St. John's University Athletics
POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John's Women's Basketball vs. Stony Brook
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella, guard Ber’Nyah Mayo and forward Kylie Lavelle speak to the media after a 58-34 win over Stony Brook
St. John’s Head Coach Joe Tartamella
Opening statement…
“I thought our first half was probably the best two quarters we've put together, specifically offensively, but really on both ends, in terms of how we came out. Good to be back home, obviously, after being on a three-game swing on the road, I thought our energy was terrific. I thought we were connected throughout and it was fun to watch. I mean, quite honestly, it was fun to watch how we moved the ball, were scoring it, and the activity we had defensively. So, obviously very pleased. I thought we probably pulled back too much in the second half and I'll take some blame on that. I was really pleased. I thought we did some good things, and we've got a short turnaround now against the team that just played this team just a day or two ago. So, we'll get ready for Sunday, but really proud of this group and how they were resilient, and just the level that they played out today. And proud of these two guys (Lashae Dwyer and Skye Owen) who I think are playing at a level that we know one is played at, and that one has been building toward, and so I'm just really, really proud of them.”
On what changed defensively after the first quarter…
“Well, I mean, we weren't buying into being able to press the ball, so we kind of stopped doing that, which I thought was the biggest change, and we were able to get back and defend because we were giving up high percentage shots because of our lack of effort in the in the press. Obviously, I think it looked very different today than it has. So you got to adjust through the game and I thought that was a big part. But we've got to be able to continue to hang your hat on that and be able to turn people over so we can play at a better pace.”
On where he thinks the team is six games into the season…
“I mean, we're ever-changing, so it's hard to say, what we really are yet. I think we're going to find a lot about what we are on Thursday [against Harvard]. We'll find a lot about what we are on Monday [against Penn State] and pretty much every game moving forward. What I can say is that we've, as I told our team, we've found ways to win. You know, we found different ways to win in terms of how we've had to play, whether we've had to, you know, make threes or more threes than we normally would. We got to get to the line to manufacture points, or we've got to be able to defend in the game, or we got to come back in the fourth. We've got to have a better third down at the half. Today we were down at the first, which was a new one. So there's a lot of different things that we've had a chance to kind of be able to feel, and we're going to feel new things on Thursday as well. So I'm happy that we've been able to learn and win. You know, that's a positive. So, you know, I feel like that's a good place for us.”
On if any new piece to the team has added to the depth more substantially…
“No, I just think having the ability to have multiple options. You have (Ariana) Vanderhoop, (Kylie) Lavelle off the bench, Skye (Owen), who's been off the bench or started games. I think Ber’Nyah (Mayo) said it well, in terms of being able to have multiple options where we're not playing maybe five on three or five on four, you know, on offense and I think that's been a bigger piece. It opens up driving lanes. It opens up a lot of different things. We didn't move the ball particularly well today at all, which is my concern. And how we looked. I don't know if we were fatigued at all. First time we've had to turn around and play, you know, quickly, I say quickly, two days. So they have a much, much deserved day off tomorrow, and we'll have to get ready for Thursday.”
Graduate Student guard Ber’Nyah Mayo
On what changed for the team defensively after the first quarter…
“I think we just settled in. I feel like that first quarter we were just overly excited on offense and not enough on defense. So once we finally settled in, looked at it, we understand that defense was going to win the game. So I feel like that's when a change kind of happened.”
On having a balanced scoring attack…
“That's the good thing about it. Just have multiple players that can score the ball. Honestly, it's just it makes other teams like, it makes them have to really think about like, ‘What can we take away? What don't we want them to do?’ So I feel like, once you have multiple people that can score the ball, it makes everything harder and just you never know who night it will be.”
Junior forward Kylie Lavelle
On what made her so effective rebound in today’s game…
“I knew coming in that Stony Brook was a great offensive team on boards. So knowing the personnel, I knew I had to get on the boards.”
Opening statement…
“I thought our first half was probably the best two quarters we've put together, specifically offensively, but really on both ends, in terms of how we came out. Good to be back home, obviously, after being on a three-game swing on the road, I thought our energy was terrific. I thought we were connected throughout and it was fun to watch. I mean, quite honestly, it was fun to watch how we moved the ball, were scoring it, and the activity we had defensively. So, obviously very pleased. I thought we probably pulled back too much in the second half and I'll take some blame on that. I was really pleased. I thought we did some good things, and we've got a short turnaround now against the team that just played this team just a day or two ago. So, we'll get ready for Sunday, but really proud of this group and how they were resilient, and just the level that they played out today. And proud of these two guys (Lashae Dwyer and Skye Owen) who I think are playing at a level that we know one is played at, and that one has been building toward, and so I'm just really, really proud of them.”
On what changed defensively after the first quarter…
“Well, I mean, we weren't buying into being able to press the ball, so we kind of stopped doing that, which I thought was the biggest change, and we were able to get back and defend because we were giving up high percentage shots because of our lack of effort in the in the press. Obviously, I think it looked very different today than it has. So you got to adjust through the game and I thought that was a big part. But we've got to be able to continue to hang your hat on that and be able to turn people over so we can play at a better pace.”
On where he thinks the team is six games into the season…
“I mean, we're ever-changing, so it's hard to say, what we really are yet. I think we're going to find a lot about what we are on Thursday [against Harvard]. We'll find a lot about what we are on Monday [against Penn State] and pretty much every game moving forward. What I can say is that we've, as I told our team, we've found ways to win. You know, we found different ways to win in terms of how we've had to play, whether we've had to, you know, make threes or more threes than we normally would. We got to get to the line to manufacture points, or we've got to be able to defend in the game, or we got to come back in the fourth. We've got to have a better third down at the half. Today we were down at the first, which was a new one. So there's a lot of different things that we've had a chance to kind of be able to feel, and we're going to feel new things on Thursday as well. So I'm happy that we've been able to learn and win. You know, that's a positive. So, you know, I feel like that's a good place for us.”
On if any new piece to the team has added to the depth more substantially…
“No, I just think having the ability to have multiple options. You have (Ariana) Vanderhoop, (Kylie) Lavelle off the bench, Skye (Owen), who's been off the bench or started games. I think Ber’Nyah (Mayo) said it well, in terms of being able to have multiple options where we're not playing maybe five on three or five on four, you know, on offense and I think that's been a bigger piece. It opens up driving lanes. It opens up a lot of different things. We didn't move the ball particularly well today at all, which is my concern. And how we looked. I don't know if we were fatigued at all. First time we've had to turn around and play, you know, quickly, I say quickly, two days. So they have a much, much deserved day off tomorrow, and we'll have to get ready for Thursday.”
Graduate Student guard Ber’Nyah Mayo
On what changed for the team defensively after the first quarter…
“I think we just settled in. I feel like that first quarter we were just overly excited on offense and not enough on defense. So once we finally settled in, looked at it, we understand that defense was going to win the game. So I feel like that's when a change kind of happened.”
On having a balanced scoring attack…
“That's the good thing about it. Just have multiple players that can score the ball. Honestly, it's just it makes other teams like, it makes them have to really think about like, ‘What can we take away? What don't we want them to do?’ So I feel like, once you have multiple people that can score the ball, it makes everything harder and just you never know who night it will be.”
Junior forward Kylie Lavelle
On what made her so effective rebound in today’s game…
“I knew coming in that Stony Brook was a great offensive team on boards. So knowing the personnel, I knew I had to get on the boards.”