Lady Vols vs. Kentucky Postgame Quotes

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

Opening Statement…
"I'm really proud of our team. I didn't mention this to them, but if you're going to walk out on the court and your jersey says 'Summitt,' you better bring it, right? Our team understood the impact of this game - most of the off-the-court impact and why we wear purple, and how important each and every game is on our schedule. I'm really proud of our team and how we played. It's a good win. Another Top-25 win against a good team."

On Tamari Key's status and her thoughts on their efficient shooting today…
"We have put a lot of work in. Our team is getting in and getting a lot of shots up, both at the free-throw line and elsewhere. You know, at some point, you're going to have a game where you shoot the ball well, and tonight was obviously that. Tamari… it's her ankle. What's good is that we are on a bye week on Thursday. She'll be day-to-day, and hopefully we'll see her progress this week. I don't know anymore than that, other than she was all smiles after the game in the locker room."

On Keyen Green's performance tonight after Key went down…
"Leading up to this, Tamari (Key) needs to be on the court. She's going to get high minutes when she's not in foul trouble. She's going to get those minutes, but we are very fortunate that when Tamari does go to the bench, whether that is due to rest, rotations, fouls, or injury, we've got a player that we can put in and she can be a go-to player as well. That's what we've had with Keyen Green all season long, so I was excited for her to be able to step up. We didn't miss a beat. T hat's saying a lot - saying a lot about our team, about Keyen, and the other players who stepped up. I'm really, really proud of them. Obviously, it's a lot easier when you have your full contingency. One thing this team has not done at all this year, when adversity is in front of us, we don't flinch. And that's what happened tonight."

On how important Rae Burrell was today…
"I feel like she came in and gave us a big boost on the offensive end, knocked down some shots. When you have a lot of different people that can score, it just puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. Rae played pretty good extended minutes today. Obviously, (she) looked good and shot the ball well. I thought she moved pretty well defensively, also. She had three defensive boards. She's exactly where we need her to be right now, and she's an instant threat when she steps out onto the court."

On how important Alexus Dye's instincts on defense and rebounding are…
"Alexus comes in as a very seasoned player, a fifth-year player. She's won seven championships. She just gets it. She understands what she needs to do. She does have great instincts on the boards. She gave us a lot of energy, especially in that first half going and getting boards. She missed a couple chip shots, but she stuck with it. Everybody is the right piece right now for this team. What she brings is exactly what we need. I'm really proud of her play."

On how big the second quarter was and what sparked it…
"I thought defensively holding them to 10 (points) was big. We played, with what I thought, was better energy in the second quarter. We made shots, we got to the boards, we got second shots. Things were just clicking for us on both ends of the court, and it was a snowball effect. You start making a couple plays, and you can see our confidence rising."

On how important it is having six players with nine or more points…
"I think it's hard to guard at times. I think if we're making shots, it's really daunting for opponents when you have so many different people that can make plays in a variety of ways. Everybody is playing up to their strengths. Our team, one of the best things we're doing right now is playing with great confidence in each other. Understanding what their teammates can do and putting their teammates in positions to make positive plays. That's what I've enjoyed about this team here recently, we've really developed into that."

On what it meant to win a conference game on the We Back Pat game…
"Well, I know for us, I don't look at the scoreboard. We want to get a win. It was a relaxed win down the stretch. You're not having to worry about last-second plays. But, for us, just a good solid performance that leads to a win, that's what we want. That's what we're striving for. It is special to win on this We Back Pat game. That's a big deal here at Tennessee."

Tennessee Graduate Forward Keyen Green

On stepping up after Tamari Key's injury...
"I think that's really just a team mindset. You know, I think our depth is our strength. And so, our second five keeps up the productivity of the first five, and the closer that that gap closes, then the better we are as a team. So, I think it was just a mindset of not letting the productivity fall."

On her appreciation for Pat Summitt and playing in a We Back Pat Game…
"Oh yeah, this is special. I don't think I grasped the impact of Pat Summitt when I came here, but just each and every day I'm learning more about what goes on here that was influenced by her. You know, so many things that we do just because of her that she started. And so, it's so special to go out there and perform in her honor."

On how Kellie Harper has grown as a coach over three seasons…
"It's easy to follow her because she explains where we're going. You know, it's hard to follow somebody blindly, but she tells us exactly why we do things - to get the result that we want."

