Wes Moore to the Boards; 10 Rebounds, Pretty Strong

Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Basketball Championship Friday, March 5, 2021 Greensboro, North Carolina, USA NC State Wolfpack getting to the rim, getting to the foul line, obviously getting Wes Moore to the boards; 10 rebounds, pretty strong. Postgame Press Conference Again, she's a little bit of an X factor for us. She can help take us to another level. Like I said, today we had some people get in some foul trouble a little bit and not have their NC State 68, Virginia Tech 55 normal game. And again, I thought it was a good lineup. WES MOORE: This game always scares me to death When you have her and KJ and Elissa Cunane, all three in because the other team has played a game. I really feel there, you've got pretty good size, and it gives you an like they have an advantage in this first game. If you're opportunity to really do well on the boards. trying to win the tournament, the whole thing, then obviously it's great getting that double bye, but that first Q. You guys went 2 of 9 from three-point range in the game they've gotten the tournament jitters out of the way. first quarter and then in the second quarter Jada They've been able to shoot in here and get up and down a attacked the basket and scored inside with Camille. little bit. Did you make a concerted effort during the break to tell them to get it inside? So I always worry about this first game. So I thought it was important we got off to a pretty good start, had a lead at WES MOORE: Yes, and we got away from it late in the halftime. I thought they struggled to shoot the ball. It just game. You've got a lead, come down, you've got Elissa happens. People don't understand, that's an aspect of a Cunane who's pretty doggone good down there on the team and coaching and preparing. At some point you've block. Again, if you're going to Vegas you're going to play got to hit some shots, and they struggled a little bit in the the odds. The kid shoots over 60 percent from the field. first half. I was kind of disappointed we didn't take better Get her touches, get her the ball. advantage of that because they're a team that can get hot and get on a roll. We just came down and settled for threes some and shot early in the clock. A little disappointed in the way we But again, proud of our team the way they hung in there. I played in the fourth quarter from that perspective. We've thought we handled things pretty well. Elissa Cunane, got to work inside out, get touches. It was a rough day. obviously she makes a big difference, so having her in this game obviously was really, really a big part of it. Again, we didn't shoot it great from outside, so I'm proud of them for being able to defend and rebound and do the Didn't play our best game by any means and we had some other things, so that was good. But we've got to be smart people that struggled, so hopefully tomorrow we can -- now and pick our opportunities to take that shot, and other that we've got this out of the way, hopefully we can get a times maybe slow down and work the ball a little bit. little momentum. But yeah, we definitely were trying to get some post Q. Wes, you said after Sunday's game that in order to touches. go deep in this tournament, in the postseason, you guys would need Jada Boyd to be great. What did you Q. I think the first game you played Virginia Tech they see from her tonight? hit 12 threes. I think they hit 11 in the second. You guys held them to five today. How much of that is WES MOORE: Yeah, again, a double-double. Awesome. sometimes the variable they couldn't shoot and how I just think she's so good at getting to the rim. Obviously much of that was you guys did a good job of running she played a lot more minutes tonight. Does a great job of them off the line when you had to? 105091-1-1041 2021-03-06 01:20:00 GMT Page 1 of 3 subbed a little bit more maybe, especially Camille. Elissa WES MOORE: Well, we obviously were trying to run them was just playing so well. off the line, and I'll tell you what, some of the ones they hit -- that last one that Cayla King hit, I don't know how. That But we've got to realize this is -- hopefully you're going to was unbelievable. We had hands up and everything else play multiple games, and so you need to be aware of that and she's falling backwards. and try to pace them a little bit. Again, Camille gave us some -- I thought in the first half she gave us some great Again, they've got some kids that can really shoot the ball. minutes and did some good things. But Dontavia, she's They're an NCAA Tournament team and they're going to probably one of the best athletes on our team, if not the be tough now. You've got Kitley down there who's really, best, and so it would be nice if we could try to get her some really good scoring inside, and then you've got some minutes and get her some experience so we'd have a little people around her that can -- we were fortunate Sheppard extra depth in the NCAAs. didn't shoot her normal game. I think she had about 27 on us in the second half at Virginia Tech, so we were fortunate Q. When you subbed in Camille midway through the that her shot wasn't going as well. first quarter, was that a foul trouble thing with Cunane or was that trying to give Kitley a different look? But like I said, we didn't shoot it well, either, for that matter, and hopefully we can get back on track, because definitely WES MOORE: Yeah, it's a combination. You know, Elissa Elissa is better when we're knocking some threes down we obviously wanted to keep her from getting her second around her. Hopefully we can get that going tomorrow. one that early. Camille has played so well for us and I Again, first game in here I do sometimes think it's a little thought Elissa looked a little winded, and when she gets tough, so hopefully we got it out of our system. tired, that's when she's more likely to foul. Q. With COVID and just the unbalanced ACC Then if somebody goes in and plays well -- I thought schedule, you did have a chance to play them twice. Camille was playing well so I rode with her. That's what all How much did that help you from a scouting these players got to understand. If we're playing well as a standpoint coming into this game? team, I don't touch it a whole lot, as y'all probably see. I'm going to let them stay out there. WES MOORE: Well, obviously we know each other very well. Coach Brooks, Kenny, does an unbelievable job Again, I thought Camille did -- I should have got her in in preparing them and they scheme really well. They take the second half. I regret that I didn't play her more. Again, away things. They try to exploit you on offense based on hopefully have opportunities tomorrow. how you're playing. He does an awesome job, and like I said, part of it is hopefully, yes, I think we did defend pretty Q. You alluded to it a little bit, and I know you have so well. I thought we did a nice job. much experience from last year's team, but how does this first win kind of help your players mentally But yeah, there is another aspect called HTM: Hope They prepare to go into the semis tomorrow? Miss. Sometimes we play that HTM defense. But again, I thought we did have good energy. We flew around. We WES MOORE: Yeah, like I said, I think the first game is tried to cat and mouse a little bit at Kitley because she's so tough. Last year we played Georgia Tech the first round good when she gets it down there on the block. and it went -- I know the last five minutes it was a close ball game. Like I said, I've got great respect for Virginia Tech, Yeah, I think, again, we defended pretty well. their offensive weapons and Coach Brooks, so I was scared of this game. Q. You put Dontavia in for the last minute of the first half and kind of made me think of Camille Hobby's It's good to have it under your belt. Hopefully, like I said, minutes in last year's ACC Tournament. Do you make our players -- people ask, Well, do you have pressure on a conscious effort trying to get some of the younger you because you won it a year ago? I look at it the other players into the game in these tournament situations, way.

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