WATCH: Makayla Daniels, Karley Johnson after Kentucky Rout
Arkansas Razorbacks players Karley Johnson and Makayla Daniels recapping big win over the Kentucky Wildcats' on Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Transcript
00:00 >> The goal for the year was just to do whatever the team needed you to do and
00:03 then tonight you got called on to start and career high.
00:06 Just how did you get yourself ready for this moment?
00:09 >> I think it was the confidence from my teammates that helped me out the most.
00:15 I was struggling a little bit on offense, so I just focused on my defense.
00:19 But they told me anytime I'm open, I need to shoot that shot and
00:22 get mad at me, so it ended up helping me.
00:25 >> And then Mikayla, coach has said all year that this is your team.
00:29 Whenever you go into a game where y'all are under,
00:32 y'all don't have two of your best players, just how much responsibility,
00:36 I guess, did you take to make sure that things still went well?
00:39 >> I think it's just kind of something that's unspoken.
00:41 Me and Abe don't ever have a conversation.
00:43 It's kind of like, I just know that's what I have to do in order for
00:46 us to just get off to a good start.
00:47 That was a big emphasis because in SC we have not gone off to good starts and
00:51 tonight that was our main goal, to get off to a good start.
00:52 I think we did that.
00:54 And so now the goal is to let that carry out throughout the whole game,
00:57 try to make the game as perfect as possible.
00:58 >> Yeah, it was kind of ironic.
01:00 I mean, y'all fell down at LSU 18-0.
01:02 You look up tonight, y'all are up 18-0.
01:04 Just what do you think kind of sparked that sort of start?
01:08 >> I think the guards really focused on making the first contact on our drives.
01:12 When we were at Kentucky, a lot of the times we were getting ran off our line and
01:16 we were getting frustrated thinking we were getting fouled.
01:18 And then of course we watched the film back and we're like, okay,
01:20 it's not a foul, we were just being a little soft.
01:22 But today that was a really big focus,
01:24 like take that extra dribble and make the first contact with them.
01:27 >> Anything on the hot start, what you thought went well?
01:30 >> I think it was just coming out with a different mindset this game.
01:34 Starting off harder and then seeing it through the rest of the game.
01:40 >> [LAUGH] >> Sorry.
01:43 >> She had a lot of rebounds, but it was a long time before she scored.
01:47 Who gets the credit for defense on her?
01:49 >> Who?
01:52 >> Yeah, which of the- >> No, who's he talking about?
01:55 >> On Petty.
01:57 >> Mariam, of course, and Emory came in and when she came in, she gave her a good look.
02:01 So I think both of them did a really good job.
02:04 They didn't really need a lot of the guards help to come dig off her.
02:06 They played her straight up and they did pretty well on her.
02:08 >> [COUGH] >> Yeah,
02:13 you all hung in there pretty well on the boards despite not having Sailor.
02:17 I guess kind of what went into that in practice once you all knew that
02:20 Sailor wasn't gonna be available tonight?
02:22 >> I think it's just like not one person's gonna get as many rebounds as Sailor.
02:26 So kind of just spreading it out within the guard.
02:28 So you gotta get one or two extra this game just because we're missing
02:32 all of Sailor's 20 plus boards that she gets each night.
02:34 >> And then Carly, does this kind of give you confidence moving forward,
02:38 whatever your role may be, whoever's available?
02:41 >> I definitely think it has.
02:43 As I'm earning more time and having my teammates trust me more,
02:48 I definitely think it's giving me more confidence.
02:50 >> [COUGH] >> You all forced 21 turnovers tonight.
02:54 Just how impressed were you with the defense?
02:57 What was kind of the key to that?
02:58 How did you all kind of get under their skin a little bit?
03:01 >> Again, back to the film, I think we watched the game and
03:04 realized a lot of times we weren't in our gaps.
03:06 We weren't on our defensive assignments.
03:07 We weren't guarding the ball.
03:08 And we had some times where we didn't guard the ball today, but
03:10 it was the next man in rotation that was there.
03:12 And I think that made a big difference.
03:13 And I don't really think Kentucky was expecting us to do that because the past
03:16 game we did not do that.
03:18 >> I know it's a next woman up mentality, but
03:20 is there any added confidence from this kind of performance without Taliyah and
03:24 Saylor tonight?
03:25 >> Definitely, because let's say Taliyah, when they come back, Taliyah or
03:28 Saylor gets in foul trouble, we know we can depend on Carly or
03:32 Jenna or Emory to step up and come in.
03:35 >> Carly, I saw a lot of hugs when you checked out, got a curtain call.
03:38 What was that moment like just after the game?
03:40 It was all over being able to soak it in.
03:43 >> It was amazing.
03:45 I feel like I haven't had that moment yet in college, and
03:47 I think tonight it finally happened.
03:49 And my coaches and my teammates and my family all being here, it's really special.
03:55 >> You're about to cry.
03:57 >> Mikaela, kind of a random question, but you and Saylor are both from Maryland,
04:01 obviously, Angel, who you all just played from Baltimore and Asia is too.
04:05 Just what do you think about what your home state is kind of doing in the women's
04:08 college basketball world right now?
04:10 >> I also think Anaya Russell's from Maryland too.
04:12 But I think it's kind of cool just seeing people that you played against in high
04:16 school, middle school, on this big stage.
04:18 And all of our dreams are coming true.
04:19 So it's really cool to see their progress from then when we were playing an AAU
04:23 tournament to get to each other until now.
04:25 >> You all probably had a little bit of a quicker starting lineup tonight.
04:29 Did the coaches talk beforehand about how to take advantage of that?
04:32 >> No, not really.
04:34 I mean, we've played with certain lineups.
04:37 In practice, we've tried different lineups.
04:39 And we knew me and Sam would be taking the ball out to each other.
04:42 So we knew we could get it out quick and kind of put pressure on them in transition.
04:46 - Thank you.
04:47 - Okay, thank you everyone.