NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST FOUR - LONGWOOD VS MOUNT ST. MARY'S

March 17, 2022

Antoine White

Kendall Bresee

Michaela Harrison

Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers

Media Conference

Longwood Lancers 74, Mount St Mary's Mountaineers 70

THE MODERATOR: Coach, if you can begin with an opening statement, please.

COACH WHITE: Yeah, just first thing that comes to mind is just so proud of this group and how they fought back at the second half. You know that first quarter, I think we're a little caught off guard about how athletic and fast and quick Longwood is. And we haven't seen that athleticism, for about three months, since nonconference. So that that caught us off guard. And credit to our players they continue to battle. Coaches, we kept trying to make adjustments and figure this thing out. And I think we did that in the second half, and we proved that we went out, played some really really good at basketball. Slowing ourselves down on offense. These two hit big shots, timely shots, to get us back into it. First thing that come to mind is super proud of the group and how they continue to fight.

Q. Kendall, that third quarter, 15 points, 5 for 5, 3 from deep. What happened that what was clicking for you that maybe wasn't in the first half?

KENDALL BRESEE: I think going into half time and just talking to my teammates and my coaches was a really good reset for me, and I mean I think I definitely came out nervous, I came out rushed. And I liked Antoine said, we haven't seen that kind athleticism, or pressure in a long period of time. So being able to re-collect and regroup and talk to teammates and coaches, and take a deep breath, and come out and realize you got to do this, it's now or never. So, I think that was just my mindset in the third quarter.

Q. Michaela, do you think the way you guys fought back into that game? Do you think that was emblematic of the team that you were all season?

MICHAELA HARRISON: One hundred percent. Obviously we didn't have the best first quarter, but after that we were neck and neck with them, and it proved a lot to us we can you know run with these more athletic teams, bigger teams, you know. So, it proved a lot to ourselves and other people. Like not to count Mount out. You know, because we were seven strong and you know we all must be a very talented team.

Q. You guys talk about how it could be anybody's night with this team, especially like a game tonight. What can you say about Tomasetti's contributions?

KENDALL BRESEE: I mean in March, she's been, I think our X Factor. She has been our person that we turn to. She has been the one that has got got us going. She's the one that kept us going, whether it was the offensive boards, the big shots or locking up on defense. I truly think this March she was our X Factor starting from our quarterfinal game to this game, and I couldn't be more proud of her and she's only a sophomore. So, you know, watch out for Jessica Tomasetti.

Q. Kendall, I think I was all the way across the court so it might have been one of your teammates. Was that your family that you're hugging in the end as time was running out, what was that moment like? What were you saying to them? What did it mean to have them there?

KENDALL BRESEE: Definitely very emotional. They have been through this journey with me since I was 8 or 9 years old, through the good times and bad times, and they've just had my back like no one else. I mean they've been to pretty much every game, regardless of the circumstances, and just being able to hug my teammates and my coaches, and then see them at the end of the bench, and then tell me how proud they are of me and love me so much. A feeling I'll never forget.

Q. Kendall, even though it didn't count, you feel your half-court shot provided a bit of a spark there going into halftime?

KENDALL BRESEE: I don't think a spark. I mean definitely think some excitement seeing my teammates run out at me with the smiles and the joy on their face, it kind of made me like realize, like, I just need to calm down and this is a sport that I love playing, and I was too hard on myself I think in the first half. So seeing that go in -- It's funny we actually practice those shots every shoot around. And I have not made one this year. And so I'm going to count that to my list.

Q. Michaela, I don't know if you decided this or thought about this. You're going to use your fifth year and come back to Mount?

MICHAELA HARRISON: I'll use my fifth year.

COACH WHITE: Can you say that again?

MICHAELA HARRISON: At the Mount.

[Laughter]

Q. What can you say about the third quarter that Kendall played there?

COACH WHITE: That's Kendall for you. She's a big time player, ever since she stepped foot on Mount campus, that's what she's all about. She's put the program on her back. She's the ultra-competitor, and we go where she goes. And she got us going in the third quarter, and you saw everyone else follow suite.

Q. Coming into this game obviously you were here last year with the team as an assistant, but now you're in this chair, and got a group coming back. What is your takeaway as a head coach from this experience?

COACH WHITE: It's a great experience. And obviously we're losing some some key pieces to the puzzle. Kendall and Tess as well. We got a really talented young core. Kendall gave high praise to Jessica Tomasetti, rightfully so. And you look at Jess and her coming back and Jada Lee getting a lot of minutes. You know, we got another sophomore who's going to be able to help us out. The future's bright here, and you know, and I believe this group if they continue to work hard, we bring in some more key pieces to surround them. You know, we have a good chance of coming back. I know that's not easy to do, but I think very highly of this groupand especially that young core.

Q. You're going to be able to have more time to recruit and bring in your players coming in, but just looking at the guards that you have coming back and everything and obviously with the goal to come back here. What is it going to take from this team -- you talk a lot about the preseason, or the non-conference season -- is it just getting more of those games in to be more familiar with a team like this?

COACH WHITE: I don't know how many more non-conference games we can get in. I mean, this one was tough. We loaded it, right? We loaded and for this reason, for the Long woods. And I think for us we got to get a little bit more athletic, you know, we got to get bigger. You look at Longwood's roster, so athletic. We got to go out and get two or three athletes. You see we have the skill players. We can go shoot the ball with the best of them and from the free-throw line, from the three-point line. We lead our conference all season long from the three. So for us it's super important to find athletes that can help rebound and defend at a high level.

Q. Coach you knew they were quick and athletic, but was it still eye-opening to see it in person at the start of the game there?

COACH WHITE: No, it didn't catch me off guard you know looking at them on film, and we explained that to the players going into the game, listen, you know they're great athletes. And that's their style of play, they play really, really fast. And they get up and down, and they shoot the three ball a lot. Did pretty good job defending the three tonight. You know, but again, you can preach it all you want, but until you're in the middle of the game. It's a different beast.

Q. The trouble from three in the first half, did you feel like that was something you guys weren't doing right or their defense or the shots just weren't falling?

COACH WHITE: No, the shots weren't falling. We got some great looks, wide-open looks. I don't think it was anything that they were doing defensively. We had a game plan to run a lot of ball screens, get them to over from the deep corner. This team is really unselfish, you know, we'll skip it to the deep corner. If you're open, they'll shoot. If not, we go one more to that wing. And we did that, we just were a little nervous, and rushed our shot. And the second half we slowed ourselves down and the shots began to go in.