Mizzou-Missouri Western Postgame Quotes
11/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Opening Statement....
"We had a hard time containing No. 1 for them, LaQuinta Jefferson; she's a great athlete. I didn't feel like we did a good job making the adjustments defensively that we needed to. I'm really proud of our effort on the boards. I like to see how we were running in transition, especially early on. We got into foul trouble. Our bench was a little bit short and it threw a couple of things off. We can't afford to have 23 turnovers; that's 23 empty possessions. Part of it is poise, part of it is decision making and those are areas we have absolutely emphasizing over and over for the last several months and it's still an area we have to get better at."
On how the amount of injuries will affect their playing...
"We'll see where it takes us. We have to do a better job of staying out of foul trouble. There were some tough calls, but it's exhibition for all of us. I think we have a great nucleus. We have several players that are playing minutes that didn't see the same kind of minutes last year so it's going to be a work in progress. I see a lot of potential in this group and I think when things get clicking and we all get on the same page with our defensive rotation, how we're guarding certain screening action, and the more comfortable we get playing with each other on the court offensively, we're going to have a lot of different weapons."
On whether or not she's concerned about the upcoming season after two close exhibition games...
"I think any coach in the country is going to be concerned going into the season - if they're not, then they don't fit into the norm. I think every year there are a lot of unknowns, including injuries like we had with Lianna Doty. We know that it's going to look different and we know that there are going to be some growing pains, but we can't do anything about it. We have to continue to guide, mentor and develop going into the season. Moving forward, we're not going to make excuses and we're not going to sugar-coat anything. It's going to be challenging. I know that I'm really excited for the upcoming season, though. I like our kids and I like their work ethic and focus."
On how Bri Porter played tonight...
"She's got such a nice touch; she has a very high basketball IQ. I think she's still getting comfortable with what we're trying to get done on the defensive end and different angles. She's still getting used to the motion office; it takes a bit for freshmen and transfers to get used to that. She plays with very good poise for a freshman and I was really proud of her for the way she came out of the gates. I think she's going to be a great addition for us."
Sophomore guard Sierra Michaelis
On the new offensive scheme...
"I think this year with a lot of new players that were playing an awful lot today, we've been learning how each other play. I think we're doing really well on offense and getting offensive boards. Juanita [Robinson] really stepped up as a point guard and as a three-player and Bri [Porter] really stepped up tonight, too."
On what they can improve on...
"Like Coach Pingeton said, defense, defensive rotations, working together and getting the ball swung. 23 turnovers are way too many turnovers, so turnovers, too. We need to work on taking care of the ball and our poise at the end of the game."
Freshman forward Bri Porter
On her comfort level...
"Well we worked a lot on the stuff that I wasn't so good with during the first game. We've been working on defense a lot and I felt a lot more comfortable with those rotations today."
On settling in with the team...
"I'm still trying to get the flow of it, but for the most part, my teammates and coaches have been getting on me about having an urgency about things and leading the team as well. I think I've made progress in a lot of areas. When you run the same plays over again, you see how the rotations go and know where to look next time. My teammates did a great job of putting me in a great position to pass the ball."
