Michigan State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes: Michigan
1/27/2024 3:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Head Coach Robyn Fralick
Opening statement...
That was a lot of fun. I'm really proud of our team, what a game. I think there are so many kids on our team from the Midwest, and you grow up watching this game, dreaming to be a part of this game. I thought we played with great tenacity and togetherness for the whole forty minutes. I thought our crowd was unbelievable, so you have to savor that. You have to appreciate it while it's happening. We still have a lot of games in front of us, but this one was special.
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On being 10-1 at home this season and defending the home court...Â
It is so important. If you look in the league, it is such an important element. It will remain important, especially tonight. It was a big game for us and we did a good job of taking care of our home.
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On whether this is a memorable day for her...
Yeah, I think so. It's a scrapbook day. A very memorable day, and the game is different. To put it any other way would be to minimize it. It is a different game for me, it's a different game for our staff, it's a different game for our players. And we played like it was a different game. I was proud of us for doing that.
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On her team having fun during the game...
You know, I think I've shared this before, but something I think about a lot when coaching: it's a kid's game. I mean you grew up playing it as a kid. You have to keep that as you move up levels. As you move up levels, there can be different expectations, different pressures, but at the end of the day it's a kid's game. When you can have that piece of you in the center of how you play, you play differently. That's hard to do, but we try our best to remember and keep a culture and atmosphere of its a kids' game.
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On how the team was able to pull away in the second quarter
We rebounded the ball really well. We knew coming in that it was very important. I thought we did a good job applying pressure and sustaining pressure throughout the game. Then offensively, we shared it and I thought we attacked it at the right time, and I thought we moved it at the right times.
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Can you talk a little bit about the start there, where the team was only shooting three's before they realized they could move around more and shoot from the free throw line?Â
The way we play, you have to be able to make decisions. Teams guard us differently every night and I thought tonight we had some 3s early. But I thought we did a good job, especially off missed shots and ball movement, of being able to attack. Being able to make that one more play and get that next driving lane. That was good to see, we got to the free throw line a lot, that was good. You have to be multi-dimensional, and we were able to do that tonight."Â
On how the refereeing may have impacted the game...
Well, we were aggressive. I had two kids foul out too. I think that it was a high intensity game, it was an aggressive game and I think that's how it was played on both sides."Â
On Jocelyn Tate...
She was really doing a good job of posting up on some mismatches and getting the ball, getting fouled, finishing. I thought in her first half she helped us gain so much momentum and her energy, being able to score and rebound, and she drew six fouls.
On the team picking eachother up...
Well to be effective you have to be able to count on a lot of people because the reality is different nights it could be different match ups, different people, and that is something that we have done well throughout the season is being balanced and have different leading scorers pretty consistently but we needed her (Jocelyn Tate) to step up tonight and she did.
On what the three rebound sequences meant for this game...Â
That was a good sequence for us, right? The more you get, the better the game is for you. Rebounding is discipline and effort, something that we worked on really hard, especially since the Minnesota game, we just have to rebound the ball better. Our team has responded to that and we have to be able to keep doing that, but relentless effort is hard to guard. That's one of my favorite things about the game of basketball, effort is an advantage so that's something that we can control.Â
On how they were able to finish through the third-period stretch...Â
They (Michigan) made a great run to start the third, they had just come off a game vs. Maryland where they made a good comeback so we had to find a way to stop their scorers and during that time I especially thought that Julia (Ayrault) was big for us in finding a way to get some critical baskets and that we did a good job of getting to the line and finishing.
On how Julia Ayrault made adjustments down low during this game...Â
Sometimes so much of what people talk about is what you aren't, and so much of what we talk about is what we are, and I think that you have got to figure out who you are and own it. She (Ayrault) made some good adjustments but she's a tough match-up too and so that's what we embraced but we're fast, aggressive and we've got to use that to our advantage.
On how she will take this win on the road for their next match-up...Â
We're playing for something. You have to savor this and then you've got to move because there are tons of games left and this team is playing for something, so we have to have a mentality around that.
On what she said to the team after the game...
"I said that her (Lauren Ross') shot was the cherry on top. She made a good play and I know all her teammates were really excited for her."
