St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 75, Boston University 38
12/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2011
St. John's Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico
Opening Statement:
"It was really great for the first time all year to have our team together. You got a glimpse of what we're capable of doing. I was really excited to have Nadirah [McKenith] back and Da'Shena [Stevens] is getting better and better everyday. We played with great intensity. Boston University is always a real quality program and they play incredibly hard. We came out and just played tough, tough, tough defense and I was really proud of our effort. Like I said, it was great to have everybody back playing."
On having a healthy team moving into BIG EAST play:
"It's going to take a little bit of time. Da'Shena has been rusty. Obviously, having her presence out there and just her experience have made us a lot better, but she's still not where she was. She'll get better and better as the BIG EAST season progresses, but going into the year anytime, you think about losing her or Nadirah, those are really key pieces so it's great to have both of them back."
On the progression of freshman forward Amber Thompson:
"Having Da'Shena in there with her - either at practice or in games - is really going to help her development as well. She's going to have somebody that's pushing her, challenging her, and also somebody that is working on the defensive end and rebounding and showing her an example. She was kind of learning on the job. Now she actually has someone to learn from and that's really going to help her. She's getting better and better and has the potential to be really good."
On junior forward Mary Nwachukwu coming off the bench:
"In a different role than she's usually had, she really contributed which is nice to see. She hadn't been making an impact like she did earlier in the year, so we kind of put that on her to really contribute. Her role is going to be a little different, but make an impact, and she was able to do that."
Junior Guard Eugenia McPherson
On having Nadirah McKenith back in the lineup:
"I'm so glad to have [McKenith] back. She makes the game easier for everyone. Her presence on the court makes the game easy for us, so I'm glad to have her back."
On playing with a full roster being healthy and active:
"It's really nice to have our whole team suited up for the game. It makes a lot of people's jobs easier. We're going to see St. John's women's basketball, the way we can play. All the pieces are together and without them it's been holding us back a little bit. Now having everyone back we can show people what St. John's women's basketball is all about."
On what has changed for team in the last month:
"Having Da'Shena [Stevens] back. She's going to clog up the paint, get our guards open. Just having her presence inside and having [McKenith] back makes that game easier for all of us because it also spreads out the court."
Junior Guard Nadirah McKenith
On how her knee feels:
"I felt good for some part of the game and then I told coach that I needed a breather to get my breath back and get a rest, but I felt great, especially to be out there with my team again."
On whether she expected to start:
"I wasn't expecting it, but that's coach's decision, and I guess she needed me out there to go back to the starting guard and help my teammates get a win."
On having whole team healthy:
"It felt good to have everybody out there and injury free. Now everybody can see what St. John's women's basketball is all about with the whole team out there."
