Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga 42, Kennesaw State 64
Chattanooga, Tenn. | The McKenzie Arena
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Head Coach Deandra Schirmer
Opening statement
"I feel like we started off with a strong defensive effort. We had one miscue for that wide open three at the end, where otherwise they would have scored 10 points in the first quarter. From there, we lost our composure. I felt like offensively we kept turning over the basketball, which was leading to scoring for them. So not only were we not scoring, but they're getting out in transition and they're looking to score the basketball. I really thought that in the second it was a tale of them being able to impose their will defensively and us not being able to take care of the basketball and manage their pressure. Then coming out in the third, I felt like we did make a push towards it. I think we whittled the game down to 10 or 11 points and trying to make that comeback. Credit to their team, they hit some big shots down the stretch which kind of forced us into a zone. I felt like we had some pretty good rotations and then the last five seconds would get a little bit too tight. This is a tough game for us. I fell like in every other single game, we've been competing, we've been in it. I think this is a game where we've got to go back to the drawing board and find a way to win. As a coaching staff, that's my responsibility. I know my players are playing hard every single night, and I've got to do a better job of putting them in a better position to win the game."
On being successful in games
"I feel like we've got to simplify the game. Right now we're overthinking on everything whether that's offensively or defensively. We've got to make sure that we make the game as simple as possible from a scouting perspective of rebounding is the most important thing. We talked about it, but it was a number of different things that were on that board that we talked about. I think with this groups it's matter of addressing some weaknesses that we have as a group and finding out a way to counter those. They did a great job exploiting some of our weaknesses. They did a great job of pounding the ball inside and getting some easy scores inside. They a also exploited us 1v1. I thought they had some great 1v1 baskets. From my standpoint, it's really about trying to strip the game down and make it as simple as possible when we're preparing for a team like this. We're trying to think of all the things that we're trying to think of all the things that we can do, and we've really got to make one or two things and be really good at it."
"I think from our standpoint, some of those scoring inside was, was us trying to be aggressive down the stretch, because we're in a position, we're down in the fourth, and we're trying to trap and do some things, but I also feel like we're getting looks inside. I mean, the first play of the game, we get a wide open layup, you know, and we're not able to finish. So I think that the looks that we're getting inside, we've got to be more particular about that. But then also, when we get them, we got to finish. And I think that trying to teach a new system a lot of times, you can get lost in the X's and O's. And I think as a staff, we've got to do a better job of working on the individual player development, because we're getting good looks. It's just we're not hitting them. You know, we're a lot of times, teeing off. And as you see, we shot 28% from the floor. I think that we we've got to do a better job of hitting some some good looks."
On the play of Caia Elisaldes
"Right now, I'm asking a lot of Caia, and that's a very tough role to have. And right now, we're running a lot of our offense through Caia, a lot of our defense through Caia. She's having to play like, 40 minutes a game a lot of the time. And, you know, I think that to see her go down, you know, it kind of takes a gasp from everybody on the on the bench, from all of us, because we know how much she means to us and how much she means to our team. And I feel like she's tough as nails. And, you know, she wants to be out there, and she's like, you know, I want to go in, but I think that she's, such an important piece to what we're trying to do, and so seeing that was a little bit of a gut check, and I'm glad she's okay, and, you know, I'm glad she was able to finish out."
Karsen Murphy, Gr., F
On the physicality of Kennesaw State
"I think one thing we've been struggling with is kind of coming out with the first punch and setting the tone ourselves. And I think we kind of let Kennesaw do that. We let them attack, we gave them what they wanted, kind of thing. And like you said, you can't necessarily prepare for how quick somebody's going to be, but mentally, you can at the same time. And I just don't think we were. We let a lot of turn downs on the baseline, gave them wide open looks in the paint. Forty eight paint points, like, that's it's frustrating to look at, but I just think this is the game we're really gonna have to grow from and learn from and we can't hang our heads. Conference is right around the corner.
