Post-Game Quotes: Penn State
2/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Michigan State Head Coach Suzy Merchant
On how disappointing the loss is…
Very. I couldn't have predicted it. We had two really good days of practice with a lot of energy and focus, and I thought people were engaged with what was going on. We spent a whole day working against the zone, moving it, but then we get in a game and everybody wants to be the hero and hang on to it. I thought that was pretty evident and obvious tonight; and then we need people who can make outside shots to make them. It's all mental. Branndais had been shooting really well and then didn't and I thought for the first time ever it affected her ability to do other things. She turned it over, she wasn't focused defensively. Her kid had 20. Normally she's a bit better. With Tori, she's in her own way at this point. She's a great shooter who hasn't been able to get out of her own way. It's really, really disappointing. I thought our energy was really low, this wasn't the same team. I couldn't have predicted it. We had two great practices. We were moving the ball; we were doing everything I thought we needed to do to prepare for Penn State. It's really disappointing that we performed the way we performed.
On how to move on after the loss…
I just look on to the next one which is Nebraska, so we better get it together because they're really, really good. It's their ‘Play for Kay' game, it's one of the toughest places to play, and there will be 12 or 15,000 people there. It will be one of the toughest games we play all year. So just go to work.
On Penn State's 20 point scorer (Teniya Page)…
We just didn't have the answer for her. Last game we had the answer for her, this time we were more concerned with not making a shot on the offensive end then getting the stop on the defensive end. That's always a recipe for disaster. That pullup jumper she had, we didn't even get a chance to challenge it. We were just cowered down and hunched over and didn't get a chance to compete. Like you said, that kid played 40 minutes.
On Penn State's offensive effort…
That team shot almost 50 percent from the field and in the fourth quarter they shot 57 percent. When number three (Brianna Banks) hit that shot, Aerial didn't even have a hand up. Like, that's a triple threat scoring guard, get a hand up and compete. That, to me, is frustrating. She didn't even have to work for it. She just stood there, looked at her and shot it. She didn't even challenge it. People need to show up on the defensive end, that's my biggest frustration. We let our offense affect our defense. It was all about, ‘Can I get a shot?' or, ‘Can I be the hero?' Like, ‘Let's get the stop'. So that part was really disappointing to me. I was shocked that we let people do the things that we let them do. But give them credit, they weren't playing for a lot obviously, but that's what is disappointing. Our vets need to show up, they need to be better than that. To go through what we went through on Warrior Week and to come out here and just go through the motions like, ‘We got this, we're good, we can do this,' is shocking. And I didn't see it coming and that's on me as a coach. I will take responsibility for that, but I thought we had two great days of practice on both sides of the ball.
On if her message included not feeling entitled to a win…
I think they just played down, well not down. I just don't understand how you can't compete at the highest level when you're playing for something and you're at home. There are no bad teams in our league. Look at the men's side, look at our side, there are no bad teams. It doesn't matter what your record is, that team can beat you in front of you if they work hard, play hard, hustle harder and have a better night than you. So if you don't want that to happen, you need to scratch, claw, hustle, work, defend. I was just blown away to go through what we did and then have happen what happened. The fourth quarter was just like, ‘What the heck?' I think we were up 48-41 and everyone has to be a hero. Everyone is taking bombs with 24 seconds on the clock, which is exactly what I tell them not to do. I tell them to stop doing that. Let's work the ball, and if we don't have anything let's work our offense and get something going. And those were big because we didn't give ourselves a chance to attack. That is the difference between winning and losing. And that's what we talked about as coaches, move the ball, hit the gaps, move it side to side, sway, but we just didn't hold it together and we didn't have that. Give Penn State credit. They did a great job, and their freshman point guard played really well.
On takeaways from the game…
I don't take a whole lot of silver linings out of losses. That's just not me. Not in February. That's the disappointing part. Like I said, after what we went through, there are no silver linings to this. We just have to move on. Be disappointed, be upset, but we have to go back to work tomorrow because the next one will be just as tough if not tougher.
