Syracuse Postgame Quotes
vs. Long Island
Syracuse 90, Long Island 36
November 22, 2010
Syracuse, N.Y. - Carrier Dome
Head Coach Quentin Hillsman
“The only thing I can say I’m not pleased with the rebounding, we didn’t rebound well, but that is about it. Other than that we had a very good offensive game, shot the ball well. Everything that we’ve done and we worked on came together tonight. In the rebounding we were kind of stretched because we really got out on their shooters, I was really worried about their shooters. A lot of the rebounding was probably just us being out of position, overcompensating for their shooters. We knew the only way they could beat us was to make 12 or 13 three’s and actually be in the ball game. We didn’t want to give them three-point shots. A lot of rebounding was just long rebounds. They got 18 team rebounds and that is a lot of team rebounds when the balls are bouncing long and things like that.
“Carmen (Tyson-Thomas), Shakeya (Leary) and Erica (Morrow) played a really good game. La’Shay (Taft) shooting the ball, all those things were huge for us. I’m very happy with the win, happy everyone is still healthy and we’ll go home for Thanksgiving healthy, 3-0.”
On Erica Morrow’s performance:
“She is just taking better shots and they looked at her stats and were going underneath every screen. She was really able to come off and shoot the ball. They went under every screen that we set so she got some pretty good looks at the basket and it was by design. They were going underneath every screen to make her shoot the ball, obviously she is a very good player and she is a scorer. You give her those kind of opportunities she is going to make shots.”
On how well the team played defensively:
“I think you just said it. That is definitely it. We wanted to really get out on their shooters and we did that. We didn’t want them to get easy looks at the basket so we did play it up the floor some. They had a few things at the high post but as long as we didn’t give up three’s I’d be okay with the outcome because I knew we’d be okay.”
On what the win does for the teams confidence:
“The thing about this game is that it is not really about the points. We just played well and they didn’t make shots. Any night you can come out and not make shots and have that kind of outcome. We just executed our game plan very well. Our girls played really hard, obviously Long Island didn’t play their best, they won 20-something games last year and were in the championship game of their tournament. Coach does a good job over there and watching their tapes we were just watching a very good basketball team play. There scorers just didn’t score that many points and it happens. She does a very good job over there and when we put this schedule together we put them on the schedule for a reason because we knew we were playing a good basketball team. Some nights you come out and things don’t click and they just don’t click. We had it going so it was just one of those things.”
On the play of redshirt freshman forward Shakeya Leary:
“She is a very skilled player. She can put the ball on the floor, she can shoot the ball out past the three point line, she is a very skilled player. Obviously when you have Kayla (Alexander) in foul trouble you have to have players that can step in and do it. Troya (Berry) gave us a nice physical presence on defense and she did some good things in the paint too. We have some good post players and can throw the ball inside. We have post players that can step in and give us a high-low dimension.”
On how much more emphasis there is on guards making jump shots with Kayla Alexander in foul trouble:
“They have to make shots regardless because if they don’t make shots they’re going to double team (Kayla Alexander) anyway and she won’t be effective. She got a couple foul calls that I thought could have went either way, the last foul she had she was vertical and the kid made contact and they called a foul. There were a couple questionable things but the foul before that she swatted when she didn’t have to. She put herself in some positions not to be in the floor. She’ll be fine, she played well up until this point but overall I’m very pleased. Overall I’m just very pleased with my team, they’re just great kids and they’re going to play hard every possession. That is all I can ask for as a coach, for a team to play hard and respond to your coaching and they did that and do that all the time.”
Erica Morrow, Senior, Guard
Talk about your defensive play, the number of steals you had and how you jumped in front of a lot of passes:
“We’ve definitely been doing a great job playing up the floor. A couple of times when they go to a three-guard offense on top, we’re out numbered cause we’re in 2-3. So our forwards get the credit for playing up the floor and our offense is playing big.”
Every time Heidi Mothershead got the ball, you guys would crowd her, was that a big part of the game plan?
