Saint Francis University Athletics

SAINT FRANCIS
 
Head Coach Joe Haigh, Halee Adams, Jessica Kovatch, Katie Reese, Brielle Ward
 
Haigh Opening Statement: We’re happy we won. It was a great playoff game. It’s the first playoff game for all of the people up here. In this uniform at least. It’s a different experience being in a playoff game. Overall, I thought we did a real nice job most of the game. We had a few shaky minutes, but we learned from them. It felt like we got better and stronger as the game went along. These guys played a great game and we did a great job defensively when we needed to the last 3-4 minutes of the game. Really exciting game, I thought.
 
Q: On a grading scale, how well did you execute the adjustments you made from the first two games against Central Connecticut State?
Haigh: B-plus or A-minus. We were very good in the second half. I think we were all disappointed in how the first half went. One of the keys we needed to do was to really communicate what we were doing defensively, because we were changing defenses a lot. There were a lot of things happening on the floor that the five out there had to communicate what matchups they had and where they were in the defense. We had to communicate in those defenses.  In the first half, we had some communication breakdowns and Central Connecticut State really capitalized on them. If we missed something, they got a layup or three. In the second half, we were better and we built that lead gradually. When things got heated up a little bit, we struggled for a minute or two there. In the fourth quarter, we went back to playing our regular defenses that we’ve played all year, but they executed it very well. Down the stretch, the last 3-4 minutes, we couldn’t be much better. Overall, we did a great job of executing different things we were asking them to do. Offensively, it was nice, because we were in a situation where we didn’t have to change a lot of things. We ran our basic offense and we were more patient than we’ve been in the past. We started hitting those shots that opened up in the last four minutes.
 
Q: How did you do matching the physicality of CCSU?
Haigh: I’d give us an “A” in that area. We really did a good job, especially defensively. We were set most of the time and we did match the physicality that they played with. That’s a good thing for us.  It’s good for us going forward in the playoffs. That’s the first time we’ve played a Triangle-and-Two in my career here. We did it a little bit in the last week of the season to get prepared for this playoff game. I felt CCSU was a team we could get matched up against, so we had that in to work on for this game.  We did a great job executing today. 
 
Q: Katie, what was your mindset going into the first half that allowed you to make the plays you did?
Reese: I had opportunities to make plays and take good shots. My mindset is I just want to win. Just look at the scoreboard and take it one play at a time. I don’t really care who’s shooting as long as we’re taking good shots.
 
Q: Halee, you had a key turnaround jumper late in the fourth quarter.  Is that a shot you are comfortable with or was that a desperation shot?
Adams: I practiced that in high school. It’s kind of a go-to shot for me.
 
Q: Brielle, what was your mindset going into this game after how the first two games went against CCSU?
Ward: Going into this game, I made a personal goal to get 20 rebounds. I didn’t quite get it, but even the ones I didn’t get, I got my hands on and deflected to my teammates. I think we did a good job of having everyone involved in rebounding.  Everyone was crashing the boards this game, so I wasn’t just by myself in there.  I think we did a good job of, before the game, committing to helping each other out and having each other’s back.
 
Q: Jess, in the second half, you came out more aggressive scoring the ball. Were you feeling it or were you just going with the flow of the offense?
Kovatch:  I was disappointed in myself after the first half. I know I can do better. I wanted to pick it up in the second half. My shots started falling and that helped me to move the ball around and get my teammates open as well.
 
Q: With a young team, with not much experience in these playoff situations, how did your mentality change from the first two games?
Ward: Before practice yesterday, we had a great team meeting where everyone was ready to go and everyone was focused on their role.  In the first two games, we knew we could beat this team as long as we locked down on defense.  I think we all came together and said what our roles would be in this game and everyone individually did their part.  Halee wasn’t as passive with her shot.  Katie kept her composure and made sure she made the right reads on offense.  Jess hit big shots and played with confidence. Aisha [Brock] came in and made some great plays. I rebounded at a high level and Maya [Wynn] took care of the ball. I think we all bought into our roles and never panicked. We kept our composure. Even when we felt like one person was coming unglued, we ran over and said ‘we got this’. We stayed in-tune as a team. We said before the game we have to have each other’s back and make sure that we stay in it as a team and we executed that well.
 
