Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga 57, Wofford 51
Chattanooga, Tenn. | The McKenzie Arena
Thursday, February 1, 2024
 
Shawn Poppie, head coach
Opening Statement
"Another one that we will take [SoCon win]. Obviously Wofford is a very good basketball team. I was interested to see 'where do we stack up?' We were first coming in and they were right behind us. I think we played that way to start too. We felt it out. We've got to get out of that habit. Once we did, I thought, there, midway through the first quarter through the second quarter we played more like us instead of like them.
 
"Second half, to be honest with you, I'm gonna have to watch film. It's hard. The way they decide to play, you gotta make shots. The way Sigrun [Olafsdottir] and Addie [Grace Porter] got shots, I'm not sure I would change it. I watched some film, but I believe in them just as much as anybody which made the game hard for Raven [Thompson] and obviously Jada [Guinn] down the stretch. Again, I'll watch film, but if they get 19 or 17 looks that are open in rhythm, let her fly.
 
"I'm glad we got the win. We did a lot of good things to come out with a win. It wasn't the prettiest, but I thought we played hard and together and found a way."
 
On defensive effort when ball is not falling
"I think it's a testament to our character, who we are as a team. A lot of times it's hard to play defense when you don't see the ball go through the net. We scored 18 points in the half, five in the third quarter alone and you see that lead just kinda slowly going away. I did not think our effort changed that much on that end of the floor. We continued to stick with the game plan. You have to give up some shots with who they are. Rachael Rose is a really good basketball player that has the ball in her hands quite a bit. You almost got to dare some other people to beat you, kinda like they did on our end. I thought we executed for the most part. They got loose a couple of times. A couple of fouls that I wasn't really a fan of. But I'm proud of how we were able to defend for most of the game even when offense was not going."
 
On defending Rachael Rose and her frustration
"Unbelievable performance. That was planned. I thought we could throw Caia [Elisaldez] on her at some point tonight in spurts. We let her get there early because Sigrun [Olafsdottir] gets a foul. Then I'm like, she is disrupting the flow. Rachael Rose is gonna score. She's gonna get points. The balls in her hand and she's that good of a player. But can it be difficult? I thought Caia made it difficult. For the 29 minutes she was out there probably 25 of it she guarded Rachael Rose, a true freshman guarding the Player of the Year and had wasn't scard of the moment. Really proud, and then she made shots. She's another 'when you're open, shoot it.' She's also a playmaker. She's added a big, big piece to us the last three games.
 
 
Caia Elisaldez, Fr., G
On guarding Rachael Rose
"I was excited the whole week. I thought this was a really good test for me and I take pride in my defense. I mean, I do offense too as a point guard, but defensively is where I really feel like that's my strong suit. So knowing I was going to have the opportunity alongside SiSi [Sigrun Olafsdottir], who I thinks a great defender, to take up that challenge. It was so much fun and I really was happy with how I did."
 
On staying prepared on the defensive end when shots aren't falling
"The defensive end is where I keep my mental space. It's definitely where I start and where I gain my confidence. As much as I was really happy with how I was shooting and scoring in the first half, it was, honestly, my defense that I was most proud of throughout the whole game. I could have scored zero or anything, but as long as I was helping my team defensively, I knew I was helping."
 
On making the free throws down the stretch
"I think I was a little nervous. I was just sitting there like, 'ok, really gotta make these," but honestly, it's something I work on before the games. I have to make 10 in a row, so I was just like 'think of these as another two free throws that you're shooting.' I was nervous when I walked up to the line, but as soon as I shot the first on, I calmed down."
 
 
Jada Guinn, Gr., G
On taking on the offensive responsibilities when the ball is not falling
"I wouldn't say I take it upon myself. I think Coach Poppie sees what's going on our there and he might call a play for me, so it just kind of depends on what the flow of the game, like how the flow of the game is going."
 
On getting on a run after Wofford had one early
"I think I was still kind of trying to get, like, a feel for the game. So after that first shot went in, it just kind of allowed me to be like, 'ok, you're good. You're settled into the game and just be aggressive and just do what you do.'
 
On being two games up on the rest of the league
"It's good to know that you have that two-game lead, but we're still not satisfied. We're up, but we still haven't played our best basketball which is kind of scary for the other team. It's good to know we have that cushion but we're still not satisfied with where we are."