BIG EAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 4, 2022

Jim Crowley

Providence Friars

Mohegan Sun Arena

Postgame Media Conference

Georgetown - 68, Providence - 55

THE MODERATOR: We'll open with an opening statement from coach Jim Crowley.

COACH CROWLEY: Credit to Georgetown. The end of the second quarter into the third quarter, they really changed the way we're able to play offense. When we built a lead in the second quarter we were playing with really good tempo and putting pressure on them, playing through the middle of the floor. Right there we had a little stretch where we started playing towards the side again and poor tempo. And they feasted off that and then they carried that momentum into the third quarter.

We were a step slow defensively there. We obviously turned the ball over too much and put them on the foul line a lot. So that was where that ended up. Again, a lot of credit to Georgetown for that. They made some shots there that got them going and really disrupted us with what they did defensively.

But was really proud of our group in a tough situation. Kept fighting. Made it an interesting game. And kept competing and stuck together in what was a difficult situation.

So I thought with the young kids on the floor there we had some positive to build off. But too bad of a stretch in that last three minutes in the second quarter, first seven minutes of the third.

Q. (Question off microphone)?

COACH CROWLEY: To be honest with you, I thought our kids did that for themselves. And this time of year, actually anytime of year, you're going to get a lot more out of your team if they battle that way doing it for themselves.

Emily Archibald's voice was very big in that time and obviously that carried over with how she played as well. Some of our other young kids were really using their voice at that time and then carried over with how they played.

So there's one timeout I delayed going in there because they were having the discussion. And it was a positive to see. It just came at a time when we had gotten ourselves in a big hole.

Q. (Question off microphone)?

COACH CROWLEY: There wasn't much of a switch. They were getting more scores, so they could get in their pressure more. And it became kind of a quicksand approach. The more we fought out of it, the more we tried to get eager with some stuff. When we got it to the middle we kept the ball outside of our body and they were able to turn those turnovers into points.

But it just kind of steamrolled a little bit. To their credit, they sense that and they do that really well, and they live off live turnovers. We discussed that and they got us on that and turned it into that run.

Q. Especially giving up 21 unanswered from the end of the second quarter, third quarter, how crucial was that? You could have easily just rolled over, but for a player like Emily Archibald who missed three weeks of action, for her to come back scoring 21 and some of the 3s she made, defied the laws of physics, with some of the roles she got, how important was it for her, not a player who had seen the court in a while, leading that charge to try to get you back in it late?

COACH CROWLEY: It was really important for her, her teammates, for everybody to see. She was leading it before she even got on the floor. She was really one of the leading voices. There's certainly the opportunity when things are going that poorly to go to a wrong spot. And she not only wouldn't let herself or her teammates, and she backed it up with her play.

As you said, she's had a difficult go of it recently with different things but she's been able to get after it the last week or two. And she saw her chance and knew we needed her, she came through.

Q. With Janai Crooms in the lineup seems like you always have a chance out there. Can you tell us what she brings to the team, the competitiveness, what she's brought to you all season?

COACH CROWLEY: She's done everything for us. That kid was, I think she got her leg, her chest, her stomach, she just -- everything was going on there and she just kept battling. And not only that but kept lifting her teammates and talking to her teammates, and she's picking up full-court pressing.

We've asked her to do everything -- defend the best player, rebound, bring the ball up -- because we haven't been able to stay real consistent with the health of on your players and just some of the performances. The big part, at the end, she was staying out there, communicating, battling. And her teammates saw that. And, again, set a really good tone as we moved forward with the program.

Q. The few runs there, big defining moment of the game, with such a young team, how do you use that in the offseason and fix things like that in the offseason?

COACH CROWLEY: As we've talked before, we've had a consistent problem with turnovers. And it's cost us a number of games, including, arguably, today. So that's got to be motivation to continue to correct that and work on that. To continue to get in the gym together to get the timing they need for one another, but to also build on -- I thought the last 13 minutes we really played for one another.

And we really battled for one another. And it was good to watch. And that's got to be something we build on. That's got to be what we control and what we make sure we get to every day.

Q. Can you talk about the impact Mary Baskerville has, four years in your program, and also has she decided if or what she's going to do with the potential free year from the COVID waiver year?

COACH CROWLEY: No decision has been made on that one. But Mary is someone that's obviously started really, really well and has had an impact on a daily basis, just because teams have to plan for her. They have to account for her. So it's a lot of other people to have more success, to have more openings.

And that's certainly allowed for the younger teams, opportunities to build their confidence. But anytime you can make it four years through a college basketball program, it's a heck of an accomplishment she's done, scoring a thousand points and helping make the program better.