Post-Game Quotes: Youngstown State
11/12/2025 10:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Opening Statement…
Fun team win and I'll give a lot of credit to Melissa Jackson, the head coach at Youngstown State. We've coached against each other for a long time. When I was at Bowling Green, she was at Akron, and now she's at Youngstown State. Watching them from last year to this year, they've really improved. So, we knew coming in, she's doing a great job. We knew coming in, too, they'll pick on some things, and we've got to be able to adjust and adapt. And, we really challenged our team going into this game, rebounding, just not specifically because of this game, but just in general, and we've got to get better at it to get to sort of that next level. I thought we had a really good rebounding game, so I'm really encouraged by that. There are so many things you've got to do right over and over and over in possessions, and we've still got growth and our consistency throughout possessions. But I love the way we rebounded. I thought everybody went in the game tonight made a positive impact, brought the right energy, brought the right attitude. So, great team win and encouraged by some of the things we've been challenging them on. So, this teams taking a few steps forward in that.
On the message at the halftime break…
Move the ball. I thought we were trying to do too much. They were really, really packing the paint. We were trying to do too much without moving the defense or moving the ball. And I thought in the fourth quarter, when you move the ball, and you move people, you create good shots. In the fourth quarter, we did a better job of that.
On the shooting performance compared to the Eastern Michigan game…
I thought we got good looks again. We just made more of them tonight. We've seen that a lot so far. So far, a lot of teams are packing the paint. If you're going to do that, we're going to move the ball, and our team knows the shots we want. Open threes are definitely shots we want. I thought we did a good job sharing the ball, and then tonight we did a better job rebounding misses. You rebound better when you take predictable shots. I thought we took very predictable shots and did a much better job getting extra shots.
On how important it was to take control of the game defensively…
That's important every game. Ability to turn turnovers into points, that's advantage basketball. Ability to get defensive rebounds and push. Anytime that you can create advantage basketball, that's a good thing for us. And both of those off turnovers and off fast breaks, and we were able to create that and convert.
On having 48 points off the bench…
I thought our depth tonight was great. I thought everybody who went in was called upon, was ready, contributed, and positively impacted. And with the way we want to pressure and play, you've got to count on a lot of people to do it right. And tonight, I thought it was great. Everybody who went in was ready to go.
On senior forward Grace VanSlooten struggling in the first half…
We play team ball. We're just going to share the ball. I always say sometimes it's your night, sometimes it's mine, but it's always our night. And you've got to be able to count on a number of different people.
On the importance of senior guard Theryn Hallock's leadership and speed on the court…
Well, Theryn's (Hallock) a Spartan through and through. I think it start there, she loves Michigan State. This place really means something to her. She plays in a way that honors that. And then secondly, she has an ability to make explosive plays. And sometimes I feel like her pick sixes feel like five-point plays. It's usually for a layup, but she just can really create momentum swings with that.
On the resiliency of redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair…
Well, she was in early foul trouble and that can be frustrating, and I challenged her like, 'hey, this is part of being a mature competitor.' You can't get derailed because of some early fouls and you have to be able to play through, you have to be able to be counted on. So, I thought that in the second half, I really saw her take some steps in that. But you just can't be easily derailed, even with us in early foul trouble, we play kids. I mean, if you look at it analytically, in my opinion and analytically it makes no sense to sit kids just because of a few fouls in the first half. So, they know they're going to go in, and we got to still count on them.
On the three-point shooting of senior guard Emma Shumate…
Well, I love to call her Shoot-Mate. So, that's my nickname for her, shooters shoot. But she spends a lot of time on it. I always say you've got to soar with your superpower, and her superpower is shooting. It's a huge advantage for our team. It creates space. It's definitely a weapon. I think the biggest thing she's worked on is just the mental side of competing and understanding It doesn't matter if it goes in or not, it's a good shot and kind of staying in that space and being ready for the next one.
On shooting 55% from the free throw stripe…
Well, it matters, and if it's a closer game then it really matters. So, we got to clean that up. I like that we're drawing fouls, but then we've got to capitalize on that. I don't think there's any magic to it, we'll just keep working on it. We've got to keep getting there (to the free throw line).
