us. I know there are other teams that have been able to do different things for us. But, it's just a really hard match up for us. I don't remember the stats she had from last game, but I'm sure she probably had a double-double against us. She is just one of those players that we struggle to keep her from scoring. So, we will try to do something different next time. We tried something different this game and it didn't work. If we are fortunate to get to play them in the Big Ten tournament, we will try something else to see if that works. We cant guard her one on one, and it's even hard to double team her. She makes pretty good plays even against the double team.

Q: Coach, were you pleased with the effort tonight, especially playing a good team like Ohio State?
A: I was very pleased with the effort. We fought for 40 minutes, which we haven't done in a while. We had significant contributions from really five or six players. But the effort was there. The belief was there. We were 20 seconds away from going into overtime, and anything could happen in overtime. But overall, I am very pleased with how we competed. There are some things that we need to get better at. But the competitive fire was there for us to take this game.

Q: Could you talk about the last possession and what you were looking for and what you were looking for to open up?
A: We definitely were going for the three. We were going for the tie and go into overtime. I think my chicken scratch on the board confused them a little bit because we never got in the set that I wanted them to get in. We had three screens going, one for Briane, another one for Kam coming off, and a third one for Tyra. We got into it and I just think my coaching scribble may have confused them a little bit.

Q: Can you talk about Janessa's performance tonight, especially in the second half?
A: I agree with what she said, she gave us that fourth person. I have been telling you guys how important it is to get those four players in double figures, and she did that tonight. She got some rebounds for us and some second half points. And I think that is what we need. She came off the bench and had a lot of energy for us.

Q: Can you talk about Kam's last game? Is this the Kam that people have came to see in the years past?
A: Well, I definitely think this is the Kam of old, and the Kam Gissendaner that is the leader of our team. I thought at the very beginning of the game, she came out with the will to score and I think she gave us the confidence early on, so we didn't dig ourselves into a big whole. Just her attitude and effort carried on to everyone else. I'm happy for her that she had a great effort that she should have been proud of. If there is anything that hurts, it is that we didn't get on top for Kam on this night.

Q: Can you talk about how you have gone through this tough stretch and played so hard, but you are still coming up short? How do you describe it?
A: Heartbreaking. Heartbreaking. They want it so badly. The irony is, these are the games this year where we found a way to win. We found a way to win close games early. And lately, we have not been able to win the close games. I think Iowa came in and we were close down the stretch, and Minnesota was close and we didn't finish it out. It's tough, to keep getting close and not getting over the hump. But the character of this team is great, they are not quitting, they are not giving up, and even though they are disappointed with the way the game tonight, I do think we are getting better. There are some things that did not go our way tonight and we will look at those things and clean them up. I think they are the best team in the conference, and if we could score 84 points and go toe-to-toe with them, then anything is possible at Indiana and anything is possible in Indianapolis.

Q: What changed for you guys offensively in this ball game?
A: I think a couple things. One, we got out and ran. We got some easy baskets in transition which we haven't done. And we were very diligent in making that extra pass. Tyra Grant and Mashea Williams did a fantastic job of getting in the lane and kicking it out to shooters and we were able to make the extra pass and make the open shots. That is something we have not had enough of. Resulting of taking a lot of tough shots and not making them. But tonight we were aggressive on offense. We attacked the zone. We didn't spend 40 minutes of just passing the ball around and chucking up 3's at the buzzer. We were diligent in making the extra passes. And adding the transition to that, it just got our confidence going early. Once we get our confidence on offense, we are a tough team to stop because we do have a lot of weapons. But when we are not aggressive from the beginning, we can get extremely passive. And tonight we were not passive, we attacked, we attacked, and we got great shots.

Q: Can you walk us through that last possession and what you were trying to do?
A: It was a flare-screen on the right side of the court and they really just hungtight on defense. It was hard to get a screen. It ended up getting a broken play and I just had to let it go.

Q: Can you talk about the emotional impact of the game tonight?
A: This is my last game. It was emotional. It was my last home game as a Penn State Lady Lion. I just tried to leave it all out there. Most importantly, we needed a victory as a team and that's what the emotion I was playing off of.

