St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John’s vs. Georgetown
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella, redshirt senior guard Kadaja Bailey and redshirt senior guard Jayla Everett speak with the media following a 61-53 win over Georgetown on Friday night
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella
Opening statement…
“I’m pleased that we were able to get a win. When you come off an emotional high like the other night, you just don’t know what you’re going to get. I felt this group has been different all year, and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in currently. The game was kind of ugly; it was a slow grind. We were able to do enough to make shots and put a win on the board which is crucial as we push toward our last game on Monday. Right now, we’re pleased with the fact that we were able to win the game and for our seniors to let them get out of here with a win under their belt. Now we have to get ready for Monday.”
On the game…
“As I said, you’ll never know how a team is going to respond after a win like that [against UConn]. Because of where we are in the year and the importance of every game that we have left, I wasn’t concerned. I think our team has a great mentality in understanding what they need to accomplish. I thought we found a way to make enough baskets, and we guarded enough to keep us ahead.”
On the seniors…
“These kids work really hard. They put a lot of time into their craft. Every one of those seniors has their own story. Kadaja [Bailey] was nine years old and a camper here, and now she’s been here five years. Danielle Cosgrove came from Notre Dame and has fought through a lot of adversity in her own life and found a way to find joy in the game again. Mimi Reid is a quintessential leader. She came from the SEC, but she’s a Bronx kid. I told her my only regret was that I wish I had more years with her like a lot of these guys. Jayla Everett, I’m not sure a kid has made as big an impact as she’s made in less than a year here with how she’s affected everyone around her positively. Danielle Patterson is another kid who found herself back home and has fought through everything I have thrown at her. From starting games to finishing games, whatever her role needed to be, she’s taken it admirably. To watch what she did the other night against Connecticut is as good as it gets. Rayven Peeples took a chance on coming here. She’s a kid who has been our unsung hero all year. Her improvement has been exponential since she got here. This year, we’ve watched her blossom as an anchor for us. All six of these guys have given us everything we have. A bunch of them were here for some tough times, and they stuck through it. My loyalty to them is for life. I think they’ve all embraced what St. John’s has given them, and we’ve embraced what they’ve given us. We have one more to finish the vision, and we have to be locked in against an opponent on the road.”
Redshirt-Senior Guard Kadaja Bailey
On her time with St. John’s…
“It’s been great, especially in front of my parents and at home. It’s a blessing, it's been great to have my teammates and everyone here.”
On playing with Jayla Everett this season…
“I love playing with Jayla, and her enthusiasm.”
Redshirt senior guard Jayla Everett
On her breakout second half…
“The confidence my teammates gave me by telling me to keep showing, helped me feel like I had no choice but to keep shooting.”
On playing alongside Kadaja Bailey…
“It means a lot. I feel like she accepted me. She knew that we could be great together. We pushed each other out of our comfort zone. I felt like we knew that we could push each other. I am just really thankful to play with her, I love it.
Opening statement…
“I’m pleased that we were able to get a win. When you come off an emotional high like the other night, you just don’t know what you’re going to get. I felt this group has been different all year, and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in currently. The game was kind of ugly; it was a slow grind. We were able to do enough to make shots and put a win on the board which is crucial as we push toward our last game on Monday. Right now, we’re pleased with the fact that we were able to win the game and for our seniors to let them get out of here with a win under their belt. Now we have to get ready for Monday.”
On the game…
“As I said, you’ll never know how a team is going to respond after a win like that [against UConn]. Because of where we are in the year and the importance of every game that we have left, I wasn’t concerned. I think our team has a great mentality in understanding what they need to accomplish. I thought we found a way to make enough baskets, and we guarded enough to keep us ahead.”
On the seniors…
“These kids work really hard. They put a lot of time into their craft. Every one of those seniors has their own story. Kadaja [Bailey] was nine years old and a camper here, and now she’s been here five years. Danielle Cosgrove came from Notre Dame and has fought through a lot of adversity in her own life and found a way to find joy in the game again. Mimi Reid is a quintessential leader. She came from the SEC, but she’s a Bronx kid. I told her my only regret was that I wish I had more years with her like a lot of these guys. Jayla Everett, I’m not sure a kid has made as big an impact as she’s made in less than a year here with how she’s affected everyone around her positively. Danielle Patterson is another kid who found herself back home and has fought through everything I have thrown at her. From starting games to finishing games, whatever her role needed to be, she’s taken it admirably. To watch what she did the other night against Connecticut is as good as it gets. Rayven Peeples took a chance on coming here. She’s a kid who has been our unsung hero all year. Her improvement has been exponential since she got here. This year, we’ve watched her blossom as an anchor for us. All six of these guys have given us everything we have. A bunch of them were here for some tough times, and they stuck through it. My loyalty to them is for life. I think they’ve all embraced what St. John’s has given them, and we’ve embraced what they’ve given us. We have one more to finish the vision, and we have to be locked in against an opponent on the road.”
Redshirt-Senior Guard Kadaja Bailey
On her time with St. John’s…
“It’s been great, especially in front of my parents and at home. It’s a blessing, it's been great to have my teammates and everyone here.”
On playing with Jayla Everett this season…
“I love playing with Jayla, and her enthusiasm.”
Redshirt senior guard Jayla Everett
On her breakout second half…
“The confidence my teammates gave me by telling me to keep showing, helped me feel like I had no choice but to keep shooting.”
On playing alongside Kadaja Bailey…
“It means a lot. I feel like she accepted me. She knew that we could be great together. We pushed each other out of our comfort zone. I felt like we knew that we could push each other. I am just really thankful to play with her, I love it.