Post-Game Quotes: Northwestern

MSU Head Coach Suzy Merchant

On the disappointment after the game…
Well, I'm in shock. I don't know whose team that was or what happened because that's not how we've been playing. Just shell shocked, to be honest. I thought we were really well prepared for this team and what they do. I felt good about our defense and offensive plan, we just didn't make baskets which then let's people score on us. Then we turn it over 24 times and it leads to 35 points, that's pretty upsetting too because that was the game plan to take care of the ball. Especially in base-line out-of-bounds plays, we worked on those a lot. They're a very good defensive team for a reason, they're top of the league in that zone and the way they play it. They're long, athletic and big. It isn't always easy to just run traditional zone offense because of the way they adjust and the things they do. I was just really shocked and disappointed in some of our key players - Kayla (Belles), Taryn (McCutcheon) and (Nia) Clouden had been playing well, there's just no reason for them to be slow tonight at home against them. So, that was disappointing and then you throw in the turnovers and our free-throws; I mean we shot 28 percent from the free-throw line, we were 4-for-14 and no one's even guarding you there. We've been shooting the ball well from there so I don't know, it just shocked me because there was no reason for us to feel nervous, worried or upset. I felt good about ourselves, we've won three in a row against good teams. The road win against Rutgers was difficult and we felt good about ourselves. Tonight was shocking and I'm very disappointed in the way we played and that's on me so we'll take a look at that. But, people need to ramp up their intensity and competitiveness. I look at this stat sheet and appreciate Mo Joiner so much. She competes the same in practice every single day and every time, offense or defense. That's how she plays in practice and that's how she is as a person. We need more people doing that instead of getting a treatment off to the side because they're feeling like, whatever. Get in here and practice like we're going to play. It just gets frustrating to me and I think the reason she's been so good is that she's a true freshman and I have her guarding the teams' best players, the All-Conference guards from Rutgers and now here tonight. This kid hasn't only taken on the best players, but she's scoring the ball more, assists, gets rebounds, and runs in transition. She couldn't possibly do one more thing. So on one level, it's exciting to see her as a freshman do that, but where are the upperclassman that should be doing that exact same thing on a consistent level? We have to get back to that and those kids have to look at themselves. There is no reason for this performance, I don't know if it was the way we warmed up; my assistant said we looked a little flat out there, which is shocking to me. I don't know how you can be flat warming up against the number one team in the league at home when you have the chance to do something. If that was the case, I'm shocked. Everybody has got to check themselves because it just can't be this up and down. You can't come off of Ohio State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin and make the strides we're making and have some of the struggles we've had and to come out and play like this is just unacceptable. I'm going to take full responsibility and we're going to watch the film, but I also think that players have to check themselves and elevate their game. You just can't be a no show at this level. It's just not an option.

On if they were expecting a 2-3 zone tonight…
No, they run a 1-1-3 matchup. He calls it 'The Blizzard' and he's run it since he was at George Washington. That's their defense and they play it 100 percent of the time, unless late in the game when they're doing a time-score possession. We were 1000 percent prepared for that; that was something that we've worked on. We showed film on where we could attack it and we added a couple of things. We just couldn't make shots and when we didn't make shots, we didn't play defense. But that zone is all they play. It's effective because they have length and they have smart kids who can cover and understand different things. Also, they don't foul you so you don't get to the line much.

On how you can elevate your best players…
I've talked to them and I think they're fully aware, they just have to want it and expect it. When the game started, Lindsey Pulliam missed her first few shots but she knows she's good so she keeps fighting, reading screens and wanting the ball. She's going to get the next one and next one and next one. Sometimes when our kids don't make a shot, they really don't want to take the next one. That's toughness, grit, and confidence in yourself as a player to step up regardless of how you've performed because you've put the work in and it's time. It was just disappointing to see our veteran guards play tonight. We can't rely on Joiner all night when you're playing the number one team in the league on your home floor coming off pretty good wins, feeling like we're starting to gel. There's no reason for the bottom to drop out. So we'll look at the film and kids need to look at it from a position standpoint. We missed too many layups, our post couldn't make layups for crying out loud. We couldn't make free-throws, we couldn't make three's so there was just no reason when we were going up against a 6'4 Rutgers kid and banking them, and here she can't even make a wide-open one. I don't know if it's a mentality thing, but I recognize youth comes with that, but some of these kids aren't youthful like Clouden, Taryn, and Mardrekia (Cook). They've been here and they know what it takes. You have to be leaned on, your role is elevated and that's where you're at in your career. When Cassius (Winston) and Xavier (Xavier) don't show up for the men, I promise you that's not going to be a very good game. Those guys have to show up for them, if they don't, they won't win. Those guys are critical, Cassius in particular. He takes on that responsibility pretty seriously and when I watch them play, he seems to be pretty consistent. He might miss a few shots here or there, but he runs the team, gets people open, he's reading and setting people up. Xavier plays the same way night in and night out. Right now, our best and most consistent player has been Mo with a Clouden sprinkle. We have to get more consistency and toughness out of our upperclassmen when things don't go our way.

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