St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 61, 32
1/16/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2013
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Head Coach Joe Tartamella
Opening Statement:
"This was a nice, solid win for us. It was a great opportunity for a lot of players to get in and give us a contribution, which is always nice. Our first half was a little sluggish, so we talked about that in the locker room and we came out in the second half with better fire. It was really important for us to come out in that first four minute segment [of the second half] and go on a run. We did, so our staff is extremely pleased and we move on to the next one."
On strong play in both halves:
"We played two solid halves. Even though we came into the half up 22, we didn't feel that we performed at the level that we wanted to. We talked about some things that we needed to clean up and get better at. I thought our last game [against Seton Hall] showed us that we could come out and play two solid 20-minute segments, and tonight was just another example of being able to do that."
On the first two games of Cedrica Gibson's career:
"Ced hasn't been healthy and she hasn't been able to practice. I've tried to explain to her to be patient and let herself get acclimated and she's doing that. Cedrica can play and she needs to play for us to help us down the road. She did a nice job tonight; she was agressive, she distributed the ball well and she was under control. For someone who hasn't played, we threw her into two BIG EAST games, her first action was at Madison Square Garden and she's handling it well."
On getting the team ready for Notre Dame:
"We don't really have to communicate that much, they know what they're about to go into and they know that every conference game, whether it's Notre Dame or Pittsburgh, is important and they're all competitive. If you don't show up, you're going to lose and they understand that. Obviously, playing against Notre Dame in the Joyce Center is a different environment, but I think we've tested ourselves in non-conference play to be ready and prepared for that."
Junior guard Keylantra Langley
On her strong play and confidence of late:
"Coming into this game, I just wanted to make sure that my confidence was high and that I played hard and aggressive. I had a talk with Coach [Tartamella] and just knowing that he has confidence in me helped a lot. My confidence is definitely higher, and playing well at the Garden [against Seton Hall] was a big step for me, so I hope that I can keep it going throughout the season."
On getting strong bench contributions going forward:
"That's very important. People can go down on any night, and other people have to step up. You never know when you're going to have to be that scorer."
Freshman guard Aliyyah Handford
On her energy from the opening tip:
"I have a lot of confidence, so I just go out and play and stay focused."
On her learning curve after 10 starts:
"It took a while to get used to [the speed of the game], but after practicing and getting work in, I've gotten used to the game."
On advice from veterans at the start of BIG EAST play:
"They've told me to come out focused and to play with confidence. Mostly, they told me not to be nervous or tight when I get in the game. Nadirah [McKenith] has really helped me out a lot by talking to me and giving me advice."