Fun team win and I'll give a lot of credit to Melissa Jackson, the head coach at Youngstown State. We've coached against each other for a long time. When I was at Bowling Green, she was at Akron, and now she's at Youngstown State. Watching them from last year to this year, they've really improved. So, we knew coming in, she's doing a great job. We knew coming in, too, they'll pick on some things, and we've got to be able to adjust and adapt. And, we really challenged our team going into this game, rebounding, just not specifically because of this game, but just in general, and we've got to get better at it to get to sort of that next level. I thought we had a really good rebounding game, so I'm really encouraged by that. There are so many things you've got to do right over and over and over in possessions, and we've still got growth and our consistency throughout possessions. But I love the way we rebounded. I thought everybody went in the game tonight made a positive impact, brought the right energy, brought the right attitude. So, great team win and encouraged by some of the things we've been challenging them on. So, this teams taking a few steps forward in that.
On the message at the halftime break…
Move the ball. I thought we were trying to do too much. They were really, really packing the paint. We were trying to do too much without moving the defense or moving the ball. And I thought in the fourth quarter, when you move the ball, and you move people, you create good shots. In the fourth quarter, we did a better job of that.
On the shooting performance compared to the Eastern Michigan game…
I thought we got good looks again. We just made more of them tonight. We've seen that a lot so far. So far, a lot of teams are packing the paint. If you're going to do that, we're going to move the ball, and our team knows the shots we want. Open threes are definitely shots we want. I thought we did a good job sharing the ball, and then tonight we did a better job rebounding misses. You rebound better when you take predictable shots. I thought we took very predictable shots and did a much better job getting extra shots.
On how important it was to take control of the game defensively…
That's important every game. Ability to turn turnovers into points, that's advantage basketball. Ability to get defensive rebounds and push. Anytime that you can create advantage basketball, that's a good thing for us. And both of those off turnovers and off fast breaks, and we were able to create that and convert.
On having 48 points off the bench…
I thought our depth tonight was great. I thought everybody who went in was called upon, was ready, contributed, and positively impacted. And with the way we want to pressure and play, you've got to count on a lot of people to do it right. And tonight, I thought it was great. Everybody who went in was ready to go.
On senior forward Grace VanSlooten struggling in the first half…
We play team ball. We're just going to share the ball. I always say sometimes it's your night, sometimes it's mine, but it's always our night. And you've got to be able to count on a number of different people.
On the importance of senior guard Theryn Hallock's leadership and speed on the court…
Well, Theryn's (Hallock) a Spartan through and through. I think it start there, she loves Michigan State. This place really means something to her. She plays in a way that honors that. And then secondly, she has an ability to make explosive plays. And sometimes I feel like her pick sixes feel like five-point plays. It's usually for a layup, but she just can really create momentum swings with that.
On the resiliency of redshirt sophomore guard Kennedy Blair…
Well, she was in early foul trouble and that can be frustrating, and I challenged her like, 'hey, this is part of being a mature competitor.' You can't get derailed because of some early fouls and you have to be able to play through, you have to be able to be counted on. So, I thought that in the second half, I really saw her take some steps in that. But you just can't be easily derailed, even with us in early foul trouble, we play kids. I mean, if you look at it analytically, in my opinion and analytically it makes no sense to sit kids just because of a few fouls in the first half. So, they know they're going to go in, and we got to still count on them.
On the three-point shooting of senior guard Emma Shumate…
Well, I love to call her Shoot-Mate. So, that's my nickname for her, shooters shoot. But she spends a lot of time on it. I always say you've got to soar with your superpower, and her superpower is shooting. It's a huge advantage for our team. It creates space. It's definitely a weapon. I think the biggest thing she's worked on is just the mental side of competing and understanding It doesn't matter if it goes in or not, it's a good shot and kind of staying in that space and being ready for the next one.
On shooting 55% from the free throw stripe…
Well, it matters, and if it's a closer game then it really matters. So, we got to clean that up. I like that we're drawing fouls, but then we've got to capitalize on that. I don't think there's any magic to it, we'll just keep working on it. We've got to keep getting there (to the free throw line).
Players Mentioned
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