Post-Game Quotes: Western Michigan
11/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant
On what she really liked...
We had 19 assists on 27 field goals, four kids in double figures, those were a couple of things. I thought we did a nice job with turnovers. That's what I thought we did a really good job on. We really took care of handling the basketball and held them field goal percentage wise. Those are a few things that stood out.
On the playing against Shane Clipfell...
I had their whole staff over at my house last night for dinner and drinks and it was weird, it was awkward. I don't mean that people-wise, it just didn't seem right not to be talking about our team so that was hard. I actually said to him before the game, `I've got to raise some money to get out of this contract' and he said, `please do because I don't want to play you.' I thought it would be okay but both of us after last night and today said that it's just too hard. You want to bring people back, but he worked with me for 14 years and we had a really good relationship it's just different. It's okay, but it was harder than I thought it was going to be to be honest.
On Hana [Vesela]...
She's going to be really good. She is always in foul trouble. In the Czech Republic they can set up different kinds of screens. She had a few fouls when we were at the Toledo scrimmage and she does a good job with screening someone but the problem is that it's a moving screen so we've got to clean that up so she can stay in the game. She fouled out today in eight minutes. She is a face-up kid that can shoot the ball as a five - like a face-up five - and she can really pass it and she can handle it and she's quick in transition and she has some nice low-post shots. She's going to be alright. She just has to stay the course. I just think right now she is over-trying and being a little anxious, which can lead to foul trouble. I'm excited about where she is at now and where she is going to go.
On the way the team moves the ball...
We have the depth situation, and we're working a little more on pressuring because we have some kids that can really do that. I think as a coach you really just have to evaluate what you have. This year, we are able to extend a little more and do some things that are fun. I think our kids really like playing that way. There have been a couple back to back games where we've shared the ball really well, and I think that really starts with the point guard play. Morgan [Green] didn't necessarily score very well but she had six assists. I think she can create some tempo and set people. I think that's different that we have a head to the monster.
On negatives from this game...
We gave up 12 offensive rebounds, we fouled them 26 times and gave up about 20 points at the free throw line. Those are the things that I talked to our kids about. I say every time that you step on the floor do you want to be down 20-0. To start a game, if you look at it like that, we're trying and it's hard and it's an adjustment. Fans don't want to come here and watch 51 free throws being shot. Nobody likes that. Nobody wants that. We have to adjust. It's not going to change in a season, so we have to do a better job with that.
On Aerial Powers...
She's looked really pretty good in practice so she's starting to do more and more right now which is good. We would obviously love to have her on the court at any point. It's a work in progress, and it's day to day. This is only her second week of being able to do live contact stuff. You can't just throw her out there and have her play 30 minutes. We have to build that base in practice.
Western Michigan Head Coach Shane Clipfell
On how his team competed...
That was our number one goal coming here. We knew this was a tough task for us against this Michigan state team....We were young at some key positions, we didn't have as much depth as we will have at some point, but we wanted to compete. We didn't know where that would take us or how long we might be able to hang around a game, obviously it didn't go so well with a 10-0 start to start the game, but I didn't feel like we ever gave up. I felt like our team competed and battled exactly the way we wanted them too. We had to abandon our offensive game plan for the most part early because of the huge deficit, that didn't help us any. Right up until that last five or six minutes of the game I really liked the team I saw out there, and the team is competing the way we want them to.
On coaching against Suzy...
It's not something I enjoy to be honest with you. Not to get all sappy here, but her and I have been in so many battles together. It was hard, it was a feeling I really didn't like. I'm a little embarrassed that I'm getting this way. I didn't show any of this (emotion) to my team. I just have so much respect and love for Suzy Merchant, and everything she did for me and the fact that they would actually engage in a three-game situation with us. But it was odd. I didn't know what I was going to feel like until the ball went up in the air. I coached my team, and it didn't change anything that way, but before the game and as soon as the game ended...it's a feeling in my stomach that was not enjoyable.
