St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John's vs. Yale
St. John’s players Danielle Cosgrove, Unique Drake and Head Coach Joe Tartamella speak to the media following a decisive 86-68 victory over Yale
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella
Opening statement...
“To play that we did today and the way that we came together in a way that we needed to was exciting. We shot it and ran our [offensive sets] as well as we have all year thought we played very tough. It was exciting to see our team come together in a game that we needed to. With all the other things going on, our toughness is rationing up. That’s what I love it’s what our program’s built on. ”
On the three-point shooting…
“Since the beginning of the year, it has been our goal to score 3 points from all positions in whatever way we need to, so today we were able to show that. Today was a good indication of where we’re hopefully headed, but we have been able to win games where we didn’t shoot well, so that’s good too. The way we played today, we’re taking what we see, and Bill [Ferrara] has done a tremendous job of getting our players on the right spots and putting in a system that you just saw on display.”
On Unique Drake’s performance...
“She’s been great [for] the last two games. We saw it from her coming off the bench. Today, she had to step up as a starter again, and she brought her experience with her. She’s a talented player, and we know. Unique had two of her best games in her career in the last two [games].
On what led to the big lead in the 2nd quarter...
“I thought job, offensively, of doing what we’re supposed to do. When we’re not playing well, we’re taking bad shots that result in points for the other team. I thought we did a better job, defensively, of locking in. We still have to get better. We are improving. [In] that second quarter, obviously, we made a run. [With] the way we started the third [quarter], which was not very good, I wanted to let them play through it, and went from a four-point game to an eleven-point game in a minute. That’s how fast we can play.”
Senior forward Danielle Cosgrove
On the team’s toughness…
“Toughness is something that we value every day in practice. We were missing two key players in our last game and today. Not just Unique [Drake] and I, but the whole team really stepped up and played really well, which was amazing. That’s the way we want to come out and play every game.”
On how the coaching staff has helped her improve since her arrival in Queens…
They allow us to play with a freedom, we are allowed to play through mistakes and figure things out. I think that’s what really gets us going and having my teammates support as well. Having the ability to learn quickly, has been a huge plus of being her [at St. John’s].”
Junior guard Unique Drake
On pouring in a career-high 24 points…
“My team supported me through it all. I had a rough start, but having my entire team and coaching staff behind me helps me get buckets.”
On looking ahead to the Gulf Coast Showcase…
“It’s a big opportunity for us. We just have to stay focused on the next game. We can’t look ahead we just need to do what we need to do.”