Iowa vs MSU PC
iowa press conference
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SportsTranscript
00:00 (indistinct chatter)
00:03 - Well, that was a track meet, to say the least.
00:12 You know, it's about as even in numbers
00:15 as you're looking at on the stat sheet.
00:18 Quite amazing, really.
00:21 We found a way to win, you know,
00:23 and that's what good teams do,
00:25 is they find a way to win, and we did.
00:27 You know, Kaitlin has ice in her veins.
00:29 I mean, everybody knows it, and her, you know,
00:32 she made eight threes, and we talked about
00:35 our three-point defense had to be really, really good
00:38 against Michigan State, and our goal was to hold them
00:41 to eight or under, and we held them to seven.
00:43 So I think that was a very important part for us.
00:47 That second quarter was probably one of the worst quarters
00:50 I've seen of Iowa basketball.
00:53 We shot two for 10 from two-point range.
00:57 It's just very uncharacteristic.
00:59 We're low on assists again tonight.
01:02 So kind of frustrated that we kind of quit
01:03 running our offense in the second quarter,
01:05 and that just allowed them to get back into the game.
01:08 - Kaitlin, just take us through that last play.
01:10 It felt like it was kind of a broken play
01:12 for a bit, a little bit of frantic movement,
01:15 and then, I mean, obviously, your shot.
01:17 - Yeah, I think we were just, definitely wanted to wait
01:19 and take the last shot as soon as the clock ran out,
01:22 but those are situations we kind of work on
01:24 at the end of practice every single day,
01:26 and we ran a play to inbound the ball,
01:27 got it cleanly, and Molly did set a clean pick on my girl,
01:31 but Hannah's defender was up guarding her pretty well.
01:33 So I think it kind of almost worked out in my favor
01:36 'cause my girl kind of almost went for a steal a little bit,
01:38 and then I was able to get to my step back to my left,
01:40 which is the shot I kind of want to get to a lot.
01:42 So, and honestly, when it left my hand,
01:44 I knew it was going in.
01:45 So, yeah, I'm glad I could make that,
01:48 and at the end of the day,
01:49 maybe we didn't play our best today,
01:51 but a win's a win.
01:52 The Big Ten's really tough.
01:53 A lot of things we can get better at,
01:55 like Coach Bluter said,
01:56 we didn't shoot the ball very well,
01:57 we didn't pass the ball very well.
01:59 You know, I can take better care of the ball,
02:01 but yeah, a win's a win, so we're happy about that.
02:05 How much of the shooting woes came from their defense?
02:08 They were really quick and really aggressive.
02:10 Oh, I agree with you, Susan.
02:11 I think they were very physical.
02:14 Officials really let it go tonight, I thought.
02:17 I think they were very physical, they were quick.
02:21 Yeah, I think their defense was really good
02:23 in the quarter court.
02:25 Much better than I thought it was on film.
02:27 Their defensive side, what would you have liked
02:29 to see more of from your offense tonight?
02:31 Ball movement.
02:33 I mean, I thought we were very stagnant.
02:35 We didn't pass the ball well,
02:37 didn't really reverse the ball.
02:39 We didn't get the ball into the paint and back out.
02:42 So, to me, it was all ball movement
02:44 we didn't do a very good job of.
02:45 Molly, what was going through your mind
02:48 when you were at the free throw line
02:49 with those three free throw attempts?
02:53 Just taking it one free throw at a time.
02:56 I looked over to Coach J and she gave me some good words.
03:00 But like I said, I was just taking it
03:02 one free throw at a time and missed it
03:03 on the first one on purpose, so Kaitlin can--
03:05 (laughing)
03:06 That's love, Molly, honestly.
03:08 It's really nice.
03:09 That was a heck of a ball fake she made
03:11 to draw that foul.
03:12 Oh, and she just flying at you.
03:14 Yeah, but she had an unbelievable ball fake.
03:17 Go ahead.
03:17 Yeah, she bid on the ball fake and
03:19 that was, yeah, she just kind of ran into me.
03:22 Tried to get it off.
03:23 Talk about your play in the second half.
03:24 There was kind of a stretch there where
03:27 no one was really making a shot.
03:28 I think you had back-to-back baskets for the team.
03:30 Just talk about kind of what you were able to do
03:32 for the air for a stretch.
03:33 Yeah, Coach Wooter had talked about us
03:35 kind of trying to get to the rim a little bit,
03:37 north-south drives, and so I came into that quarter.
03:41 That's what I was trying to do,
03:42 and I think I had a back-down turnaround jumper,
03:44 which I don't think I've ever been able to do before.
03:47 But, yeah, no, I mean, that was my main focus.
03:50 Molly, you were pretty close to the Caelan shot.
03:52 Did you know it was going in?
03:53 Yeah, yeah.
03:54 (laughing)
03:56 Molly, I think you had seven rebounds tonight.
03:58 Just what was that a product of?
04:01 I think my girl was crashing,
04:04 so I was kind of under the hoop a lot.
04:07 So I think that had a lot to do with it.
04:09 But, yeah, I mean, I think I was in good position
04:11 to get rebounds tonight.
04:13 Caelan, you mentioned that you go through the Big Ten slog.
04:16 There's gonna be games like this.