Haigh: They know when you get into playoffs, players are the ones that win the games when it matters. They’re the ones that get it done in those situations. I didn’t realize, just looking through this, how many times we were down seven or nine in the first half, but I never sensed any panic in the team when we were down seven, eight or nine. That’s a big step in growth in our team. When Bri says ‘having a team meeting’, that’s something they did to be ready for the playoffs. Everyone in the locker room knows how good we can be when we play a certain way. There’s a certain style our team has that we’re very good at. When we get taken out of that, that’s when we struggle. Today, we kind of got over that hump of what teams were doing against us. Teams have been physical, taking us out of where our comfort level is. That meeting they had yesterday, that’s the leadership Bri has brought to this program. I think it’s a great thing for our team and locker room. We can’t thank her enough for what she’s done for this program. We built from nothing in October to now. I think the leadership of Brielle and Aisha, in the locker room, going into this playoff game, knowing what it takes to advance through this situation, helped everybody.  We wouldn’t be sitting here, ready to play Sacred Heart if it wasn’t for the leadership of Brielle and Aisha throughout the season.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
 
Head Coach Beryl Piper
 
Piper Opening statement: Hard to give an opening statement after a loss, but you know, it was a tough game. I think both teams played really hard. [Saint Francis] shot the ball just a little bit better than we did in the second half, and I think that was the difference in the game.
 
Q: You guys obviously had control in the first two games pretty handedly. What do they do different that allowed them to win? 
Piper: They played a different Triangle-and-Two for a lot of the game. They played it the last few games, which takes away a couple of our players and we really felt that we had enough players to knock down shots. And I think in we worked on it in practice and I thought we did a pretty good job in practice scoring. They made us uncomfortable by playing that defense that not everybody plays. It is the first time all year that we have gone against it. You know, I thought we made some good plays. You know late, and got them out of it. To their credit, they went to their two one two and played man and played some different things late in the game. But their triangle defiantly took us out of our rhythm and did not pressure us quite as much. Transition wise, we didn’t score much in transition and didn’t pressure us quite as hard as they did the first couple of times.
 
Q: Second chance points were 12-4. Talk about what the difference that they were able to rebound?
Piper: No, I mean that stat is always a big stat in order to be successful; to have to out-rebound the other team. When you out-rebound, you often win, and they did that. We took 10 more shots than they did, so we had that many more opportunities to get offensive rebounds. I thought we came down and took some bad shots, quick shots, which really didn’t put us in a position to rebound the basketball, which hurt us when we had our run to comeback. We were getting the ball inside to [TeJahne Malone] and T.J. was doing a really good job getting it inside out and doing some things inside out and we came down and shot some flyers that hurt us. We started settling for that outside jump shot that we weren’t getting any offensive rebounds. No second chances. You know, that’s where the game turned around. You know, we got tired and I didn’t have anymore timeout left, which didn’t help at all.
 
Q: What is it about T.J. against this team? She averages just under 10 points a game. This team she just thrives off of playing against them.
Piper: Well T.J. is a tough kid and obviously being a senior, she was going to come today and battle and try to do whatever she took, whatever it took to win the game and I know that she was talking to her teammates all the time, even when we got down, to keep our heads and be focused. I think we played her inside a lot. She’s a really good post player with her back to the basket. We usually play her in the fourth spot a lot, but we put her in there and a lot of good things happen. She was able to get to the rim. Get to the free throw line, and so, um, she’s a talented kid. If I didn’t have to call two timeouts in the third, and maybe if we have an extra timeout, it makes a big difference. A lot we got really tired down the wire.
 
Q: Were you surprised or taken off-guard with Katie Reese the way she really attacked the basket? Was that some thing you were concerned about going in?
Piper: Well, we didn’t want her to go right. We were supposed to shade her left and we didn’t do a really good job all night defensively with that, with a lot of their players. It’s something that we could have done better, but obviously she really stepped up and put a lot of pressure on us. Kayla [Miller] getting into foul trouble doesn’t help us either. She was a difference maker tonight. Her scoring 20 points tonight and making the baskets she made; I mean that’s the difference in the game. If she doesn’t do that in the first half, we are up by a lot more. It’s a whole different mindset coming into the second half.