Postgame Quotes
Furman at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tenn. - McKenzie Arena
Jan. 15, 2012
Head Coach Wes Moore
Overall thoughts on the win over Furman
"I don't know what's up, but we seem to start out slow and have to climb back. I was proud of the way our kids fought back toward the end of the first half. It was like getting to go in and start a new ball game. Whitney Hood was great and Kayla Christopher hit some big shots in the second half. And we did an awesome job on the boards. Furman came in here leading the conference in offensive rebounding, and we knew that was going to be a big factor in the game. Furman is going to be a team to be reckoned with because they are unbelievably athletic, and Jackie Carson has done a great job as the head coach. They're going to be a tough out from here on out."
On getting off to a slow start in the first half
"I feel like I didn't do a very good job in the first half of getting us good looks. We actually came in expecting them to switch on picks, but they didn't do it as much as they had on film. We had tweaked things a little bit so that may have been a factor in us getting off to a slow start. I thought we had to work so hard in the first half, especially to get points, and we were giving them transition layups. We got outscored in fastbreak points 10-2, and our kids need to realize it takes our post player a little time to get back. They have to help clog up the lane a little bit and take away those easy points."
Thoughts on battling back against Furman late in the first half
"I don't know about wearing them down on down the stretch, but it was a very physical game. They were very aggressive. You have to remember they played on the road Friday, so maybe it does catch up with you a little bit in that situation. I was very proud of our kids in the second half. I thought they really competed and battled, and that's what you have to do. This league is getting better and better, and it's scary. I liked it better a few years ago when we were reeling off a lot of championships in a row, but now every night is going to be tough. Our kids are going to have to realize that and play accordingly."
Thoughts on the double-double performances of Taylor Hall and Whitney Hood
"Taylor Hall is consistently been in the double-double neighborhood or very close to it. I am proud of the way she shoots, and I am really proud of Whitney Hood. We have been trying to encourage Whitney to get to the offensive boards more, and today she got five offensive rebounds. I think a total of 12 rebounds. I thought that was big for her to step up. We've been having Taylor and Kylie Lambert, and Kylie was in foul trouble today, but she still went in there and got eight boards from the perimeter. It was a team effort and a lot of people contributed."
On the effort to extend Chattanooga's lead over Furman
"It felt good to get to a 10 point lead, but then we were worried about making it a 12 point lead. You just have to know to keep your foot on the gas. That's what we talked about in the timeout was telling the girls Furman wasn't going to go away. Furman was going to keep coming at us and we have to keep attacking. You can't let a team like Furman up because they have too many weapons. They can get back into a game in a hurry."
Sophomore Forward Taylor Hall
On the Hall-Hood duo in the post:
"I just feel like we are pretty good feeding off of each other. She is more back to the basket and I set on the outside, but post-wise we are pretty good at interchanging and just helping each other out on our girls."
On what Furman did in the first half to keep the team off-balance:
"I would say that it is their athleticism. Our last game was just a different type of team. The way that they play defense and what they wanted to do was a lot different with Wofford. Then coming to Furman, it was a bit of a change. I think we definitely executed better in the second half."
Senior Forward Whitney Hood
On the execution down low:
"We played hard and rebounded the ball on both ends of the floor."
On the difference between the first and second half:
"In the first half, we were off. In the second half, we came out and settled down. We played hard and together."
On being able to rebound after a slow start:
"It definitely a confidence builder for us. We are a team that has been through some things this past year. We are a veteran team. I think when we get down, we have been in different situations that we know to keep our head in the game and stay focused."
