Lady Vols vs. LSU Postgame Quotes

Tennessee Head Coach Holly Warlick

Opening statement:
"I'm excited for this basketball team. It was a great, great effort. We wanted to get the ball inside. We scored 44 points in the paint. Down the stretch, we got stops. We made free throws. In past games we weren't able to finish; we didn't do those things. We stepped up and got it done today. I'm really excited for this basketball team."

On snapping the six-game losing streak:
"You get a win and you're ready to go. These kids, regardless of the streak, they never quit working. We had two good practices leading up to this game, as well the ones before the Notre Dame game. It took all of us. It took every one of us. Kam (Kamera Harris) came in and did some great things. She got those two quick fouls and let Kasi (Kasiyahna Kushkituah) settle in. It took a great team effort, and we'll definitely build on it."

What Rennia Davis did this game to get back on track:
"She scored. Rennia and I talked before the game about just trying to get the focus off of her on scoring. I just asked her how many rebounds she was going to get. She said 10, and she got seven, so she was a little short. I thought Rennia, today, she took makeable shots for her. She did that. She moved and she attacked the basket. That kid works everyday on her shot; it was just a matter of when it was going to come back to her."

If the Arkansas game was a turning point for the team despite the loss:
"I think that's why we were so disappointed in the Arkansas game, because I thought we did some really, really good things. We didn't get it done, but it kind of led us into the Notre Dame game and into here. Our kids have been more focused, they have been more receptive, and they have been really together. They're really pulling for each other, and that's big for us. Everybody can't play the same amount of time. Some people are going to play more than others in different games, and we just have to have that kind of mindset from everybody."

On Kasiyahna Kushkituah recording her most minutes since Thanksgiving:
"It's huge for us. She's a presence inside. They had a couple big kids. If Kasi scored, it opens up everything on the outside. It gives us the chance to get some easier looks. We need her to play. This game got her back to where she was playing before she got her knee hurt. I never noticed her knee bothering her at all. Mentally, this was a great game for her."

On Jazmine Massengill making six straight free throws to close the game:
"I thought Jaz… when she had two steals out of the zone and we went down on the fast break, it broke the game open for us. Her just stepping up to the line, she's a competitor. They work on free throws, and everything looked good for Jaz. She hasn't been able to shoot a whole lot, but today she got that opportunity and it sealed the game. I understand what Nikki (Fargas) was doing, but we stepped up big at the free-throw line down the stretch."

On the lack of perimeter shooting and if it's a great concern:
"We need to understand shot selection more. If the three is not working, then we have to get more penetration. Do we need to hit some threes? Absolutely. But we've got to get our two-point game involved a little bit more. But we are going to continue to work on it and practice (3-pointers). We do need to hit some threes, but I am okay with us shooting twos and getting fouled to get three points kind of the old fashioned way."

On if it is a positive sign to win even without hitting threes:
"Absolutely. I thought the threes that we took were open, and we have to knock them down. We've got to have an understanding that when your three isn't working, shot-fake and get you a two, and then get your rhythm."

On what they can do to start a win streak:
"Just build on this. Just build on the positive things we did down the stretch - getting stops, getting rebounds and making free throws. I thought we used the clock really well within four minutes. We will watch the tape. We will show what we did good, what we need to fix, to learn, and we have just got to move forward. Kasi (Kushkituah) cannot have an off game. Hopefully we get Meme Jackson back. We've just got to build on the positives that we did and correct some of our mistakes. We endured it, and that is what I love. We did not let our defense affect our offense. We got bit on defense, and we ran it right back at them. We wanted to control the tempo. We wanted it to be an up-tempo game. We'll watch the tape, show it and go back to the practice court."

On the stoppage in play during the first half and if its disruptive:
"I understand the spirt of the rule, but I'll have to watch it. I don't think any of those were deliberate. I think rebounding and throwing… but officials got to call that. I wish they could make those decisions a little bit quicker because it did stop the game quite a bit. It was kind of long, and it breaks your rhythm of what has to get done."

