Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State Postgame Quotes

Opening remarks…

“(I’m) excited about the win. I thought this win was tough to get. It wasn’t the prettiest, it wasn’t the smoothest, but I thought we were able to do what we needed to do. We did a really good job on the boards. I thought when we needed buckets, we found buckets, and when we needed stops, we found them. Proud of our team for that.”

Offensive rebound

“Yeah, you know, we’ve been working hard on offensive rebound production. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of players that can impact the game, but Ricke (Jackson) and Jordan (Horston) and their athleticism, speed. to the ball, their speed off the floor and size gives them a big advantage in that area. Also, I think they’re pretty active offensively, and I think that makes them a little bit harder to defend.”

On Jordan Horston sealing the game

“It was 13 (points) and nine (rebounds), right? Thirteen and nine in the fourth quarter for him, and I think when we needed those buckets, he got them. I thought he was really aggressive about getting to the paint and finding opportunities, you know, didn’t settle in there as much in the second half. Especially in the fourth quarter, he was able to get some really good looks. And he was pretty tenacious. When he got his shot blocked, came back and I think he gets the points from that. I loved his relentlessness, especially in the fourth quarter. “

On improving the defense in the fourth quarter

“Yeah, I wasn’t particularly excited about our defense in the third quarter. We gave up four threes in the third, and that was the emphasis that came at halftime. So we’ve got to be better there. I’ve got to turn in the scouting report better than we did today. But in the fourth quarter, we tightened it up. Jasmine (Franklin) made two or three really big plays on the defensive end – as did several of our players.Some play unnoticed with some of their plays. Jordan Walker did a heck of a job defending, especially down low. I thought our communication was where it needed to be in the fourth when it got tight, maybe I want to see that in the third the next time around.”

Picks from this game

“I think offensively we didn’t get as many post touches as we needed to. So, if you look at the X’s and the O’s, we’ve got to be able to give the ball away. We had a few opportunities and we just didn’t get it in, and I think we can look back over the last five games or so and realize that’s a big part of our offense. We’ve got to make sure it’s still there. And again, defensively, we have to be able to translate the scouting report into in-game situations. We’ve got to think ahead a little bit. I think our pace was good part of the game, and then it wasn’t a good part of the game. We’ve got to find some consistency with our pace as well.”

On Jordan Horston

“Yeah, I’ll tell you what, in the fourth quarter I was a big cheerleader. I’d be cheering loudly for him. He got me excited and excited when he got in and got some of those boards and rebounds. . . . He’s a special player, there’s no doubt about that. You know, he’s fun to watch and in that moment you just enjoy watching good basketball.”

About how the tight non-conference schedule paid off in these moments…

“I don’t think we’ve lost our balance in any of our SEC games. Even when our opponents have run, I think we’ve stayed pretty consistent. When we didn’t play well, I think we bounced back pretty quickly. I think that’s a little bit of what we’ve seen in the past. I think , that our team is playing with a lot of confidence right now, and they believe they can overcome mistakes. They can get it back to each other at the end, and that’s because of offensive or defensive mistakes. I think that’s part of it, but I don’t know if that confidence came from the early season, but they’re playing with it now.”

On Rickea Jackson comes off the bench and changes the game…

“Not in terms of how the game is played, but you just know he’s sitting there. It’s a nice weapon, and he changes the game when he comes in. The opponent changes what they’re doing when he comes in. They look when he goes in . We can put him in different spots; we can do some different things when he’s in there. He was able to impact the game in the first half.”

About that how Rickea Jackson played for his former team and how his teammates lifted him through the game…

“I thought our team stuck together. I thought our team pulled each other. The communication was good. I thought it was really positive. I thought we had a few times when we had a little energy. I thought they picked each other up. During that time. No just for Rickea in that situation, but overall. Everything I saw was really positive.”

What our shooting tells us about our offense going forward playing SEC teams…

“I thought the same thing when I looked at the stats. Obviously, shooting 80 gives you a really high shooting percentage; it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. I think we got a lot of possession and offense from there. I think the boards really made a big difference there. The pace , the games and the board game really got us into the 80’s.”

About the number of second chance points in the game…

“Yeah, we’ve been working really hard on our boards; that’s what we’ve been emphasizing. We’re just looking different than what we did in November on the boards, and I’m proud of that. I think we’ve got people that are sticking around. understand and understand that’s got to be a big part of it, who we are and who we’re going to hurt. It helps you when you have an off night or when your offense isn’t 100 percent. It gives you a chance to stop, put points on the board and take some pressure off your defense.”