Tennessee Junior Guard Jordan Horston

On the team shooting well from both the 3-point and free-throw line...
"I mean, it's great, especially when we win. You know everybody has been in the gym putting the work in. So, it's paying off and it's showing. We stepped up to the line, were focused and knocked them down. (We had) 10 threes. Rae (Burrell) was four for four. I mean, it just shows the work we've been putting in."

On balancing the accomplishments so far and staying focused…
"We're just trying to stay steady. Rankings don't mean anything to us. We take it game-by-game. Like I said, we're competitive; we want to win at everything. We want to win offensive boards, rebounds, everything; we want to win everything. So, I mean, we're not going to stop until we're satisfied."

On how Kellie Harper has grown as a coach…
"Honestly, she knows each and every one of us. Like, she knows when to push us, when to get on us, and when to pull back and encourage us. So, I really appreciate that part."

Tennessee Senior Guard Rae Burrell

On hitting a buzzer-beater 3-pointer…
"I mean, like you said, it was a big momentum shift. I feel like from that point, we knew like, 'Ok, we've got to get going.' Like, we're feeling good, let's keep this momentum going and just keep attacking and being aggressive and getting stops."

On if it makes a difference if she's starting or coming off the bench…
"I mean, I feel like I just adjust to whether I'm starting or I'm coming off the bench. When I'm starting, you know, I'm trying to bring the energy right away. And then when I'm coming off the bench, I get to see what we're lacking in while we're playing out there. So, when I come in, I can kind of fill in those gaps that we're kind of missing out there."

Kentucky Head Coach Kyra Elzy

On what Tennessee did to create the separation…
"Yeah, (it's) definitely not the outcome that we wanted or the showing. You know, I give credit to them, they came out and offense. O-boards were the name of the game. They hit some open threes, 10 for 20. Game over."

On getting Rhyne Howard going early and if it was intentional for SEC games…
"We needed to get Rhyne going early. I thought she played great off the ball screen. Also, for Jazmine (Massengill), leading us out early, getting us in our offense. I thought we had some good looks early. Once again though, I think we let our offense affect our defense. So when open shots were not falling, we kind of came apart, defensively. As always though, you learn and grow. You can't go anywhere but up from here. We go back to the drawing board, go back to work. One game does not define us. It is not what we wanted coming to Knoxville, but we just have to learn and grow and be ready for the next game. They keep coming."

On if she was happy with how Emma King and Nyah Leveretter played…
"I thought Emma (King) and Nyah (Leveretter) both came in and played their role. I thought they gave us good energy off the bench. I thought Nyah played extremely hard defensively, and Emma stepped up and took a charge. They did some things we have asked them to do, and we are going to need them down the stretch."

On her bench being thin, and why Tennessee got rattled in the first quarter…
"We were looking to change up our defense, but also, we had a stretch that we quit making baskets. So, it is hard to get into the press when you are not scoring. But no, there is no excuse. We just did not do what we were supposed to do. We will take that and go back to practice and get better. We have enough, and we have showed that this year. We just have to keep battling even through adversity."

On presenting the checks with Kellie and what it meant to her…
"You know, it is an honor. Kellie has done a great job here at our alma mater. Just to pay honor to coach Summitt at the Summitt, it does not get better than that. It is special time to be a part of the We Back Pat week."

Senior Guard Jazmine Massengill

On what went sideways for them…
"Like coach said, just O-boards. Against good teams, we cannot put ourselves in the hole, because it is hard to dig ourselves out of it. When our run kind of got gassed, they focused on that."

On what it is like when Tamari Key goes down and players on the bench come out and score 14 points…
"I mean, I respect everybody whether you are a starter of coming off the bench. If you can play ball, you can play ball. Yeah, Tamari Key was a big piece but that is not the only person on the team."

Senior Guard Rhyne Howard

On what went wrong…
"I will just piggyback on what they said: we also beat ourselves. No matter how bad or good we are playing - or Tennessee was playing - we should have never gotten down like we did. Like Jaz said, it is hard to come back when you are down from a good team, and they are on a good run."

On handling attention…
"I mean the attention is going to come. I am just going to focus in on what I have going with my teammates and myself. Obviously, it is going to be there, but I can't worry about that and be productive for my team and be what they need me to be and play as hard as they need me to play if my mind's not with them."