Chattanooga 70, Furman 63
Chattanooga, Tenn. | The McKenzie Arena
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Postgame Quotes
 
HEAD COACH SHAWN POPPIE
Opening Statement
"Thanks so much for everyone coming out tonight. Thanks for the crowd. A special, special night for many different reasons. Obviously our breast cancer awareness, really just cancer in general, you know to to play a sport that hopefully honors them in a way that we got their back whether they're fighting currently or have fought that kind of touched each and each and every one of us, I'm sure even in here different ways and so a special night."
 
"I thought our kids came out and competed yet again. We executed for about three and a half quarters. I'd like to finish a little bit better, but overall we got the job done. I think it could have been very easy to overlook tonight with as big of a game as Saturday was leading into the week. But I thought we really stayed focused, locked in and had some really good performances. Who you just talked to, Yazz. That kid has been battling some illness all week. Went through half a shoot around today. And I told her that we're going to probably try to do the same thing on Saturday because she was pretty special tonight."
 
On Furman's defense
"I wasn't sure how they were going to guard ball screens. Up at their place, they switched one through five and it kind of gave us some fits. The last handful of games through their last four. They had not really switched with their five. We went to some actions realize they were switching. We had kind of put some things in this week to really spread them out. And I thought our kids did a really good job of playing one play ahead, you know, we would get an action they would get an advantage and then set a catch and hold and we made the next play. Obviously, we've found ways in the probably six of our last seven games to move Ray around. We've got her in the blocks some and on the perimeter some and I think some of that's taking some pressure off Yazz, so all that stuff mixed together. It's given us a nice healthy balance of inside out."
 
On moving into sole possession of first place
"Well, it's what we've been talking about since the day I stepped foot on campus. Now with that said, we thought if our kids bought into a culture we could get to that. Gene [Henley] tried to jinx us back in October by saying we're going to be the champs. And I said 'hey, we'll talk about that in house' but you know, that's what we're fighting for and to have that sitting right in our hands. We control our own destiny is a fun thing. Some coaches are scared to talk about it. I'm not because they're gonna hear from somewhere and so we talk pressure. Pressure is a privilege and we put ourselves to we can feel pressure but it's a privilege and now we just got to keep being ourselves and we got a tough game against Wofford. They did a really good job of spreading us out at their place and we're gonna have to celebrate this thing tonight. Get back after it tomorrow and put a good performance together Saturday to hold this thing."