Postgame Quotes
Chattanooga, Tenn. | McKenzie Arena
December 19, 2025
Final: Chattanooga 59, Western Kentucky 58
Head Coach Deandra Schirmer
On what she is most proud of
"The thing I'm most proud about in this game, obviously, it was a heroic effort comeback and I'm very proud of our resiliency coming back in a close game against a really talented team. But, you know, when Western Kentucky held to single digits in the third quarter and 24 points total in the second half. That's what won us the game. And having games like this allows us as a coaching staff to reestablish that, that it always begins and ends with defense. "We're going to have games where we're shooting the ball really great. Today was not one of them. But if you can find a way to win against a really talented team and you're only shooting 38% from the field, that's takes a lot of grit. It takes a lot of resiliency."
On how important her Assistant Coaches have been this season
"I would like to shout out our staff. I have the best staff in the country, and Coach
Nicole Heyn drew up a hell of a set two times to get wide open shots and win us the game. The rest of the staff, you know, I could go on and on and on, but my staff is fantastic and just very blessed to have not only talented players, but a talented staff."
On Caia Elisaldez
"I think she is the best point guard in the country. I think from my standpoint, having players that I trust is a luxury as a coach and Caia and Gianna can finish my sentences before I even say them. They can tell you what I'm thinking. They'll come off the court. They'll already say what I'm about to tell them in the feedback, because we've worked hard to establish that foundation of trust."
More on Caia
'On that baseline out-of-bounds, you know, just having a heads up play, knowing that it needed to go up with 1.5 seconds left. And, you know, also having the poise and composure to step up and knock down free throws, which those are her second game winning free throws of the season. So just really proud of her on that"
Caia Elisaldez, Jr., Guard
On where the team is at
"Our coaches have done a great job of putting us in positions to succeed. I feel like now that we're getting to a point where everyone's understanding their role, it makes our chemistry so much easier and it's amazing to see."
On the height advantage WKU had and any struggles that it caused Chattanooga offensively
I don't think the size advantage was the thing. I think it was just as beating ourselves. Like Coach D said, I think we sometimes overthink all the things we could do right and wrong. And I feel like with us not hitting shots and everything, that played a key part in like how we were reacting to things in the first half. I think WKU's a great team, for sure, and they were very big, much bigger than me, as always. But I think that our team handled the size really well."
Gianna Corbitt, So., Forward
On how previous comeback wins helped the team today
"It gives us the opportunity to not kind of be frantic because we've been in that position already. And then we obviously have amazing coaches and they have us in great sets that we always execute and just feel good in."
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