Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State Postgame Quotes

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

Opening Statement:
"Obviously, Mississippi State is a really talented basketball team. We knew we had a big challenge ahead of us tonight. We had a game plan that I think our players believed in, and we were able to execute it for part of the game. Obviously, it was pretty well executed in the first quarter, (we) took care of the basketball. We just weren't able to maintain that focus with the level of execution on both ends of the court. We had some defensive breakdowns that you can't have against that team. I felt like going into this game we were going to have to hold them in the 60s. I felt like we were going to have to be closer to 60 than 70 to give ourselves a chance, and we just were not able to do that. Also going into this game, I knew scoring was going to be a premium with Rennia (Davis), so without Rennia, that definitely changed how our attack was going to look. Our players played with some confidence, and they had a couple good practices leading up to this game without Rennia. But like I said, we just weren't able to maintain the level of execution that we needed to win the game."

On what Mississippi States transformation as a program says about the sport as a whole:
"(Vic Shaefer's) blueprint was defense first and toughness. He had some recruits early that bought in to that. He was able to make a pretty good run pretty quickly. I think there's also a lot of parity; there are a lot of good teams now. It's not just two or three teams that can win late in tournament play. There are a lot of good teams and a lot of great coaches out there. There's more talented players now."

On when she knew Rennia Davis wouldn't be available:
"Well, we have been tracking it for a couple days. She wasn't even allowed to come to the gym the last couple days. This morning we had the doctor visit her, and he just couldn't release her to play. She had gotten better, but he just couldn't release her, and I understand that. She, obviously, really wanted to play. The competitor in her wants to, but that would have been putting in her a pretty tough position after coming off a pretty good sickness for a couple days."

On Rae Burrell's play tonight in the starting lineup:
"She played hard, and Rae gave us Rae. She had a really good practice leading up to the game. She played with confidence, played downhill, played hard going in there for boards which got her a double-double. There were a couple times she went in there and didn't get the rebound, but she was playing hard. So, I liked her energy, and hopefully she can come out of this with some confidence. I think it's tough. Obviously, we want to win but hopefully we can build on some positives and correct some negatives."

On potentially fixing some of the turnovers:
"We have talked to our team about shooting. We are very unselfish and sometimes to a fault, and we have talked about that. I think those turnovers are decision-making turnovers. So, we have decision-making turnovers that we have an issue with, and we have execution turnovers where we aren't getting the ball where it's supposed to go when we do pass it. So, we have to clean up both areas, and we are trying to help them with both. We are trying to work on both in practice with making better passes and making better decisions."

On Mississippi States defense and if that was a factor:
"I think a lot of times we come out of games, and we look at that stat sheet, and the majority of those turnovers are ours. And it's probably the same this game. However, you do to give them a lot of credit with their defense. That's what they do, and sometimes they just wear on you so long that you are bound to make a turnover. Sometimes, it's not necessarily them getting a steal as much as it is them wearing you down. Our guards had to play heavy minutes tonight, and that's not an easy thing to do when you're getting that kind of pressure for 40 minutes."

On if her recruiting pitch is selling the tradition of the program or the new program:

"I think we have an advantage. We have great tradition. We're not trying to start something new; we have tradition unlike any other program in the country. But, also, I think there's an excitement about what we're doing. And I hope our perspective student athletes can see that. I think they feel it, our players feel it. So, I think it's a great time, because we get to build on both."

On what they will focus on this week:

"I think this week has to be a great balance of, 'Let's work on us. Let's make sure that our legs are back under us. Let's make sure that we are healed and we're healthy moving forward.' Then, also, 'Is there something out there that we need in our package that's not in yet?' I think it's a combination of three things, really. Right now, the fundamentals - passing and catching, boxing out. Little things we'll still be working on, probably forever and ever and ever. But we'll also really evaluate what we need moving forward, because this is really our last opportunity to get some of those extra practices in and some extra downtime. It's a really important week. It could be incredibly valuable for us if we are able to both rest and get something out of these practices and get better."

On what she saw from Tamari (Key) and Jordan (Horston):

"I think for Jordan in particular, she had to play heavy minutes, and not just play heavy minutes, but we asked her to do a lot in those minutes when she was out there. She couldn't just run up and down the court. I think Tamari was the same way, she didn't play as much, obviously, in the first half due to foul trouble. But in that second half, I think having to stay focused and be intense and be physical every single possession is taxing, period. That's where we're asking them to go, and they're young. They're going to get there, and they're going to figure that out. Tamari, we're having a hard time getting her the basketball at times. A lot of that is physicality, but tonight it was also the pressure on the perimeter."

On if Mississippi State's big third quarter was due to their play or a lack of focus from Tennessee:

"I'll have to go back and look; I don't feel like they changed a lot. I felt like their execution was really good. I'll have to go back and look, they got some easy buckets that helped them, and we just didn't shoot the ball well in that quarter. Statistically, whether that was missing some easy shots or having to take some hard shots, we'll go back and evaluate that."

