St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 71, Seton Hall 52
12/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 8, 2010
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- St. John's Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico
Opening Statement:
"Anytime you win a BIG EAST game, it's a good win. Obviously, I think there are still things I think we need to get better at. We are improving. We're doing a better job of sharing the basketball. Our assists have probably been better than they've been most of the year and I thought we showed some really good signs and Eugeneia McPherson was outstanding tonight. I think we need to get better rebounding and they did a great job on the offensive glass. Overall, I was pleased with our effort."
On getting a BIG EAST win this early in the season:
"We were happy to have that game under our belt and to play fairly well tonight. You guys have watched us all year long. We have struggled in transition and we've turned the ball over more than we would like and Nadirah's kind of been injured, out and back in, out and back in. But the last couple of games, we're really doing a much better job of sharing the basketball and running in transition, taking advantage of those opportunities. So the one positive, and I probably said it a couple of weeks ago, I really feel like we're going to continue to improve. There are things we need to get better at, but we're taking the right steps. And we are improving every day."
On if Eugeneia McPherson has turned the corner:
"I consider us to always have six starters. She's always been in the mix and the last three games she's started when Nadirah was coming off the bench. So her confidence is at a high. Nadirah's not kidding when she says (McPherson) is working extremely hard. She's probably one of our hardest workers and she probably was last year. But I think last year she didn't really understand her role and the transition coming from high school to college was a little bit more difficult for her. But her confidence is really high and she's playing really hard, she's playing well. She's a streaky shooter, but when she gets hot like she did tonight, she can really knock down some shots for us and she did a great job."
On the team's strong defensive effort against Seton Hall:
"It was really a slow start. Once we started to press, I think that really changed the tempo. At that first timeout when we went from the zone press back to zone is when we really made that run. The first four minutes of the game or first five or six until the timeout, we had played man and it was kind of even. But once we changed the tempo and tried to get up on them a little bit, I think that was definitely a factor in the game. When we can do that and we can pressure teams and we can get tips and deflections, it allows us to get out into transition, which is the strength of our team. And that really showed tonight."
On if McPherson's outside shooting helps fill void left by Kelly McManmon:
"I think that's the biggest thing. We don't have that go-to person. Even if Kelly was missing or Kelly wasn't knocking down shots, the defense was extended so much because they felt her to be a threat. So when we have streaky shooters, as we do this year in Shenneika (Smith) and Eugeneia, it kind of allows defenses to really sag on Da'Shena (Stevens). And that's really hurt her because they're really sagging and double teaming on her. But when you have somebody that can extend the defenses like Eugeneia did tonight and Amanda (Burakoski) is capable of doing it, that's another thing we talk to Amanda about every day. Get into the gym, get more shots up because we feel like she can become consistent like Kelly was. And I think that's another step in our development as a team - it's to find that person that's going to be consistent to knock down those shots night in and night out because it definitely extends the defense and it allows our inside game to develop a lot more."
Sophomore Guard Eugeneia McPherson
On if she expected to have such good game:
"I didn't know. But I did get in the gym earlier this morning, maybe 20 minutes before the team. I got in to get a couple of extra shots up because during the scout, I knew where they weren't going to play. Like all my 3's were probably open, so they weren't playing me."
On her confidence level this season:
"I think my confidence was a big part of last year. I really didn't have it and it troubled my game all season. I worked on my game all summer, so my confidence definitely got better and it's definitely helping my game."
Sophomore Guard Nadirah McKenith:
On McPherson stepping up to generate offense:
"I think it's huge that Eugeneia was hitting a lot of shots today because when I was penetrating to the basket, it was leaving her open. I had seen that she was making shots, so I kept going to her and she just kept making it and continued scoring."
On if she has recovered from injury after a solid night from the field:
"I'm getting there slowly. But I've just got to keep going to treatment and do rehab and I'll get better eventually. I just came in and did my best to tried to help lead my team to victory."
On how the team took over the game seven minutes in:
"We were excited to play our first BIG EAST game against Seton Hall. The game was going back and forth until we played our game, which is transition. I think we are the best transition team in the country and once we get out and run, nobody can defend us."
On how important the transition game is to St. John's success:
"We know that we can run the transition all the time, but we've just got to be poised and patient and make sure we don't turn the ball over in transition and make the right decisions to the right people that we're passing to in transition."
On Eugeneia McPherson's growth as a player:
"Eugeneia is an excellent player. She works hard all the time in practice and games. She gives 110 percent every time and we're proud of her tonight. She did a good job and she lifted us to this victory."
Seton Hall Head Coach Anne Donovan
On St. John's elevating the tempo of the game seven minutes in:
"Well (Eugenia) McPherson came in and changed the game. I mean she's someone that we had scouted pretty much as struggling from the 3-point line and she switched that on us pretty quick. I don't know about pace of the game. They scored off our turnovers and we turned the ball over way too much. Frankly, the pace doesn't scare me. That's the pace that we want to play. And as we get better and we get more talented and get more comfortable in that style, we'll be fine in that pace."
On coaching her first BIG EAST game:
"I was excited coming in, disappointed coming out. I think we competed hard through the end and as I step outside the competitor in me, that's the goal this year. It's to make sure we compete every minute of every play, beginning to end, no matter what the scoreboard says. And I think we did that. But I'm disappointed. I think we can play better and so it makes me excited for the next opportunity. I know there's not a lot of people out there that think Seton Hall can do much this year. And I would like to prove a few people wrong as the season progresses."
