St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John’s vs. Army
St. John’s women’s basketball Head Coach Joe Tartamella, forward Kadaja Bailey and guard Leilani Correa spoke to the media following their 96-60 win over Army on Monday
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella
On tonight’s game…
“I’m pleased we were able to put two halves together like that. More importantly, our whole team got involved tonight and players who haven’t seen as much time really had an opportunity to show some things and they took advantage of it.”
On team’s growth…
"To be able to win the game is the most important thing, but watching the growth through the game, especially for our bench and watching these two ladies and a special night for Leilani and for Alisha [Kebbe], and Kadaja has continued to be even more consistent than she has been in her career and she has been a pleasure to watch especially her growth this year.”
On Leilani Correa…
“Just as a player, I knew that she has this type of ability. I’ve been waiting to see it. For a player who is probably not used to coming off the bench, she’s kind of embraced that role to be able to give us a huge spark.”
On Leilani Correa’s performance…
"In the first 30 seconds to a minute in today were just different. The way that she was lifting and the way she was hunting for shots, I think that’s just part of her growth.”
On the team’s depth…
"The beautiful part about our group when we’re right is we’ve got the ability to run a number of players out there now and be able to contribute at a high level. Fifty-nine bench points, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a number like that for a team that we’ve had in my entire time here. We’ve got a number of players who have ability to be special on any given night and tonight was [Leilani Correa’s].”
On the team’s pace…
“We put an emphasis on trying to play a little bit quicker so the fact that we are making better reads this year, and that we have the legs to be able to do it, when we have an opportunity, we want to be able to go. I think being able to convert those opportunities is the second phase of that.”
On Kadaja Bailey…
"Kadaja had 13 points. She took a pull up today, which obviously fell down, and then she hit a three. When she started to expand her game, we know it’s there, but now she’s doing it in game. It’s fun to watch the growth there.”
St. John’s sophomore forward Kadaja Bailey
On tonight's performance…
“What was working for me was playing out in transition and just playing defense. We were making stops so we could push the ball.”
On what impressed her from Leilani Correa’s performance…
“She just kept going and didn’t stop. She played hard the whole time she was in.”
St. John’s freshman guard Leilani Correa
On tonight's performance…
“Everything was pretty much the same before the game. Warmups were energetic. We were able to get a lot of shots up today. Same routine. I think I just came out with a lot of more energy off of the bench then I usually have.“
On stats affecting her in game…
“I don’t really pay attention to numbers, I just play. When people were near the bench when I sat down, they would be yelling. I don’t really keep track. At the end of the half, I looked up at the scoreboard and I said “Okay, that’s pretty cool.” My teammates just kept yelling to me from off the bench, “You got this.”
On "peaking"…
“I think that is a fair way to put it. I didn’t get to have this summer with the girls, but definitely now, being comfortable with them, being in the gym with them more, I definitely have my legs under me now.”
On team's performance…
“It all starts on defense. We get in the gym and focus our energy on defense. Just getting steals, rebounds, and pushing in transition to get those easy layups are what really made it.”
On repeating tonight’s performance…
“I think we will go through this again. Maybe in a bigger game, maybe Sunday against Florida State."
On tonight’s game…
“I’m pleased we were able to put two halves together like that. More importantly, our whole team got involved tonight and players who haven’t seen as much time really had an opportunity to show some things and they took advantage of it.”
On team’s growth…
"To be able to win the game is the most important thing, but watching the growth through the game, especially for our bench and watching these two ladies and a special night for Leilani and for Alisha [Kebbe], and Kadaja has continued to be even more consistent than she has been in her career and she has been a pleasure to watch especially her growth this year.”
On Leilani Correa…
“Just as a player, I knew that she has this type of ability. I’ve been waiting to see it. For a player who is probably not used to coming off the bench, she’s kind of embraced that role to be able to give us a huge spark.”
On Leilani Correa’s performance…
"In the first 30 seconds to a minute in today were just different. The way that she was lifting and the way she was hunting for shots, I think that’s just part of her growth.”
On the team’s depth…
"The beautiful part about our group when we’re right is we’ve got the ability to run a number of players out there now and be able to contribute at a high level. Fifty-nine bench points, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a number like that for a team that we’ve had in my entire time here. We’ve got a number of players who have ability to be special on any given night and tonight was [Leilani Correa’s].”
On the team’s pace…
“We put an emphasis on trying to play a little bit quicker so the fact that we are making better reads this year, and that we have the legs to be able to do it, when we have an opportunity, we want to be able to go. I think being able to convert those opportunities is the second phase of that.”
On Kadaja Bailey…
"Kadaja had 13 points. She took a pull up today, which obviously fell down, and then she hit a three. When she started to expand her game, we know it’s there, but now she’s doing it in game. It’s fun to watch the growth there.”
St. John’s sophomore forward Kadaja Bailey
On tonight's performance…
“What was working for me was playing out in transition and just playing defense. We were making stops so we could push the ball.”
On what impressed her from Leilani Correa’s performance…
“She just kept going and didn’t stop. She played hard the whole time she was in.”
St. John’s freshman guard Leilani Correa
On tonight's performance…
“Everything was pretty much the same before the game. Warmups were energetic. We were able to get a lot of shots up today. Same routine. I think I just came out with a lot of more energy off of the bench then I usually have.“
On stats affecting her in game…
“I don’t really pay attention to numbers, I just play. When people were near the bench when I sat down, they would be yelling. I don’t really keep track. At the end of the half, I looked up at the scoreboard and I said “Okay, that’s pretty cool.” My teammates just kept yelling to me from off the bench, “You got this.”
On "peaking"…
“I think that is a fair way to put it. I didn’t get to have this summer with the girls, but definitely now, being comfortable with them, being in the gym with them more, I definitely have my legs under me now.”
On team's performance…
“It all starts on defense. We get in the gym and focus our energy on defense. Just getting steals, rebounds, and pushing in transition to get those easy layups are what really made it.”
On repeating tonight’s performance…
“I think we will go through this again. Maybe in a bigger game, maybe Sunday against Florida State."