On the lower assist numbers lately and what that is due to:

"I think we've had to play differently the last couple of games because of our turnovers and because of the defense. We're not able to move the ball as freely as we did maybe in November and December in these last couple of games."

On if the recruits now are making more knowledgeable college choices based on the program:

"I don't know if I see a difference there. I think there are perspective student athletes that are very diligent about finding the right fit, and I think there are some out there that are just making decisions based on names. For us, the fit is a big deal. Players feeling very comfortable here, I think that's going to be really important."

Sophomore Point Guard Jazmine Massengill

On what got loose in the second quarter after MSU patched up their defense:
"I feel like we really didn't execute. I'm disappointed in the second quarter, and it came back to bite us."

On what's caused turnovers:
"I feel like our turnovers really don't have anything to do with our schedule; it's all on us. Just mental breakdowns, mental mistakes, bad passes… that's really it. We can control our turnovers, it's just going to come with playing basketball more."

On MSU having unusual size and the effect it has over the course of the game:
"As far as an effect, we practice against Tamari Key every day. We're used to having to finish over taller players. I'm not going to say it's easy, because their presence is definitely known, but we just have to finish overall, regardless of their height."

On how the difficulty of playing without Rennia Davis:
"We knew we had to step up in different areas. I feel like everybody can play, so it would've been difficult all around, regardless of whether she was playing or not. I wouldn't say it was more difficult because she wasn't out there, I just feel like we all had to take a step up."

Redshirt-Senior Forward Lou Brown

On having a week off and what they will use this week to work on:
"I think this is a really important week for us, going back into the regular season. We just really need to tighten up on a few things, and we're a bit tired. But this is good for practices where we need to lock in and get better and work on the attention to detail type of things, because that's where it's been hurting us these last couple games with turnovers and things like that. I think it's a really good week for us, maybe we're a bit tired, a bit beat up, but that's no excuse. The SEC teaches you to play no matter the circumstances, to perform. And that's what the best teams do, so we need to step up and use this week to get better."

MSU Head Coach Vic Schafer

Opening statement:
"First of all, I just want to commend Tennessee. I thought they just played extremely hard. I thought Rae (Burrell) came out and played extremely well early and carried them. She played extremely hard for them. She did a lot of really good things. I am just really proud of our kids with how hard they played. I thought in the second half, Jordan (Danberry) figured out and played extremely hard for us. We tend to play off of her. I thought Myah (Taylor) and our team played well today. It was probably Myah's career best game. I thought she competed. Her first rotation in wasn't great, but I thought her second rotation was outstanding. I played my bench, if you noticed, early in that first quarter. I kind of thought this is where we were going. I thought my bench was outstanding in the first quarter and came in and gave us some needed minutes. I think we were down when they went in, and they came back and we were only down by two at the end of the first. Giving God the glory for win number 21, and it is still hard to win here. It doesn't get any easier. There are still great players on that other bench, and there are still All-Americans down there, and it doesn't get any easier. I am just proud of our kids and how hard they fought."

On when he realized Rennia Davis won't be playing and if it altered his game-plan:
"I didn't get much of a heads up on that. I think I found out around nine minutes before the tip that she wasn't out there warming up. It didn't really change things for us. We still had to do our thing and play the way we were going to play. Obviously, you take a tremendous player off the floor for them, and again, I thought Rae Burrell just picked it up and was really that 'it' factor. I told my team before we came out that I was part of more games where the best player – something happened, they got hurt or they got sick – and the team found a way to win. I have been a part of more those games than the team not winning. If you let your guard down and think you are just going to go out there and win and don't think those kids are going to want to win, you are fooling yourself. I was proud of our kids."

On how much trust he has in his freshmen and Yemiyah Morris in key moments during the game:
"It gets better and better and the way she (Yemiyah) played tonight, my confidence now goes to another level with her. Her teammates will say the same thing. I am playing so many young kids and giving them so many minutes. They are in big moments. If you come to practice and watch Bulldog, which is not our starters, beat the other team. They beat them two-straight days this week. So, they are not scared. They are good players."

Redshirt-Sophomore Guard Myah Taylor

On how they were able to force 22 turnovers after the slow first period:
"I would say when we first came out, we weren't as present as we needed to be on defense. I feel like it picked up as the game went on. We need to start the game like how we ended. We just need to have a more aggressive defense. I think we need to start off aggressive and this team will go really far."

On what she sees in the future for their post players:
"They are really young. I just feel like coach Harris and all the coaches have been on them and making sure they will stay ready and stay aggressive and being the big target. As me being 5-7, I can't see sometimes over my defender, and they make it better for me. It just makes my job easier to get it to them. They are doing a good job."

Junior Center Yemiyah Morris

On what drew her to Mississippi State in the recruiting process:
"The main thing that drew to me was the post development because I was watching how Teaira McCowan came in and like they said, she wasn't as good as she was, but they developed her and helped her grow to where she is now. I am hoping that I can grow and develop to be something better."

On how much confidence she gained as the second half went on having to step in for Jessika Carter:
"That gave me a lot more confidence. I just have to be ready to play next time and stay ready."