LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Zoe Brooks and Maddie Cox Talk Coastal Carolina Win

NC State G Zoe Brooks and F Maddie Cox met with the media after their 71-58 win over Coastal Carolina. 

Maddie, when did you find out you would get to start, and what was your initial reaction? 

Maddie Cox: I found out today, kind of when we were going over film again during pre-game meal. I was just excited, finally getting an opportunity to show what I can do and things like that. So I was really excited.

Maddie, this seems to be a high confidence level. I know when you hit one-three before you made it to shot, Zam, with her arms up, she kind of knew you were, I guess, going to make it. Speak to the confidence your teammates have in you and how that helps you, ma'am.

Maddie Cox: Yeah, they have the most confidence in me, and it's helped me tremendously this year. Zoe tells me every time, shoot the next one, shoot the next one. So I think just them instilling that into me is amazing.

You were scoring – you scored, I think, five points pretty quick. How much of that was just from Coach Moore looking for more energy from, last game and looking for someone to come out and bring that spark? 

Maddie Cox: Yeah, we've been talking about bringing energy this whole week, leading up to this game, and we didn't have a lot of energy last game. So I think just really focusing on that piece, bringing energy to practice, bringing energy to pregame and all that stuff.

Y'all held up to 13 points in the first half, but then gave up 26 in the third quarter. How much of that was them starting to make shots, and how much of that do you think was, like, maybe taking your foot off the gas? 

Zoe Brooks: I don't get no credit. They didn't get high and started hitting shots, got a couple and ones. I think that we began to lose focus. We had a bit of a large lead going into the second half. So I think that I just lost a little focus. But credit to them getting some shots. 

Zoe, what was it like seeing – seeing Maddie, get out in the first quarter? 

Maddie Cox: It was great. I was really excited for her.She's one of the best teammates I've ever played with. She's very unselfish and knows how to make the right play. And I was very happy for her in the game.

Obviously, Khamil has come in and provided a lot for y'all in the front court. But, away from the game itself, what's she like as a teammate? 

Zoe Brooks: Crazy, goofy, funny. Yeah, pretty much all those things.She's really funny. 

Have either of you had a teammate who's similar that you could compare her to? 

Maddie Cox: Miranda? 

Zoe Brooks: Yeah. 

Maddie Cox: They're both a little crazy together. For sure. 

What was the emphasis going into this game in terms of building off of what you've done so far in terms of improvement and such? 

Zoe Brooks: Make the extra pass. I think that's been our biggest emphasis this week especially, just making that extra pass.Take a great shot over a good shot. Be unselfish. Give your teammates easy looks.And they have to give you easy looks as well. 

Do you think you built off of that and did that tonight? 

Zoe Brooks: For sure. I feel like we shared the ball really well today and we got good looks.

I think this might have been the most turnovers that y'all have this season now. What is it going to take to kind of clean that up and how much of it is, still getting to know each other as a team? 

Maddie Cox: Yeah, we've always emphasized chemistry and bonding as a team. I think that we kind of got a little sloppy in the second half. But, again, we'll just continue picking that up and moving on to the next game. 

Zoe Brooks: I feel like a lot of the turnovers were travels. So I don't know if they were really travels or if the ref was. I don't know. But I feel like a lot of them were travels. Yeah, one or two more.

This is going ahead. I know you probably haven't spoken to the team yet. But anything you want to improve upon building to Sunday? 

Maddie Cox: I think our energy.Again, we need to emphasize on bringing energy to practice every single day and bringing energy into the game. Again, pushing the ball, swinging it, finding the open person. 

Also, Q, 1-for-7 today from third.She had some open looks. What's the message from the team in terms of, getting that more consistent? 

Zoe Brooks: I think Q is a really good shooter. I mean, in practice she's lights out. I feel like there's going to be some games where, players can't hit that shot, and that's okay. I mean, even myself haven't been shooting as well as I wanted to. But, you just got to stay confident and shoot the best shot that you can.