Postgame Quotes vs. Wofford
12/9/2009 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Chattanooga Basketball
Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga 89, Wofford 71
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, Tenn.
Dec. 9, 2009
Chattanooga
Head Coach Wes Moore
On the game:
"Second half was better. In the first half, we gave up forty points and that's just not acceptable. To the average fan, they may think, 'why is he being so hard on them? They're trying,' but there are certain things we do in our difference defenses. Even though, it's man-to-man, we play it a couple of different ways and we are just having too many breakdowns. People are not doing their jobs and I know there are some freshmen out there playing some crucial minutes for us, but we just can't sit here and lose a few games until they grow up. They've got to grow up now. Until then, we've just got to keep working at it."
On winning the game:
"In the second half, our defense was a little better. We gave up forty points in the first half and that was scary. You can sit there and say Shanara [Hollinquest] was on the bench, but we still scored forty-one. Obviously, an eighty-two point pace, I would take that every night. Again in the second half, we had a lot of people hitting shots. Kori Penland came in and gave us a lift. Kayla Christopher has been feeling better out there. She has been shooting the ball better. We had four people in double figures, and Shanara wasn't one of them. I don't know the last time that happened. I don't want to make it a habit of her sitting out over fifteen minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, but it was good to see some other kids make some plays."
On physical practices:
"We've had trouble with other teams being physical with us and pressuring the ball, so we've tried to turn that up a notch or two in practice. We've had a couple of people take an elbow to the jaw, lip or nose. But again, we've got to get tougher. Clemson is going to come in here Saturday night and they are very athletic. They are going to bring some heat. We better be ready to handle that better."
On leading at the half:
"I was not surprised. I still think we have some talent on this team and that we can still be a good team with four freshmen on the floor. We were fortunate. We hit some shots and we shot forty-seven percent in the first half from the field and that'll keep you in some games. Again, I was more concerned with the fact that we gave up forty. We've played Tennessee, Georgia, whoever, we haven't given up forty in the first half a lot of times. It's disappointing no matter who you're playing to give up forty points."
Freshman Kayla Christopher
On how the team has practiced:
"Since we have lost, Coach Moore has stressed to be more aggressive. We have done more drills in practice to bring out the aggression and competiveness. We really stress that to be a championship team you need to be tough and aggressive."
"Our drills in practice have been the most intense and the most physical it has ever been. We have had people sent for x-rays for noses and busted lips. Even Coach Moore likes to participate."
On the slow start:
"We were struggling a little bit but we got it back together and were aggressive. We finished the game strong and what is important that we got it back together. We need to work on being tough and aggressive through the whole game. It was definitely a big improvement."
Redshirt Freshman Michelle Davis
On playing without Shanara Hollinquest in the first half:
"We kind of got thrown in there but Shanara [Hollinquest] and Megan [Rollins] set a good example for us, so we just try to follow their lead."
"We have a lot of young players that do not how it is out there. We have so many freshmen that need to grow up, learn how to be tough, and to handle pressure."
Wofford
Head Coach Edgar Farmer
On the Game:
"I thought we played a really strong first half. I thought both teams were doing a great job, a lot of back and forth scoring. The first half was really high scoring, but in the second half the Lady Mocs made a run that we just couldn't respond to. Losing to Chattanooga in the second half was the difference in the game. I was proud of the way our basketball team played tonight. We just didn't execute in the right moments in the second half. Overall, I thought we played with great intensity."
On the second half:
"We just weren't getting the good looks that we were getting in the first half. We were really getting it [the ball] inside and getting high percentage shots. We took more three's in the second half trying to get back in the game, so we didn't have great shot selection in the second half."
On containing Shanara Hollinquest:
"Shanara is a great basketball player, but I feel like Mahagony Williams, our post player, is equally as good. I think they bring out the best in one another and I think that's what happened tonight. Hollinquest is a great player who is going to have a phenomenal senior year."
