South Carolina Head Coach Dawn On getting the ball down low in the second half
We had to try to get higher percentage shots. We had a lot of options out there that confused our players. They were trying to go one-on-one and make the big play a little too much. We’re at our best when we move the ball around and try to find the best possible shot on the floor.
On this being your 200th win
I did have a couple “Hope you get your 200th win” text messages. But it’s just another game; it’s another win that we needed.
What was the halftime message?
We talked about defensively when you hold a team to 12 points that’s pretty good. We talked about cleaning our offensive [sets] up. We were just trying to do too much. We needed to make the easy play and get up and down in transition a little more. We needed to get the ball inside a little more because that’s where our advantage was.
On Ashley Bruner’s play, particularly in the second half.
I think she played strong with the ball. She played determined basketball, and made her mind up about what she was going to do. She decided she was going to finish at the rim, and that’s what she did. Once our players recognized that, they kept feeding her the ball and good things happened.
What was (former Gamecock great) Shannon Johnson’s message to the team after the game?
She basically said we’ve got to win the non-conference games because the SEC is a beast. I think that’s in line with what we’ve been telling our players. You’ve got to take every game as one that’s winnable, but you have to approach it a certain way. I think that’s been our challenge all year long to get our players to not play from behind all the time. We need to hit first and keep it moving.
Ashley On the game plan for the second half
We talked about getting the ball inside at halftime. We knew we had the size advantage, so that was a main point. We wanted to get the ball inside.
On her ability to score in the second half
The first half I was just a little out of control with my shots. I think we stopped getting me the ball then because of that. In the second half, after I made that first shot, we started getting me the ball inside because I finally made a layup.