On Meme Jackson and the status of the injury:
"I have watched her on the rehab, and I think she is close to being back. It is going to continue being day-to-day. She has been out on the court and run through some stuff for us. I think we just continue to say that she will be back soon. Our trainer is outstanding and doing everything to get her back. I am hoping she can be back by Thursday."

Sophomore Center Kasiyahna Kushkituah

On the team's mindset going forward:
"I look at it as one game at a time. Just us getting back in our rhythm, and getting back as a team. Like Evina said, it's starting to feel like how it was before."

On her performance and recovering from her injury:
"I needed this game a lot to gain my confidence back. And the whole knee brace thing, I felt like when it fell off in the third quarter, that it was a sign that I was supposed to take it off. I was ready to take it off. It was mostly just there for protection at that point, so just getting off that load felt easier for me."

Sophomore Guard Evina Westbrook

On how it felt to go on a run when the game became close:
"I think the whole team knew we wanted three stops in a row. So stop, score, stop, score. I think as we were getting stops, we just felt really really comfortable on offense and our offense was flowing so we were able to get back on defense with a positive mindset and not worry about little mistakes if we were making them. I think we were just all on the same page as a team on the defensive end, and it translated into our offensive end as well."

On how important the post presence was for this game:
"They were huge for us the whole game, our post play. They've been working on it, working on it, working on it. You know these past couple games it had to be the guards putting in a lot of work, so for them to come end and just really dominate on the offensive and the defense, it was huge for them and for us. That's what a team is supposed to do. When we're not hitting shots, they picked up the slack for us, so we're really happy for them and how they played for us."

On Jazmine Massengill's late game free throw shooting:
"We needed that more than anything, and for her to hit those at the end were huge. They were saying, 'Go foul Jaz,' and we were like, 'Make them pay for it.' She can hit free throws. Free throws aren't a problem for her, but hitting those at a big moment like that, we are really proud of her for that."

Sophomore Guard/Forward Rennia Davis

On how impactful the Notre Dame game was to their momentum:
"Well, for me personally, I think it started the Arkansas game. We just had a different energy as a team. Although we did not come out with the win that game, I just think that we played a lot more team basketball. It seemed a lot more together for me, personally. The Notre Dame game, again, another confidence booster especially the first half. Just going into halftime being up on the number one team in the country, I mean, that was good for us. Obviously, we weren't able to pull out the win, but I feel like if we had a few less mental mistakes or just paid a little more attention a couple times, then that game is a lot closer. So, definitely a confidence booster for us."

On enduring the losing streak:
"I just believe there's a time and a place for everything. I think that maybe… of course I didn't want to lose six games in a row, but maybe we need that. Maybe we needed to see that we needed to get back to Tennessee basketball - we needed to play hard every possession, we needed to get defensive stops, we needed to make them turnover the ball. Although the losses, of course we didn't want them, but like she said, I feel like we're starting to get back to where we started, so if this is the result we get from losing those six games, then I don't, at this point, I don't really mind."

On ending the losing streak:
"It's definitely a confidence boost for this team, just to get a win at this point. Every win and every game is big, and we understand that, but I think today we just came into this game with our minds cleared and everybody was able to just play well."

On the difference for her today compared to recent games:
"I tried to come into this game with my mind cleared. I put a lot of pressure on myself. For the most part, just because I know this team needs me, as we need everybody else. But this game I tried to come in and just play and do what I am capable of doing. I tried to use my size as an advantage on the smaller guards and shoot over the top, and shots were going in."

LSU Head Coach Nikki Fargas:

On if the stoppage in play due to fouls being reviewed was disruptive to both teams:
"I think it is something that you don't practice, so it is not part of your game plan. You don't want any stoppage in play, but we understand they have to go back and review for their job. But the length of it, your kids are now cooling down and the momentum, adrenaline is changing. It is a long time. I think the thing I would say with Holly and I, we were able to have some time together and talk about the things that were going on with that stoppage. We were saying, we need to just play. That is how you want your kids to play and let it be in their hands."

