home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

NCAA WOMEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: LEXINGTON


March 26, 2017


Muffet McGraw

Arike Ogunbowale

Lindsay Allen


Lexington, Kentucky

Stanford 76, Notre Dame 75

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us for the press conference for the Notre Dame women's basketball team. We're joined by head coach Muffet McGraw and student-athletes Arike Ogunbowale and Lindsay Allen.

MUFFET McGRAW: We lost it in the third quarter. I don't know what happened. We just couldn't score, and we couldn't defend. I think the more they got on a run, the tighter we got on offense. That was a killer.

I thought (Brittany) McPhee was fabulous. She was the difference in the game. We were worried about (Erica) McCall and (Karlie) Samuelson, and McPhee did it.

Q. That last play and/or any options you had on the last play from out of bounds.
LINDSAY ALLEN: I think the last play we were just trying to go up and get a good shot. Just see our options. We had Arike coming off the screen and we also had Marina (Mabrey) coming off that flare in the corner. We figured we'd get a pretty good shot, and we did. It just didn't go down.

Q. Arike, you were named Most Outstanding Player. Talk about your play and looking forward to next year.
ARIKE OGUNBOWALE: I mean, awards don't really mean anything when you don't reach the goal that you planned at the beginning of the season. But we have a good team next year. I'm just going to look forward to that.

Q. Arike, how did you see the last shot? And then part two, what did you think happened in the third quarter?
ARIKE OGUNBOWALE: Like she said, we had a good look, and it just didn't go down. The third quarter, I think they just -- they were hitting shots and going on a run. We weren't responding at times.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for the student-athletes?

Q. Lindsay, obviously, not how you wanted it to end. Could you just give kind of a summarizing talk about your experience at Notre Dame, your four years here.
LINDSAY ALLEN: I mean, these four years here have been something beyond my imagination. I could never imagine coming here to Notre Dame and playing for Coach McGraw. I just wanted this so bad for my teammates. It's so sad to end at this moment.

These four years have been the best years of my life. I've had some of the greatest teammates ever. It's just been a really great experience to play here at this elite level and play for Coach McGraw.

THE MODERATOR: Any final questions for the student-athletes? If not, then they can be dismissed.

We'll open it up with questions for the head coach.

Q. Coach, after 56 percent in the first half, I think it was only 33 in the second. How much of that was just fatigue?
MUFFET McGRAW: I think we just got outplayed. I think we just felt some pressure. We weren't as loose as we were on Friday. Our shot selection was really questionable.

Q. Coach, could you describe the play that was set up in the final seconds. Obviously, McCall might have been anticipating. I'm not sure.
MUFFET McGRAW: It was a screen for Arike. She was wide open, and she probably could have shot it. That's hindsight.

We got her open. She got the ball, and she made her decision. I thought it was a good one.

Q. If you could, talk about the defensive rotations that left their shooters open on the perimeter, particularly there in the second half.
MUFFET McGRAW: We played a lot of different defenses, but we had trouble seeing when they ran through the baseline. I don't know if it was communication or just not being aware. I thought we left them open pretty consistently in the third quarter, and that obviously was the difference in the game.

Q. Coach, with Stanford's height, how much did that magnify Brianna's absence?
MUFFET McGRAW: I don't think that's where we lost the game. I think we lost it on the three-point line. We talked about, do we need to go big? But I mean, I thought we did a really good job on McCall. She didn't have her normal game.

I thought Smith made some shots late that we really -- we could have guarded better. But really, I thought it was McPhee was the problem. So it was more than the wings and the zone and the guards.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for the head coach? If not, then the press conference has been concluded. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP sports

tech 129
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297