BIG EAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 7, 2021

Denise Dillon

Villanova Wildcats

Mohegan Sun Arena

Postgame Media Conference

UConn 84, Villanova 39

THE MODERATOR: Welcome into our first press conference of semifinal Sunday, Villanova head coach Denise Dillon. Wildcats sit at 15-6 on the year.

DENISE DILLON: Well, that was a tough one. Congratulations to Connecticut for from start to finish playing an outstanding game. Again, just talking with our team, you learn a lot from every loss and just wanting them to feel this one and recognize what we need to do moving forward with some postseason play.

But definitely with those returning, to improve on the following season.

Q. Coach, can you talk a little bit about what made their defense -- what they did to disrupt your offense in this particular game?

DENISE DILLON: Well, size-wise, they obviously have a great advantage. There's really no position, even with our three and Maddie, Brianna Herlihy, and Sarah Mortensen, you know, this isn't a game that one of them has an advantage size-wise. So just the matchup. They're able to switch one through five, and that's exactly what they did. They were extremely disruptive of taking us off our mark with any of our offenses.

Just switching screens -- being aggressive on the ball and then getting in the passing lane, switching, just being extremely disruptive. So there was no flow to our offense, whether it was the continuity offense or any set plays.

Q. When you get off to the start that you did, not being able to make a basket, does that have the team -- do they start to press a little more in trying to make something happen?

DENISE DILLON: Of course. You know, so often this season, our defense has been predicated upon our offensive production. Yeah. It all came full circle back to that today. I thought we got away from it a little bit over the last few weeks, but, yeah, just overwhelmed from the beginning and certainly start pressing more on both ends of the floor, trying to make something happen. Picking up some early fouls that caused us some trouble, but then trying to just make some things happen on the offensive end, and that's not going to happen.

The one-on-one opportunities are not there against UConn.

Q. And what contributions did you get from Sarah Mortensen?

DENISE DILLON: I felt Sarah had a nice game. I would certainly recognize that. I thought she played within her abilities. You know, she didn't try and make something happen, just continued to move to the open spot, set a screen, popped, and knocked down some shots. She carried over what she was doing yesterday.

I did, I felt Sarah battled out there from the beginning and didn't really get too caught up in the score.

Q. Coach, just wanted to ask you, I think first year coaching your alma mater, 15 wins, you registered a tournament win here. Relatively young team, a couple of seniors on the team, but I wanted to ask you just about Brianna and Sarah, just what they meant to this program, Coach.

DENISE DILLON: Well, I can't have enough time to talk about how great an opportunity it's been for me to coach this entire team, but to see Sarah, her first year of eligibility with Villanova and have a chance to coach her and see what she's done for this team. From the beginning -- you know, Sarah has great energy. She's a winner. She sets the tone every practice. She's so consistent in what she does. Obviously, I think the results showed each and every game.

Then Brianna Herlihy coming off an ACL and really not being cleared for contact until November, and to have the season that she had -- you know, she's a little bit of that spark. She's the grit of this team. So really, really pleased. When you take a second to reflect on what this team actually accomplished this season, it's impressive considering everything, you know, every team is dealing with with the pandemic and all the changes that were made and the paranoia of testing and what it might be.

So for this group to come together with so many different pieces throughout and to make things happen, it's credit to those two leading the way in Sarah and Brianna.

THE MODERATOR: Congrats on the season and have a safe trip home.