On the 25 turnovers:
"I think this group has some growing up to do, and we are a team that when we are turning the ball over, it becomes almost contagious. It's like when you're hitting threes, everyone starts hitting threes. Well everybody that is on our team that played turned the ball over at least once. You are not going to win a lot of ball games being careless with the basketball. A lot of our turnovers were air passes. We became very undisciplined. The length of Tennessee also, their ability to get into the passing lanes… we showed them the size of their matchup. You have to play by and below them, and I thought sometimes we really threaded the needle and tried to make the homerun pass that wasn't there at times. So the patience and composure went out the window."

On if Tennessee's losing streak came up in the locker room:
"No. I think when you are scouting Tennessee, their record is not an indication of how good they are. This is a team that has the ability to at any given moment, put up 75 points in a game. Their offensive execution has been there. Just down the stretch in some of their losses, it has been more late game. We talked about them being a very good offensive rebounding team. Especially with (Cheridene) Green and (Rennia) Davis. So that is something that has been consistent with them. So with scouting, you just focus in on their keys and not their record. In SEC play, we don't pay close attention to that because on any given day, anybody in our league can be beaten."

On Jazmine Massengill's free throw improvement:
"It was part of our game plan to put Jazmine on the free throw line, and her percentage was not high. It was my call. I wanted to put her there, and she answered the call and was able to knock down free throws. If you want to win in this league, you have to make free throws and layups, and she was able to do that."

On coming back to Knoxville:
"It is always good to come back and visit with family and friends. This place is very special and dear to me. I know there is a lot of sweat, tears, laughter and great memories in this arena. It is a place that I carry with me; it is part of me. Coach Summitt, there is never going to be anyone like her. You can ask the 161 of us that played for her, we are always going to represent her in the way that she represented all of us. I hope she saw a team, with my LSU team, play hard. We looked small out there, but my team has heart and toughness. That is something that I will carry through my coaching career, that you win with good people, and there are so many great people that have come here. It was great to see some of the alums out here this weekend. We battle on the court, we game plan strategically and things like that. Today was also a special day to bring awareness to breast cancer and all cancers, just putting things in perspective. This place has done so much, not only for me, but for so many others in different causes other than trying to put banners up there. We are fighting for Coach Summitt and Alzheimer's, and obviously Holly (Warlick) and I with our foundation. This place is more than just a basketball arena."

On what Tennessee did defensively to cause turnovers:
"I think the length of Tennessee is disruptive, and I think we needed to play more patiently. We were speeding up, and we want to run, but we want to run smart. With a team like Tennessee who likes to get up and down, you have to be strategic in that. When we had an opportunity to cut the game to a one-possession game, we came down and started quick shooting the basketball. When you do that, it is going to go the other way. I think our turnovers, for the most part, starts with our guard play. It trickled down to everyone on the roster. We are going to look at when those happened, but I think a lot of those happened against their zone and not their man. That is where we have to be better and more patient in our zone attack."

LSU forward Ayana Mitchell:

On Tennessee's defense:
"I honestly think we hurt ourselves a lot. We spotted them lot of points on a lot of ball turnovers. Our inability to take care of the ball gave them so many transition opportunities. When you give a team like Tennessee those kind of baskets in transition, you put yourself in a very deep hole."

On the Lady Vols' record coming into this game:
"We were well aware of the streak, but we were trying not to let that mess with how we played. We still had the same keys going into the game; we still wanted to focus on ourselves. We were not able to do that. We turned over the ball and gave them a lot of points. They out-rebounded us a lot too, so this is definitely on us."

LSU guard Khayla Pointer:

On the stoppage in play due to fouls:
"For it to stop like that, and consistently stop, you get out of the flow of the game. Even though we were coming back and trying to fight, it is like, 'Okay, we have to stop here.' Sometimes things did not go our way, and they were questionable on our end because we have never experienced anything like that. At the end of the day, we have to be better. We have to play through those calls and lock in to what we do best."