Post-Game Quotes
Syracuse vs. Kent State
December 11, 2004
Head Coach Keith Cieplicki
On the game:
“I think Kent State is a very good team with a great history. It was a hard-fought game. What we’re trying to do in terms of pressing and keeping the tempo up, we just have to score more. It’s pretty simple. Besides the final score, I thought it was a good game for us. I know the score is fairly important, so I don’t want to downplay that, but with where we’re trying to go and how we’re trying to play, I still think we’re making progress. We have to learn from this one and bounce back next week.”
On how successful Syracuse was playing zone defense:
“I thought the zone was okay. Where they hurt us in the second half was that they decided to shoot the ball in transition. I think that’s where 30 (Melissa DeGrate) got her looks. I think overall the zone was fine. The bottom line is people are going to score. I think if we’re dictating who is scoring from where then we’re in pretty good shape. If people start attacking the pressure then we need to find the shooters quicker. That would be the adjustment we need to make.”
On if having young players affected the game:
“I think so today. Some of the young players are still learning the zone and the transition defense and those are things that are just going to take time. I think we have to live with the curve here. I liked our hardness today and I don’t think we faded. I think they played us very hard.
“We’re learning to grind it out a little bit, and let’s be honest, we could’ve been blown out today. I thought we hung on and kept trying to make plays. We didn’t make them today but at least we’re trying to make them.”
On the success of the press:
“There’s a tradeoff. We have to generate some scores off the press. Today it probably almost evened itself out. The bottom line is over forty minutes, if we can get one more score than they get, and we can tire them, then it’s worth it. We have to score to press so it’s a vicious cycle.”
On how Kent State’s center affected Vaida Sipaviciute and Chineze Nwagbo:
“I think that’s why this is a good game for us to get ready for BIG EAST play. We’re going to see players this size. I think having Vaida here has helped Chineze practice against bigger players. Their team did a nice job scrambling and recovering and we just didn’t get a lot. They doubled down on Chineze, but they played her a little more one and-a-half, as opposed to just selling out, and I think she was a big factor.”
On the shot selection among the Orange:
“Sometimes it just becomes contagious. Everybody was making them against Binghamton and we had a lot of misses today. Sometimes when a team is physical like they (Kent State) were today, if you rush it a little bit or are a little uncomfortable then that’s the difference. Watching the game, my initial impression is a pretty good shot selection overall. I would still like to see us push the ball more and ourselves good quicker shots in transition. Hopefully that will come as we continue to play this style.”
Senior forward/center Chineze Nwagbo
On Kent State’s defense:
“You have give it to them. They played great defense. I think it’s hard for anyone to make plays from a double-team. I was just taking what the defense was giving me, which wasn’t a lot.”
On how the team’s defense has improved during the season:
“I think our defense has improved. The more we play with each other, the more comfortable we get with our roles and the better we know where people are going to be.”
Sophomore guard Lauren Kohn
On the game:
“Take no credit away from Kent State. They played great defense in the second half. I had a few open looks in the first half and knocked them down, but in the second half I didn’t get as many looks.”
Freshman guard Amanda Adamson
On how the team as improved since the beginning of the season:
“I think we’ve improved on offense and defense. The more we play together the more comfortable we get.”