Q: Is it mixed blessings that you played so well against this team and that the streak is still out there?
A: I'm never the one to be satisfied with moral victories. We lost and there are things we could've done better. At the same time, I really applaud my teammates because we fought for the whole 40 minutes. A couple of loose balls here and foul here and we're in the ball game, we're winning the ball game. We're going take this and learn from it. It just shows us that we are not by any means done. We have Indiana on Sunday and then the Big Ten Tournament starting on Thursday. We're just going to keep pressing and trying to get better.

Q: Playing a first place team this way, is there any doubt in your mind that any team could win the Big Ten Tournament including you guys?
A: Definitely, I think we showed that tonight. I definitely think Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten and for us to stay with them just speaks loads about our team. I think the Big Ten is wide open especially in the tournament.

Q: Can you talk about what it was like having to defend Lavendar?
A: We've defended Lavender before. We knew we just had to keep her under her average. We had to keep her off the boards. She's a big presence but she's a freshman just like I am, so she's going to make mistakes just like me. So I just had to pressure the ball and as a team we just needed to hold her under her average.

Q: Could you talk about your performance and how you felt out there today?
A: I knew I was coming off the bench today and it doesn't matter whether I start or coming off the bench. I'm going to play hard either way. I just knew I needed to be a big presence in there offensively and defensively. I could've done a better job defensively but I felt my presence offensively made some things. We had a better in-and-out game today.

Q: What turned around for you guys offensively in this ballgame?
A: All week we were concentrating on our offensive sets and running things through. When we get down to it and run our offensive sets through we get good shots and we good possession. That's what we were concentrating on all week.

Q: Is this one any harder to swallow than the other ones?
A: Yeah it is and I think it gets harder each game. Just like Kam was saying, we'll take out effort today into Sunday and then the Big Tournament. I think we're going to do big things from here.

Q: You guys have 10 straight losses. Does it ever feel surreal that you guys are in this position now?
A: Honestly, we go into every game thinking we're going to win. That's the attitude we have. We go by that every day.

Q: What were you looking for defensively on Penn State's last possession?
A: We liked our matchups. We liked Tam going up against Gissendanner. Because of the lineup they had in tonight, we weren't able to get that matchup as much as we wanted. Then you've got to go put a lot of three-point shooters on the floor, which allowed us to matchup Tam with Gissendanner.

Q: Can you speak to Jantel's efforts tonight?
A: Tonight, Shavelle and Ashlee were really banged up. They tried to go, but they really couldn't, so we had to play zone. I was reading the woes from all these local writers about the Penn State shooting, and I knew, as we were sitting in that zone, that they were going to get better. But that's what we had to play with. At the other end, I think we had patience and took advantage of opportunities. I thought Marscilla did not shoot well tonight, but when she got to the foul line she went 7 for 7 and took care of the ball, and made some timely passes to Jantel. I think Alison Jackson stabilized us and made some big baskets. You know you've got a freshman who is going to be a pretty good player when she's got a senior running down the floor with her, and she waves her off and takes the shot herself. That's a confident freshman, and so is Jantel. I thought our young kids did a very good job today in a situation that we really needed them to step up.

Q: Given the reputation that it could have on the Big Ten standings, do you think Ohio State needs to go back and look at that point from the Indiana game the other night?
A: We are going to work it by beating Northwestern on Sunday. I'm not someone who thinks about the past too much. We are just going to play Northwestern and go from there.

Q: Can you tell us about Gissendanner's play? This is her last home game and you have probably seen enough of her I can imagine.
A: Yea I'll be at graduation. I think she is a real good offensive basketball player. She's got a game, and not a lot of people have got a game. Even though she is a player who predominantly likes to go right, she is crafty. She is an old fashioned player who uses ball fakes, and ball fakes are a wonderful attribute to have in today's basketball because people like to leave their feet and play loose defense trying to block shots. If you are a ball faker, you get to the foul line a lot and you get a lot of great opportunities. She's just a good player.