Kentucky Women’s Basketball Postgame Quotes
Memorial Coliseum – Lexington, Ky.
Kentucky vs. Arkansas
February 15, 2018
Kentucky Head Coach Matthew Mitchell
Opening Statement …
“Well first thing I want to say is happy birthday to Ken Born tonight who’s in charge of the scorer’s table for us here at Kentucky. We vowed to get a win tonight for Ken for his birthday and the players did it. So, happy birthday Ken! Way to go!
I’m proud of the players that was tough at 45-45. Arkansas was hot from the 3-point line. Up to that point we were having a hard time in the game but, I’m just proud of our team being able to close the game out and get a much-needed victory. We needed that victory very, very badly. They worked hard down the stretch, executed well and finally we were able to get Arkansas to miss some shots. We were not great on defense tonight—guarding the 3-point line— but I thought our offense was really good and we’re continuing to improve on our execution. So, I’m proud of the players and great win for us.”
On Maci Morris’s performance …
“She has really played well. It’s amazing. They were playing tough defense on her. She’s making that mid-range, semi-contested jumper that’s not a great shot for most players but for her right now it’s a great shot and she’s making it. It’s a really strong shot and it’s tough. She’s doing a good job in the 2-man job too so she’s playing well for us offensively. She’s really clicking on all cylinders.”
On five players in double figures and three being freshmen…
“It’s huge. Having all three freshmen in double figures. They’ve been working hard. I thought Tot’s (Tatyana Wyatt #14) 3-pointers were very timely and big momentum swings in the game. I thought that our team got a lift and I thought it hurt Arkansas when she got those because they were defending well and those were tough shots. At the time, it was a very tight game and so, I’m really proud of the freshman they’re all working hard. KeKe (McKinney #3) four offensive rebounds were absolutely necessary and Dorie (Harrison #20) really set a good tone for us in the post where we felt like we could get down and score in the post then Arkansas started double teaming her and she was still able to operate offensively very well. I thought Amanda (Paschal #12) was really good for us in the first half, really played well, we really needed that. A lot of good development off the bench and people came in and contributed.”
On the team’s defense down the stretch …
“We got a little more active. We started playing the zone out and then Alyssa and the backside forward started handling the high-post a little bit. Arkansas has a great scheme versus the 2-3 and really outplayed us in a lot of possessions but we were finally able to match up with the shooters and try to make them score there in the paint and that was difficult for them. It was a good job of the team really digging deep and adjusting to a very hot team that can get in your head and you can get really discouraged. We were missing layups, they were making threes and it could have gotten away from us there. Good for the players and they did a good job in that stretch during defense.”
On the upcoming South Carolina game …
“They’re such a great basketball team—very talented, always well coached, always a good game. It’s important for our team to prepare well, go over there, battle and win the game by working hard. We need victories badly right now.”
Kentucky Student-Athletes
#4 Maci Morris, Guard
On the importance of coming back after Razorbacks tied 45-45 …
“It was huge. It showed us just how mentally tough we can be and just how we can adjust to other teams when they’re on a roll hitting shots that we can come out and just adjust a few things and be good to go.”
On what’s driving her and allowing her to click on all cylinders right now …
“Just knowing that my team needs me to score. I know that’s my main job and so I have to be efficient with that.”
On the abundance of Kentucky players scoring in double figures tonight…
“It’s really nice. It gets a lot of pressure off me for sure, and so it makes me happy too, seeing them being successful. It’s been a lot of fun seeing them grow.”
On the biggest difference in holding Arkansas’ 3-point shooting down in the second half…
“Some of our guards, we were just sinking in too much at the high post and they were just kicking out to the 3-point shooters and so we just adjusted to that, quit sinking in, just matched up a little bit better and we were just trying to run them off the 3-point line.”
#14 Tatyana Wyatt, Forward
On how hitting 3-pointers boosted her confidence…
“After coming in from halftime, just focusing more, and then after hitting the first 3-pointer just having more confidence in myself to continue to shoot.”
Arkansas Head Coach Mike Neighbors
Opening Statement…
“I thought we hung in there. We really battled. We had it at 45-45 and then Tatyana Wyatt kind of took over and made some big shots, got some momentum. We lost momentum and I thought they finished on a really strong note. “
On the second half…
“I think they got tired a little bit. It is a very hot gym to play in. We had a really weird week. We had a game that got moved. It was supposed to be a Sunday game and it got moved to a Monday, which is one less day. When you play as few kids as we do and rely on 3s, I thought that got tougher. I thought we got good shots. I thought it was the same shots that we made in the first half. Same kids. Same shots. It gets harder to make them when the score starts to get away from you. A little bit of fatigue. A little bit of closing out a little bit better and probably just an accumulation of a lot of variables going in there but that is the process. If we cannot make 3s (it’s hard). We did not turn it over much. I think during that stretch we got 12 or 15 really good shots with no turnovers. But, it was 45 to 45 if I am not mistaking and I think that Maci Morris had two free throws and she came out and she made them.”
On Kentucky’s forwards …
“Well, we aren’t real big in there and I know they work on it. Matthew (Mitchell) is too good of a coach and has too good of a staff over there not to watch film and understand that they can build from the inside out. You can hope Maci (Morris) doesn’t take more shot than 11. I thought she was brilliant tonight. I thought she just kind of let the game come to her and managed it. She didn’t press. She didn’t over shot hunt and if Wyatt makes 3s like that, they become really, really hard to guard in the half court for us. I know teams that have more size can’t but with us that becomes really tough. Harrison played really good at our place last week like that last time too. That last time around they all did.”
