University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes - Carolina 78, Elon 73
December 5, 2016 | Women's Basketball
North Carolina 78, Elon 73 • December 4, 2016
Postgame Quotes
North Carolina Head Coach Sylvia Hatchell
Opening Statement
“First of all, I'm so proud of Charlotte [Smith]. She's got a great team. A lot of what you saw out there tonight was experience versus inexperience because she's got some really nice players, and they're well coached and do a really good job. I told them, we were shaking hands, I said, 'y'all better be in the NCAA tournament,' and I think they will. Anyway, it was a great game and they were tough, kept taking the ball away from us and everything, but I was proud of our kids for hanging in there. Paris [Kea] is tough as nails, and she's been playing really really well. Right now rebounding is our Achilles Heel. We've got to get tougher and get more rebounds. We're giving too many possessions, but we're 7-1. It's hard to complain about that. It was a great game and great crowd. It was actually 22 years ago today that Charlotte dunked out here, and actually the girl, we played North Carolina A&T, and the girl that had the turnover when Charlotte stole the ball and dunked was here tonight. So I thought that was pretty good. So we were trying to honor Charlotte with the bobble-head dolls and all that stuff. That was a great job, they've got a great program and I'm really really proud of her. But, I'm proud of our team. We're going to continue to get better and better. We're a work in progress, but Paris has done a great job, and she's really been our clutch player lots of times out there. We can play a lot better, and we will. We'll continue to work and get better as we move along.”
On the size difference between the teams
“Well in first half, they were killing us on the boards. They were taking it to the basket and their post was getting it. At halftime, I think all but eight or ten points were in the paint for them, so that's why we changed up our defense. We were trying to throw some different things out there to stop the penetration and to help on the post players. That worked pretty well. Their post game is good, and they have three point guards out there that can go. They have the whole package, so it was a great win for us.”
On the importance of three-pointers for this team
“We shoot [three pointers], and we have some good guards. That's the strength of our team because we're not that big, and the size we do have are freshmen. We're still trying to find ourselves there, but if our guards can shoot threes and drive, then they have to come out there and guard us. They have to match up with us, so the guard play is major. That's what we focus on, not just the dribble-drive, but also shooting the three. We may shoot as many or more threes than anyone in the country. We'll do whatever we need to do to win.”
On getting to the free throw line more
“Yeah, we want to. Especially with all the guards and penetration we're doing. We're trying to get to the line.”
Paris Kea, R-Sophomore Forward
On her mindset after Stephanie Watts left the game due to foul trouble
“I wouldn't say necessarily that it was a different mindset, but she definitely gets a lot of offense rebounds, so I was trying to crash the boards. Coach [Hatchell] is always preaching about rebounds, so I was trying to help there.”
On being back at home after a long away game stretch
“Considering this is my 'first year playing here', actually playing and eligible, it still gives me chills every time I step out on Carmichael.”
Elon Head Coach Charlotte Smith
Opening Statement
“Exciting to be home and just grateful for the opportunity to be here today. I'll tell you it's an honor to come back and have Charlotte Smith bobble-head day. It's kind of cool. Just really proud of the effort form my team. We talked about just coming in here and fighting for forty minutes, and if they come in and play hard for forty minutes, that's all you can ask of them. Just excited about the effort today, and we will look forward to getting better and working in practice this week to move forward to our next challenge in another ACC rival in Duke.”
On taking advantage of height
“I felt like we did a really good job of that in the first half, and Carolina kind of packed it in a little bit more in the second half, so it was a little more difficult to get our inside play going. That was definitely what we wanted to capitalize on is that inside play and taking advantage of the height that we had. I felt like we did a really good job getting the ball inside and finishing in the first half.”
On turnovers
“That was the one thing we talked about was that we have to value the basketball. I think it was just players being in a mental slump and being a little timid. I think the environment was a little impactful for a couple of our players, and that's why we play these types of games so we can get used to these types of environments on the road if we want to be a national contender and play in the NCAA tournament, these are the kinds of environments you have to be in. We just did not do a good job of taking care of the ball, but that's an easy fix.”
On how to win close games
“Number one, take care of the basketball – that's a big thing. If you're giving teams extra possessions then that kind of works against you. We have to rebound the basketball really well. I thought they got some critical rebounds down the stretch that we needed to get.”