“That was definitely a big help. We go over scouts – our coaches do a great job with the scouting reports and getting us prepared for the game. It’s definitely a big help to know when your guarding ball and you have a shooter coming. Our bench has been big from the coaches down to the managers, down to everyone, we all know the scouts. It’s a team effort.”
You had balanced scoring tonight from Carmen Tyson-Thomas, La'Shay Taft, and Shakeya Leary:
“They definitely both made plays. Shay [Lashay Taft] is going to open up a lot for us as a team because she can shoot the ball so well so the other team is going to have to go out and guard her. Shekeya [Leary] causes mismatches all over the floor because she’s big but she has guard skills and a guard mentality. I played with her in high school so I already knew what she was capable of. I’ve seen Shay [Lashay Taft] play and they’re both great. I’m just glad they’re stepping up early because once the BIG EAST starts, there’s kind of no turning back. I’m proud of them as a teammate and want to keep being successful.”
When Kayla (Alexander) gets into foul trouble does the mindset change on what shots you are looking for?
“Like Coach [Hillsman] said, once you start playing within the BIG EAST you don’t get a lot of open shots so the ones that you get you have to take, off of the glass and less rebounding. It’s a different look but not much. We have Troya Berry stepping in who plays big and physical down there and we have Shekeya [Leary] whose great from the post and is a great feeder for us. So it’s a little different look but not much of a change. We have a lot of skilled players, it just depends who the matchup is.”
How does tonight build your confidence moving forward?
“It definitely does because we can go home for Thanksgiving and not think about the kind of practice that we would have when we come back. It’s a confidence builder because we can make changes, we can make quick turnarounds, and make changes within the players. Coach [Hillsman] is going to coach, he’s always going to be right there with us every step of the way. But at the end of the day, if we don’t execute on the floor, if we don’t come together, if we don’t know our scout, if we don’t focus on the things we did bad last game, it won’t work. Like I said, I’m proud of my teammates and proud of everyone because I feel like, I don’t want to say we are turning the corner because we have a long season, but I feel like we’re maturing a little bit, which is everyone stepping up and doing what they have to do.”
How much did Carmen Tyson-Thomas’ back to back three pointers help to get things going offensively?
“It gets us going. We shoot everything we play. We know there’s going to be different stretches where we might not make many baskets but we have to do the other things. I felt like we rebounded the ball pretty well and we guarded their players, we stuck to our scouts. We just got through it and good teams work through it and I think that’s what we did tonight. Kudos to Carmen for getting us out of that.”
Iasia Hemingway, Junior, Guard
Talk about the defense, there were no open looks for Long Island:
“Like Erica said, we played our game well today. Coach Q [Hillsman] always says play up the floor if they have shooters and so when they do rotate the ball, we are already there and then they can’t get any shots up. Then Kayla [Alexander], Keya[Shakeya Leary], and Troya [Berry] are in the back, big and taking out the rim and taking charge of the paint.”
How important was winning this game before Thanksgiving?
“It was kind of shaky but we got through it. We got the “W” so that’s what matters, and when we do come back we want to get into the gym and work on our passing and stepping to the ball and limit our turnovers.”
Carmen Tyson-Thomas, Sophomore, Guard
What kind of game does this do for you personally, knocking down those threes and finishing with 16 points?
“I think it makes us all feel good. We shot 42 percent from three-point range so we want to keep that percentage. That’s a good percentage shooting wise for the game and just about the same percentage for field goals. Personally, it does make me feel good, coming off of not making shots and bad shots from last game, so personally it does make me feel good.”
What makes you keep taking three point shots after missing your first few?
“Coach Moody always tells me to keep shooting. To shoot out of it, that’s the best thing you can do as a shooter.”
Can you tell the team fed off of those back-to-back three pointers?
“Yes, yes, making those shots and we started getting to the boards more. So it was kind of hand in hand, the shots and the boards. It gives us more energy.”
Talk about the defense forcing 31 turnovers:
“Defensively, we scrambled more, we were active, and we had aim. That’s where we want to end up as a team, force them to turnover and keep ours down.”