From the team mentality of finishing off the opponent when you’ve led the whole game…

“I think for our players, we have to understand that all those little plays matter. I thought right when it looked like we might pull away, in the third, but (especially) in the fourth, we’d make a mistake. Whether it was a turnover or a defensive mistake, I think, that there’s only a few plays and it might not be as close as it was. That’s a game. They’re sitting there going, ‘A few more plays and it’s going to be an even tighter ballgame.’ The margin for error is so small. One play in the third quarter in the middle can lead to momentum. You have to understand that when you’re there, every possession you have is valuable, whether you’re on the offensive end or the defensive end.”

How positive is it to score only eight wins against a team known for stealing…

“That’s a good number. It was a really good number — especially the way they play. Like you said, they played that style of play. It wasn’t easy for us offensively, but we just didn’t have a lot. Our mistakes were probably more execution today than actual decision-making. We can clean up a few things there, we can clean up our execution a little better and then keep those turnovers down; things could look a little nicer.”

In his message to the team before the upcoming SEC road games…

“For us, I’ve talked about this a lot, we’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to be consistent every night. At home, away, it doesn’t matter who you play; it doesn’t matter. it doesn’t matter their record. You’ve got to play consistently. That’s important to us when we’re going on the road. I think we’ve got to be mature. We’ve got to be able to go about our business. I thought we did that in Florida on the road. We didn’t start the game well, but we stayed poised and got a good win there. I hope our players do well and we’ll try to carry the momentum to Nashville.”

If he likes his players to repeat what he teaches…

“Yes! I tell you, it makes me so happy that they say the same things. Not only say the same things, but when they actually say it exactly the same way. I know they’re listening. “don’t buy, at least they spit its back to you. I think they understand that; i think they understand. It’s the same thing. You will hear it in practice. For me, that’s when I have an ‘aha’ When I hear them in practice talking to each other and using the same language that I use and using the same phrases as the coaching staff, you know you’re going somewhere when you hear that.”

On the importance of balance when playing a tough SEC schedule...
"It's definitely important for us to keep our chemistry. Tess (Darby) coming to get those quick threes gets us all excited and gets our feelings going even more. And when Jordan (Horston)_ comes in and just does what she does, like all over the court, it just makes the game fun. We're really good at chemistry, and that's what I'm most proud of us for. You know, we have a lot of transfers and things like that, but I feel like there was a switch where we know where everyone's going to be and things like that."

On what it was like playing against her previous team...
"Again, we treat every opponent the same, but it was fun. Being able to play against people that you know, it's just fun. I was just having a great time."

On what's changed within the team to put together their current win streak... 
"I would have to say our consistency in practice. You can just feel we're all focused. You can just feel that vibe in practice. We have a goal in SEC play. We came out and said SEC play started the season for us because, of course, we didn't start how we wanted to in the season. So I would say the new year's resolution is everyone being focused and locking in at practice. It is really so important." 

On what prompted her current offensive streak...
"Yeah, you know, it is all about a rhythm, but also my confidence - just having the coaches that get in the gym consistently with me that want me to get better, and also just their rebounding and helping me improve and add to my game. But right now, I'm really working on being more than just a three-point threat. But playing on a team with Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston that can do so much more, it just makes it really fun as a shooter, because they create so much space for me with just their presence on the court. So, it's really been fun."

On Jordan Horston's ability to amplify her game in the fourth quarter...
"You know, it's fun. Sometimes I have to remember I'm out here playing on the court, because I do get caught up in it. Just (saying), 'Let's go Jordy!' (I'm) just out there cheering her on. I think that's how she does get on a roll, it's just rallying around her teammates. Like Rickea said, it's just fun to play when someone starts going off. You're just staring, and it's like alright, let's keep it going. It's just so fun."

On how having a tough non-conference schedule has benefited the team during SEC play...
"Yeah, I definitely feel like the coaches putting us in that tough non-conference schedule during the beginning of the season (was beneficial). You know, it's like someone throws a press at us now, and it's like, alright, we got this... compared to Ohio State where we were just a little nervous about it. But yeah, those tougher games have really paid off, and I think this is where you're seeing it now, in this conference."

Key to their offensive rebounding success…

“We’re tough, tough. We practice that in practice. They know the scouting report says the box needs to be removed. We just have to go down and get out there no matter what.”

About the team’s response going into the fourth quarter…

“I felt like we never got the offense when they wanted to on that run, so that’s what happens to us. We know every good team makes runs, and we had to, you know, cut them really short, stay together and keep going. I feel like that we locked in better toward the end and got stops. But it gives us confidence knowing we’re disciplined and doing everything we’re supposed to do.”

On Rickea Jackson playing his former team…

“We wanted this bad. I’m glad we got this win. We got it for Kea (Rickea Jackson), because who doesn’t want to beat their old team? So I’m just glad we won, and we won in style.”