Vic Schaefer Teaira Mccowan Anriel Howard
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Southeastern Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Saturday March 9, 2019 Vic Schaefer Proud of my bench. Wiggins comes off the bench today and plays extremely well. Made a big shot for us. Teaira McCowan The difference in the game the first time, they had 24 points off our turnovers. Today they had four points off Anriel Howard our turnovers. We only had 24 points in the paint the first time. Today we have 40. Those were things we all Miss. St. Lady Bulldogs talked about. We needed to fix them. I thought we fixed them. Mississippi State-71, Missouri-56 Proud of our kids. Proud of the victory. Giving God the THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Mississippi glory for 29-2. We need one more. State. Coach, if you could please start with an opening statement. THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes. VIC SCHAEFER: Just really proud of my team today. Q. Anriel, you and Sophie have had a nice battle We beat a very good Missouri team. Have so much the last couple of games. What has it been like respect for Robin and her staff. My heart was heavy going back and forth with her? What is that going into the game knowing that Willie wasn't there on competition like? their bench. I know what he's going through. ANRIEL HOWARD: I think that we're both just hungry and competitive. We want to help our team win. Yes, it Really proud of my team and how they competed got a little competitive out there, like I said. That's just today. Loved how we came out of the gate to start. part of the game. She's a great player. I respect her, These kids have really locked in and have played well so... since we got here. Q. Teaira, the difference between the first game for Beat a good team today, a team that really played very you and the second game, it looked like maybe well at our place. As everybody knows, kept us from today you did a better job of establishing low post being 16-0. I thought we answered today. Second presence deep in the paint. How would you quarter again was a big quarter for us. Anriel double- comment to that? Do you feel that was the case, double, 19-10. T goes for 16-27, with two assists. She's the most unselfish big kid in the country. As well did you work on that hard? as so many other things. Really allowed us to play TEAIRA McCOWAN: I just had to get a feel for the through today. I thought she was really, really special. game. The first time was turning, turning to them, it was offensive fouls. I was just trying to do my work Anriel is getting more and more comfortable playing early, mirror the ball, see where it was coming, then with her and finding her, and T finding Anriel. I think duck in. this duo is finally getting some chemistry between the two, enjoying the success of one another. I think that's Q. Anriel, did you worry or have any concerns part of why we're playing so well together. about coming to a team with so many veterans who had accomplished so much, how you would fit in? Anriel comes out and is three for five from three. Jazz How easy was the transition for you? ran us great, four assist, one turnover, 39 minutes, two ANRIEL HOWARD: This is something that I've wanted. steals. She was three for eight at half. Every shot I knew what I was getting myself into as far as the she's getting is really a good look. standard and expectation of this program. I wanted to be a part of it, help it any way that I could. Thought Jordan answered. She started out a little slow, got in foul trouble early, but came back with five But I'm just really grateful to finally be a part of it. We assists, 10 points. got a lot of goals that we're ready to achieve. Q. Teaira, how was the transition with Anriel Rev #1 by #168 at 2019-03-10 00:54:00 GMT page 1 of 4 coming to Mississippi State? TEAIRA McCOWAN: She's been great. She helps me Q. Anriel, defining success defensively, growing, on the inside rebounding. When her man is coming you were forced onto Sophie when Bre and Jordan down, she's knocking off shots down there. She's a picked up two quick fouls in the first half. She had good token to have on this team. a lot of points, but it was enough to win. How do you define success when you're guarding someone ANRIEL HOWARD: Thank you. like her? ANRIEL HOWARD: Well, I mean, you have to make TEAIRA McCOWAN: You're welcome (laughter). her uncomfortable. You have to be able to make her work. I thought that once I got on her a little bit, I'm a Q. Teaira, there was a moment in the second bigger person, so I think that bothered her a little bit. quarter where you fell down. You stayed down for a while. Looked like you got up a little dazed. She still ended up having a lot of points. I think it made Throughout the course of the season, taking hits her uncomfortable. I think that helped with our like that, being able to respond, is that something success. you've learned this year? TEAIRA McCOWAN: Yeah, coach always say you got Q. Teaira, this is now your fourth straight year in to be a pro. You get hit, I get hit night in, night out. Got the championship game. Coach mentioned the to get up, shake it off, be a pro. team seemed to be locked in since you've been here. Has this year felt a little different? Q. Coach might quibble with the team's defense TEAIRA McCOWAN: No, not at all. I mean, we just given he probably did a square on the 47.5. keep trying to get to the next game, the next game. Defensively, he's talked about your team defense We can't celebrate because it's not the last game. throughout the course of the season. It could be argued the defense is getting better, more help. It doesn't feel any different from last year when we got There are more signs maybe the coach is here. applauding. How do you feel about the team's progress defensively even though statistically it THE MODERATOR: Ladies, thank you. We'll continue may not show? with questions for coach. TEAIRA McCOWAN: I think sometimes we fall asleep and lose our man. Tonight we fell asleep a couple Q. Obviously South Carolina is out of the times. They got their three off. That's what I see. But tournament now, but that aside, does it feel like coach may have something different. this tournament might be different for y'all, you might finally be on the verge of doing something ANRIEL HOWARD: I agree. Also I think we're finally that you've never done before? learning -- we're gaining chemistry on defense. I think VIC SCHAEFER: I don't think it has anything to do with our biggest issue from what I've noticed is helping the who's in and who's out right now for us. I think for us, helper. Now we're finally doing that. We're scrambling, we've just always been focused on Friday night against going to find the open man. I think we've been Tennessee, today against Missouri. Whoever it is progressing individually as well. Well, I hope so. I tomorrow, it wouldn't matter. Teaira, she told you, Hey, think I've been doing a little better defensively, so yeah. this is how it's felt the last three years. I just want it to feel different at 2 tomorrow, feel different at 4. I'm tired Coach Schaefer, take it away (laughter). of walking off the floor and confetti hitting me on my backside as I'm going to the locker room. I want to Q. Anriel, coach mentioned the chemistry that you stand in the middle of it and have it hit me in the face. and Teaira started to come together. When did you see that start to happen or consistently? For us, we have a saying of 'one more'. We've had that ANRIEL HOWARD: That's a great question. I mean, for a couple years now with our season. You can use it we practice every day together. I mean, just being able right now in this tournament even. Whoever we got to to be out there together every day, you'll get chemistry play, man, they're going to be number one playing eventually. It may have taken a little longer for me just really well, they're going to be hot, as hot as they've because I am in a new program, so I was just trying to been all year. We'll have to be ready to play. get chemistry with everybody. Understanding where I'm supposed to be, understanding the offense a little Our style of play is different than both those teams out more. I feel like I'm finally understanding it. It's helping there. They don't play man-to-man defense like we do. Teaira and my's chemistry. We're showing we can be a They're not picking up full court.