04:19 Obviously, it's easy, you win,
04:20 and it's easier to learn from wins,
04:22 but just what does being able to pull it out
04:24 change the perception of what you guys went through tonight
04:27 from just a tough night to,
04:31 well, from a tough night to what it was?
04:33 Yeah, I think our team has a really good grasp
04:36 on we know how tough the Big Ten is.
04:38 At this point last year, we went to Illinois,
04:40 our first game in the new year,
04:41 and it felt like we played a lot like this.
04:43 They shot the ball.
04:44 The other team played really well,
04:45 played aggressive defense.
04:46 We didn't shoot the ball well, and we ended up losing.
04:49 But our crowd, it really helps us.
04:50 This is a tough place to play,
04:52 and when you have people screaming like that for you,
04:54 you never wanna let them down.
04:55 And we wanna defend our home court,
04:57 and this is a single play.
04:58 These are games you have to win,
05:00 especially on your home court.
05:01 So I think that was really important.
05:02 And, yeah, I think it's a great example
05:06 of you better be ready to play
05:07 for every single person in the Big Ten.
05:09 But I think Michigan State's really good.
05:10 I mean, they've given a lot of people really good games.
05:13 They crushed DePaul.
05:14 They played Nebraska well.
05:16 They played Creighton well.
05:18 So they've beat good teams,
05:19 and they definitely came here
05:21 and showed what they're about.
05:22 So you gotta give credit to them, too.
05:24 - After you make a shot like that,
05:27 I mean, do you kinda black out?
05:29 Or what, who are you looking for?
05:32 I mean, what--
05:33 - I almost started laughing, kind of, honestly.
05:36 And then I just kinda ran to the other end of the floor,
05:38 and my teammates were there and celebrating with them.
05:41 And I think everybody was like, "Oh, thank God.
05:43 "This game's kind of over with.
05:45 "We don't have to go to overtime."
05:46 And it was ugly, but it was a win.
05:49 And that's really all that matters at the end of the day.
05:50 And we have a road trip to prep for tomorrow
05:54 that we come back and practice and learn from this
05:56 and get ready for the next Big Ten game.
05:59 And that's what's so great about the Big Ten.
06:00 Every single night you play, you gotta be ready to go.
06:03 And I think this is another learning example
06:05 for our team is people are gonna wanna beat us.
06:07 They're gonna play better when they play the Iowa Hawkeyes.
06:09 And I thought we could've done a little better job
06:11 on offense and defense overall.
06:13 - Lisa, how much easier is it to go back
06:15 and watch the film and go to the team and say,
06:17 "Here's what we need to do better,"
06:18 even though we won the game,
06:19 rather than, "We lost this game.
06:21 "Here's what we need to do better."
06:22 - Oh, so much easier.
06:23 (laughing)
06:24 So much easier, yeah, definitely.
06:27 - You guys were down eight to nothing, right,
06:29 to start the game, and then the crowd
06:31 just sort of went bonkers.
06:33 Did that really affect you?
06:34 Did that give you a lift?
06:37 - Absolutely, yeah.
06:38 I mean, I think when Gabby made that three
06:41 and we called timeout, the place was really, really loud.
06:44 And they were getting after it on defense.
06:46 They were super loud on defense with us.
06:48 And we're really thankful for our crowd.
06:50 They're incredible to show up at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday
06:53 and to be as loud as they are and as invested as they are.
06:56 It's pretty incredible.
06:57 It's special.
06:58 And the amount of young kids that are probably
07:00 staying up past their bedtime to be here is cool, too.
07:03 But yeah, we can hear 'em.
07:04 And we didn't start the game very well,
07:06 but we responded every single time throughout the game.
07:09 And I think that's what I'm proud of,
07:10 is this group never really hung our heads.
07:12 We just kind of got back after it.
07:14 - Kaitlin, can you describe that emphatic block
07:17 in the paint, in the waiting seconds there?
07:20 What was that like?
07:21 - Yeah, well, we needed a defensive stop, obviously.
07:24 And the girl I don't think saw me at all.
07:28 And she had just missed a layup
07:29 and kind of grabbed her own miss
07:31 and was about to go out for it.
07:32 And she didn't see me at all.
07:34 And I kind of just, my girl was behind
07:36 and she had no chance of passing it to her.
07:37 So I kind of just ran in there and volleyball spiked it.
07:40 I never played volleyball,
07:41 but it's probably about as best of block I could give ya.
07:44 So, and then Kate curled the rebound
07:46 and then we, I think we called timeout
07:48 and advanced it from there.
07:49 So yeah, just come up with a big stop, honestly.
07:53 - Lisa, what are your overall thoughts
07:53 on how the defense played tonight?
07:55 Michigan State's been able to score a lot of points
07:57 in several games this season.
07:58 - Yeah, I'm happy with our three-point defense.
08:00 Again, their average in 11 threes.
08:02 I think that's really important
08:04 that we held them down in their threes.
08:06 You know, I think we gave up too many paint points though,
08:10 but you're gonna give up a few more
08:11 when you're concentrated on stopping threes.
08:13 So that's gonna happen.
08:14 Yeah, I mean, I'm not sure.
08:19 I don't feel like it was a,
08:20 again, I'm happy with the three-point defense.