Post-Game Quotes: Michigan State vs. Michigan
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Suzy Merchant
On tonight's struggles...
We have to get other people to make some shots. They would triangle and two on us and double-teaming Aerial [Powers] and Tori [Jankoska] every time they get the ball. We have to put five people out there. Becca [Mills] isn't really a factor in terms of what they're doing to her. It's kind of "par for the course" in terms of how she's been playing. We knew they were going to come after Tori and Aerial. I thought in the first half Aerial was really trying to get the ball to her teammates. I thought against Ohio State she probably took too many jumpers, too many quick shots. We talked to her a little bit about being more of a playmaker, but then in the second half, if they [her teammates] aren't making them, somebody has to take them. She had 25 [points] and 15 [rebounds]. I don't know how much more those kids can do. We need other people to step up quite honestly. Those kids can shoot the ball. That's their thing. At least at 3 o'clock [during practice]. You need to be able to turn it on at 7 o'clock, but I did like our fight. We were down by 22 and we could've easily been embarrassed. Our kids fought back. I did like our fight in the second half. We're a team that has some limitations, but from a standpoint of what can we do, we just have to keep fighting and keep telling those kids that they can do it and give them confidence.
On obstacles against Cyesha Goree...
Well, we got into foul trouble. She's a tough matchup for a lot of people. She got her average. I wasn't really as disappointed in her situation as in Siera Thompson and Katelynn Flaherty. Those kids hit all seven of their threes. Those are the only two people that can really kill it, knock it down. I was very disappointed in our defense that way. We just did not defend very well.
On Aerial Powers...
That kid is a warrior. She's doing everything she can; it's just hard when other people aren't helping. It makes it difficult. I thought in the first half she was really trying to pass the ball more, but she's just such a competitor. We were down 16 at the half, and she came out and was a lot more aggressive with her shot. Her will, her drive, her competitiveness, it's not like she's sneaking up on people. It's not like she's 10 [points] and 10 [rebounds] double-doubles. This kid is like 25 to 30 [points] and she's getting 14 to 15 rebounds. The kid is a warrior. It's unfortunate that we've had all of these injuries. It's unfortunate that we have five kids who could start that are gone. I realize we're playing very limited, but I know that doesn't make it any easier. I'm a competitor as much as anybody and it's hard. In the first half she was just trying to get people more involved and trying to be a teammate that way. But then I think she thought she needed to step up her game and I think she had 19 second-half points.
On going into Sunday's game at Minnesota...
I'm just thinking about this game to be honest with you. We've tried to manage all season long with a lot of that. We've prepared for Minnesota. It was a disappointing night tonight.
Michigan Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico
Opening Statement ...
We knew Michigan State was going to make a run at us in the second half. They're a really good team, led by a great, great, great player. We thought we did a great job in the first half of really shutting both of their key players down, but we knew it was only a matter of time before they got some good looks. I thought our kids did a great job of sticking together, holding together, making plays down the stretch when we needed to, making our free throws. Madison [Ristovski] had a tremendous block down the stretch. Everybody that played gave us really good minutes and contributed. Just for our kids and our program, I think it's one of my proudest moments as a coach. When I first got to the University of Michigan, Michigan State was always the team in our state and they were a top-20 team year in and year out and an NCAA Tournament team. So that's something that we strive to be. So, for our kids to be able to come in here and for the first time since 2001, when they were in elementary school, get a sweep of them is just a great accomplishment for our seniors and the players in our program. So, I'm really proud that we were able to do that. They were tough here. They're always tough at home. It's such a rivalry game, but it was a great atmosphere and I thought it was a great basketball game.
On her team's defensive game plan ...
We just denied [Tori] Jankoska and [Aerial] Powers the ball and we face-guarded them the entire time. We said we were going to have to make the other kids make shots, and if 2 [Cara Miller] and 14 [Anna Morrissey] and 24 [Lexi Gussert] and even [Becca] Mills, who has typically played really well against us, they were going to be the ones that were going to beat us. We weren't going to let the other two [Jankoska & Powers] just do whatever they wanted to do. I thought we did a great job of that for about 25 minutes, and then Powers just really took over for her team.
On the matchup between MSU's Becca Mills and UM's Cyesha Goree ...
I thought Cyesha was tremendous. I thought she attacked from the tip. She drew two fouls on Mills and three fouls on [Kennedy] Johnson in the first half. She drew five fouls on their post players. I think they had to bring a kid in that really doesn't get a lot of minutes. Then, Cyesha got so excited she started to travel a little bit. But, she was super aggressive and I thought our team did a great job of finding her and establishing an inside presence, which is something that we always talk about. She established herself early in the game and I think that was a difference for us throughout the game.
On holding off MSU's rally in the second half ...
We talk about that all the time. We've got to be able to go for the entire 40 minutes. Aerial Powers is, I think, one of the best players in the country. Everybody got a chance to see her tonight. She's pretty incredible. We did a great job on everyone else and she just happened to have a typical night. They were going to make a run. They were playing at home, it was going to happen. We just needed to keep our composure and finish it out down the stretch and we did.
