St. John's University Athletics
Postgame Quotes: St. John's 61, Rutgers 48
2/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2013
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Head coach Joe Tartamella
Opening Statement:
"Obviously, we are proud of our group and how they were able to handle the whole week -- which was a difficult stretch with the number of games we had to play, and the quality opponents and some travel issues. That's what I thought was great about today. Outside of the middle part of the first half, that's the only part that I thought we struggled, I thought we did a great job. The first four minutes and the last four minutes were really critical for us to push the game open heading in to the half. It was a typical battle between our teams, and a great effort from Nadirah and Briana, as well as our entire team. Mary Nwachukwu and Keylantra Langley really gave us great efforts. And like I told Ashley Perez, you may have only played three minutes, but you played a great three minutes and made a big shot for us. I'm very happy with our group right now and it's another step forward for us as we move on to the next one and we've got to be prepared come Wednesday."
On C. Vivian Stringer's quest for 900:
"I just started my career but I certainly understand and respect what Coach Stringer has meant to the game of women's basketball. I know that she has done a lot for our sport and for her players over a period of time. Anyone that can sustain a successful tenure as a head coach is doing a great job. I'm sure that she wants it (the hunt for 900) to be over, but she has been a fantastic part of our game."
On a balanced team victory:
"We have a group that we have to be grateful for. The bigger picture shows the growth that we have had as a group over the year. Earlier in the season, we may not have been able to recover if Shenneika [Smith] didn't have a great game, but now Shenneika understands that the players around her can pick her up and the others around her rally to get them going. Aliyyah [Handford] and Briana [Brown] are big parts of our team and when they're playing well and Nadirah's at the help, we have all pistons firing, but it was nice to see others step up."
Senior guard Nadirah McKenith
On being 6-0 against Rutgers in her career:
"Whenever you win and you can continue to win it feels great. Every win for us has been great, but for me to be 6-0 against Rutgers, it just shows that every time we play them, we play hard and to the best of our abilities. I don't really look at it too much because every win I had at St. John's has been great."
On teammate Briana Brown's progress:
"Briana was great today. She really stepped up and has taken a role as being a spark player for this team. She made a lot of big shots for us. I tell her all the time; don't hesitate to shoot, because she's been great for us the whole season."
Junior guard Briana Brown
On the team chemistry:
"Well, if one of us goes down, we all step up, that's just what we do for each other. Nadirah has been great; our whole team has been great! We just step up for each other."
On what Coach Tartamella said at halftime:
"He said that we just need to keep going and match their intensity, so we just kept our energy up and went hard in the second half."
On pace of game:
"We just go out and play. Sometimes things happen, there are going to be lead changes, but that is a part of the game. We just get back together and regroup, stay focused, and keep playing."
Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer
On her players knowing that Rutgers is on the bubble:
"That honestly does not make a difference, I don't understand what happens when the lights come on. I continue to be surprised at how poorly we play, but we have been playing like that all year."
On still looking for her 900th win:
"I'm going to get it before I die, that much you can count on. I am tired of talking about it, and our team is just trying to survive. I am seeing things with this team that I have never seen before in my life. Missing lay ups, five-foot shots, and not thinking before you make a pass. We have three more games and hopefully it happens."
On the if her 900th win is weighing on her team:
"Some of the time, the things I see makes me think that something is weighing on our team , and our inability to function. I have never seen a team that has far more talent than they are showing not play up to their potential. Lights, camera, action and they just need to play, and it has been embarrassingly poor. If it was weighing on us, it was weighing on us before we played St. John's. It would be different if I knew our team was just that poor. I concern myself with being mentally tough enough, and I know that is something we definitely lack."
