Women's Basketball

Wisconsin vs. Marquette Postgame

Coach and player quotes

Women's Basketball

Wisconsin vs. Marquette Postgame

Coach and player quotes

Quotes vs Marquette
 
Coach Johnathan Tsipis
 
Opening Statement: "You break games down into smaller battles and there was a giant battle for us to come back at halftime, and I thought the third quarter may have been one of our more complete quarters of the year. Not just because we got the lead, but the way that we focused back on how we can be the aggressors.
 
'We talked as a team at halftime of how Marquette only had two team fouls, and that was because we weren't being aggressive on the offensive end the way we are capable of.
 
"I was really excited with the third quarter and then we lost our aggressiveness and you could see that in the press offense. Just wanted to be in the position where we can be in the advantage once we broke the press, and not only didn't we run successful there for a period of time, it's a reason that we allow somebody to shoot a really high percentage in the fourth quarter, and get to the free-throw line.
 
"Hats off to Marquette, they kept with the press. I thought we did a good job for about three and a half quarters of it, but not for all four. I think that's the difference you see.
 
"The aggression on the offensive glass where they have 13 and we have four, and then that difference in 14 turnovers versus 19.
 
"When you're talking about a two-possession game, and even though the two young women next to me (Marsha Howard and Cayla McMorris) were very aggressive on the offensive end, it was the aggressiveness of getting the ball in, being strong with it, meeting passes, things like that, that I know our kids can do a better job, and they know it themselves. They know they get a chance to go to the free-throw line.
 
"I thought Marsha did a great job of establishing herself on the block, in our pick-and-roll action around the rim, she just really took her time and got herself balanced.
 
"I thought Cayla really diversified, she put the ball on the ground, she found her pull-up, just being able to do those two things were huge for us. When Cayla fouled out, I think the thing I'm most proud of her in the whole game is that she kept talking on the bench, to her teammates of how we were right there.
 
"And even when it got to 12, we're right there. There's a lot of time left, and again when it's a six-point game with 55 seconds left and we've got the ball with a chance to get it to one-possession, I felt like we felt like we put ourselves in a chance to win the game. And that's, as a coach, that's what you can ask for at the end of the game."
 
On not getting to the free-throw line in the first half
"I think at that point we didn't take advantage of getting more post touches. They started five guards today, with McKayla Yentz being kind of a swing kid, it dared us that they were going to switch screens. When we get touches inside, you're going to get to the bonus quicker, you put the ball on the ground and not settle for even open jumpers at times to dictate the action. We talked about that part, even more specific, in the second quarter, we had post (players) take two shots the whole quarter.
 
"I think our posts made some really good decisions in the first half, getting a swing opposite when they felt doubled and we got some open looks. But we have to have better balance. We talk about this with all of our players, it's about opening the basket.
 
"When you get to the free-throw line, get shots in the paint, get shots in transition and from offensive rebounds, it builds confidence. I think when we go back and look at the film, our problems are very controllable. I think it's a matter of something we can really control and we will continue to work on it."
 
On the turnovers at the beginning of the fourth quarter
"It's about withstanding a team for 40 minutes. There are certain times you're going to break a press. The pass Marsha threw in the first quarter to our pseudo-wide receiver Cayla McMorris went up and got, makes Marquette a little less aggressive because they don't want to get beat over the top. I'm not sure it's a matter of closing out a game, it's more so that you can never flinch against a press.
 
"That's part of what Marquette does – they change defenses, they change presses. We have to be like NFL cornerbacks and have a short memory. We have to forget our mistakes and move on to the next three. If we let two or three of them link together, it enables them to get to the line and into the bonus off those turnovers."
 
On the rivalry
"Watching last year's game for this year's game was a motivating factor. Marsha played six minutes and didn't score. Cayla played 20 minutes and didn't have her best outing. Even though they're not from Wisconsin, they have Wisconsin teammates that help them understand the rivalry.
 
"We know we're going to get the best from each Wisconsin team because we're the flagship school. It gives them incentive but it also gives us incentive to prove where we're at with our program. I talk to them a lot about being in the UConn-Notre Dame rivalry and it still kills me if Notre Dame doesn't win in women's basketball. They understand the rivalry and the importance of keeping that win here in Madison."
 
Guard Cayla McMorris
On the stretch in the third quarter against a good Marquette team
"I just know coming in from halftime, coach was telling us that we needed to be more aggressive, get the ball inside more and that was our mentality going into the third quarter. Just attack, because a lot of us had mismatches like me and Marsha. So just trying to get the ball inside to us and going up strong or getting fouled.
 
 
Forward Marsha Howard
On scoring with ease and whether or not confidence is growing
"This was a big game for us – huge rivalry. I just wanted to go out there and give it my all. In the first quarter, I started off kind of slow. With the help of my coaches and teammates my confidence began to build. Then I was able to dominate their post players down low."
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Players Mentioned

Marsha Howard

#11 Marsha Howard

F
5' 10"
Sophomore
Chicago, Ill.
Cayla McMorris

#23 Cayla McMorris

G
6' 0"
Junior
Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Players Mentioned

Marsha Howard

#11 Marsha Howard

5' 10"
Sophomore
Chicago, Ill.
F
Cayla McMorris

#23 Cayla McMorris

6' 0"
Junior
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
G