POSTGAME QUOTES
Chattanooga vs. Austin Peay
Chattanooga, Tenn. | The McKenzie Arena
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Head Coach Deandra Schirmer
Opening Statement
"We're trying to look at a lot of different things to try and get us a boost. When in all reality, we've got to play better defense. I think giving up 16 points and 18 points respectfully in the first and the second [quarters]. That's too much. Obviously, hitting shots would help us, but I felt like down the stretch when we were really able to score in the third, it was our defense that was turning them over, and then we're getting out in transition. So as a coach, this is one of those games where you sit and you stew over it and you figure out, 'okay, where are we going from here?' And if there's one thing I know about this group, if there's one thing I know about the staff, we're going to figure it out. We just haven't done it yet."
On the team taking so long to get it figured out
"I think that we knew in losing, you know, three key defensive players in Sigrun [Olafsdottir] and Karsen [Murphy] and Brooke [Anya], I think we knew our defense was going to struggle a little bit. I am a little bit shocked at our offense. I thought our offense would be a little bit smoother at this point. I think that it's one of those things that the more you focus on it, the more anxious they get. And so right now, they're real anxious with the ball. We're very second guessing every single decision we're making offensively. That goes for the team, but that also goes for us as a staff. You know, we're trying to draw up some crazy sets to get us a score when, you know, ultimately, we just run our stuff, we're going to be able to get the look. So it's really about trying to steady the ship while we're in a storm and trying to find a way to get this team some confidence in a very tough schedule that we're going back and forth and playing a lot of games. I think that we've played a lot of games up until this point, but we haven't had time to kind of work on us. We're just next opponent, next opponent, next opponent. And I think that that's a disservice to this group that our coaching staff hasn't taken more time to work on us."
On the third quarter play of the team
"I think that we've shown glimpses and we're trying to figure out how we can get some consistency."
On the 3-point shooting from Izzy McPherson
"I feel like Izzy's a big piece of our team, and I'm really happy that Izzy is a member of our team. And I think that she hasn't been able to get into a rhythm yet this year, but I know that if we're gonna accomplish what we want accomplish this year, we need Izzy. And that's something that, you know, we're going to really lean on her development and her getting confident. And I think that you know, I remember back to somebody who's on our coaching staff, coach, Nicole. She actually went 0 for five, I think, in a game and the next game, she was like seven of eight. not saying that's going to happen, would love it to happen. But I think that we as a coaching staff are looking at shot selection and game on the line, I like Izzy shooting a three. We just haven't been able to connect yet."
Gianna Corbitt, So., F
On what the team can do to help the coaches
"Kind of staying together. Working on it, obviously, all day, every day in practice, but trusting our coaching staff that they'll put us in the right positions and put the right plays that we need and just continue to work on it. We trust each other, we trust on coaching staff, and ultimately leaning on the returners as far as knowing the opponents and like just guiding the newcomers where to go. But we'll get it. We'll get it now."
On what the team can take from a game like today's
"Learn from it, grow. Take what we need to do better and focus on the next thing."
