Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Post-Game Quotes vs. Ohio State
2/27/2022 7:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Coach Suzy Merchant
On having a season-high attendance of 7,124 today...
It felt good. I think the dollar-day promotion was good, that worked out and I think the seniors too really helped – sending them off the right way. So, I just really want to say thank you to all the fans that came out, and it was such a close game, I wish we could have pulled it out for them.
On being glad to have the seniors for a few more games in the B1G Tournament...
Yeah. Their fight has been tremendous, their attitudes and their effort. We just don't have the depth that we need probably when you look at other teams. I should have said this out there, but I went through it the other day and I told Kara [Fisher] going into the Big Ten Tournament we have lost almost 100 games of players that are not playing. That is a lot of games missed, and then you throw in people that have had to play out of position or for 40 minutes a game because it changed our depth – (it created) a different style. Of all the teams I ever coached, I am proud of all of them, but this one I just have a different kind of appreciation and gratitude for. Because people don't understand until you are in it. All the resiliency and the positivity and the fight that they had. There is no question that this group has exceeded and done more than any people ever would have anticipated.
About the team's shooting...
I'm just really proud of their fight and their battle. There are different things you can point to. Are the right people getting the right shots? They are right now, but they just aren't falling for some of them. So that makes it difficult, you can't manufacture shots when you get the right people shooting them in the right positions to win games, you got to knock them down.
About Tamara Farquhar's performances and her season at MSU...
She is just all effort and all toughness. She has been asked to do things she hadn't anticipated that she would be asked to do. First of all, she has to play at guard, then she is playing the four, sometimes I play her at the five. I anticipated her being our defensive stopper, our rebounder, and maybe a half-the-game kid. And this kid has had to come in here and log more minutes and do more things for this team than a lot of the kids on this roster. I feel bad for her because I know she is hurting; her body has been beat up over four years of college basketball. This kid has been beat up pretty good. I love watching her because you really appreciate as a coach and as a fan just her all-out effort. Everything she does is effort based. A rebound is a loose ball and it's about who wants it the most, and on offense and defense she has been spectacular for us.
On the senior class...
Yeah, it's interesting when you look at it. I have Lo [Laurel Jacqmain] who is a walk-on. I have Smitty [Alissia Smith] who is a transfer but who was here for two years. I have Tamara [Farquhar] who was a grad transfer and only gets to be here one. Then I have Nia [Clouden] who is a four-year kid. So, they had all different paths to get here and their journeys have been different, and their roles have been different. But what I appreciated about the senior class is I think they have gotten the most out of themselves, I think they have been the best versions of themselves and maybe exceeded expectations for their skillset and the minutes that they play. I'm very proud of this group, they are awesome character kids. I wouldn't want to go to war with any other group of seniors. Their paths were different to get here, but it is an emotional day. All of them have contributed in so many ways: little ways, big ways. Nia's 50 (points vs. Florida Gulf Coast), that's a big way on the court, but the little things that Lo does and Smitty does and Tamara does. I'm just really proud of them, they are really high character people.
On having a season-high attendance of 7,124 today...
It felt good. I think the dollar-day promotion was good, that worked out and I think the seniors too really helped – sending them off the right way. So, I just really want to say thank you to all the fans that came out, and it was such a close game, I wish we could have pulled it out for them.
On being glad to have the seniors for a few more games in the B1G Tournament...
Yeah. Their fight has been tremendous, their attitudes and their effort. We just don't have the depth that we need probably when you look at other teams. I should have said this out there, but I went through it the other day and I told Kara [Fisher] going into the Big Ten Tournament we have lost almost 100 games of players that are not playing. That is a lot of games missed, and then you throw in people that have had to play out of position or for 40 minutes a game because it changed our depth – (it created) a different style. Of all the teams I ever coached, I am proud of all of them, but this one I just have a different kind of appreciation and gratitude for. Because people don't understand until you are in it. All the resiliency and the positivity and the fight that they had. There is no question that this group has exceeded and done more than any people ever would have anticipated.
About the team's shooting...
I'm just really proud of their fight and their battle. There are different things you can point to. Are the right people getting the right shots? They are right now, but they just aren't falling for some of them. So that makes it difficult, you can't manufacture shots when you get the right people shooting them in the right positions to win games, you got to knock them down.
About Tamara Farquhar's performances and her season at MSU...
She is just all effort and all toughness. She has been asked to do things she hadn't anticipated that she would be asked to do. First of all, she has to play at guard, then she is playing the four, sometimes I play her at the five. I anticipated her being our defensive stopper, our rebounder, and maybe a half-the-game kid. And this kid has had to come in here and log more minutes and do more things for this team than a lot of the kids on this roster. I feel bad for her because I know she is hurting; her body has been beat up over four years of college basketball. This kid has been beat up pretty good. I love watching her because you really appreciate as a coach and as a fan just her all-out effort. Everything she does is effort based. A rebound is a loose ball and it's about who wants it the most, and on offense and defense she has been spectacular for us.
On the senior class...
Yeah, it's interesting when you look at it. I have Lo [Laurel Jacqmain] who is a walk-on. I have Smitty [Alissia Smith] who is a transfer but who was here for two years. I have Tamara [Farquhar] who was a grad transfer and only gets to be here one. Then I have Nia [Clouden] who is a four-year kid. So, they had all different paths to get here and their journeys have been different, and their roles have been different. But what I appreciated about the senior class is I think they have gotten the most out of themselves, I think they have been the best versions of themselves and maybe exceeded expectations for their skillset and the minutes that they play. I'm very proud of this group, they are awesome character kids. I wouldn't want to go to war with any other group of seniors. Their paths were different to get here, but it is an emotional day. All of them have contributed in so many ways: little ways, big ways. Nia's 50 (points vs. Florida Gulf Coast), that's a big way on the court, but the little things that Lo does and Smitty does and Tamara does. I'm just really proud of them, they are really high character people.
Players Mentioned
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