LOCKER ROOM REPORT: Top-Seeded Wolfpack Downs Nine-Seed Seminoles in ACC Quarterfinals

Top-seeded NC State head coach Wes Moore, guard Jakia Brown-Turner, and center Elissa Cunane met with the media following the Wolfpack’s 84-54 win over nine-seed Florida State Friday afternoon in the ACC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament Quarterfinals.

Brown-Turner and Cunane each led the way with 15 points. Brown-Turner added six rebounds and six assists while Cunane pulled down six rebounds, stole two Seminole passes, and blocked one shot.

NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch the Wolfpack’s press conference.

Opening Statement

WM: Well, I always think when you're playing in a situation where you had a bye and the other team played the day before, you always worry about that start of the game. Do you have tournament jitters or whatever, and again, having veterans like this, they came out ready to play and got us off to a good start. Again, I thought pretty much everyone contributed that went in there and did a nice job, and that's important, also, to be able to save the legs a little bit by rotating and getting some depth in there. I thought Elissa and Jakia, obviously they both put up great numbers today. It was tough to get it inside some because Florida State does a really good job of denying three quarters on the post and helping from the weak side, and they make it really hard on you getting it in there to her. I thought she did a great job of slowing down, keeping her composure. And then Jakia was great off the bounce. She's a really good three-point shooter, but today the close-outs were so hard that she was able to get to the rim. Both of them played extremely well. The whole team did. We're excited about moving on. Obviously Florida State and Sue Semrau does a great job, so we're excited to get by that one and move on.

Jakia, the first 17 games or so of the season, you rarely had double figures in scoring. Over these last 11 games, you scored over that 10-point mark I believe eight times now at this point. What has changed in terms of your scoring and how much more are you looking to try to get to the rim now at this point?

JBT: Well, I just try to focus on playing defense and rebounding and just letting it come to me and playing my game.

WM: Let me just say this: She slowed down, okay. Again, when you're one of the better players in the league, people are going to focus on you. They know she's a great shooter. They were doing a great job of getting to her and she sometimes was getting a little out of control, rushing things. She slowed down, the game slowed down. She's playing really well right now.

Coach, two-part question for you. How much of a luxury is it to have the amount of depth that you have during this time of the season, and can you compare it to the past two teams that you've had which were also very successful?

WM: Yeah, we've had some great teams, been very blessed, but this is definitely the deepest team we've had. A lot of people that can come in. I think they said the other day we've had eight players that have scored 16 or more in a game, so if we have somebody that's having a rough night, then we've got somebody else that can come in and give us a spark. You look at Jada Boyd, Diamond Johnson, Camille Hobby, in particular. Those three have had a lot. And then today Aziaha James came in. So we've got a lot of people that can really bail us out and helping us when we're maybe struggling at a spot.

What led to Kai Crutchfield's defensive success despite the height differential to Morgan Jones?

WM: Yeah, I think Kai, again, she's another one playing really well right now. That's the luxury of having these veterans. We usually have Kai guard the opponent's best perimeter scorer, and she takes a lot of pride in that. I think it's something that she wants to excel at. Then she's also known for knocking down the big shots, and just like I said, I think she's playing really well right now, maybe the best she's played. It's good to have people stepping up this time of year. I think that's important, obviously.

This is for Elissa. You guys have had some stretches like at Duke and Cameron where you missed one shot in the fourth quarter as a team, and then today you guys scored seven out of eight possessions coming out of the half. When things are going well for you as a unit and sharing the ball, what works best for you when you get on one of those rolls?

EC: Honestly, I think today our defense turned into offense a lot. We were getting steals, getting in passing lanes, and just getting rebounds and being able to push it. So I think when we play as a team and we're able to share the ball, we slow down and get good shots.

Elissa, today you had 15 and 6 in 22 minutes. Seems like you always play well here in Greensboro. What is it about this place for you?

EC: Honestly it's just the way they were playing the game today. They were able to feed me down low. And the way they were playing post defense, my teammates got me the ball. It's also tournament time. Everyone wants to play better for tournament time. The next game is not guaranteed. Doesn't matter what seed you are. So we've just got to come out here and play every game like it's our last.

WM: Hometown girl, man. She plays well here. It goes back to I don't know how old she was laying on the floor when she was a kid doing snow angels and the balloons falling from the ceiling, so I think that was good karma. Maybe she learned how to do well on that court.

Wes, you guys held Florida State to eight points in the second quarter. That's something you've done a lot this year is shut teams down. How important is stacking stops and having those runs where you play defense so well?

WM: Yeah, no doubt. I think Elissa hit on that. First of all, it takes a lot of pressure off your offense when you don't have to score every time. You don't have to match their bucket every time. I think that helps you offensively. And then also we were able to create some turnovers, and that led to offense. It seems like every time there's a turnover, it allows somebody to have a fast break, and we'd like to be the team doing that, obviously. I thought we came out with good energy, got in the passing lanes a little bit, and were able to create some offense off those steals and turnovers.

Elissa, nod to being your hometown and tournament time. How much motivation did you take from a certain Player of the Year vote, and especially in the first quarter I think you had nine points, five rebounds and two steals. How motivated for you?

EC: Honestly I don't really worry about that type of stuff. I'm more of a team player, and the regular season means more to me than Player of the Year would have. I'm just going to come out here and play my game and keep taking this team to new heights.

WM: I keep commenting on their stuff. I feel bad, too, because I probably hurt her and some of the others because today she played 22 minutes. I mean, again, we've got other people that we want to reward for their hard work every day and what they do, and then also you want to keep them fresh. But you know, if we had allowed her to play 35, 36 minutes a game, her numbers would be better. But again, that's to not take anything away from Liz Kitley, too. You lead the conference in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, it's pretty hard not to vote for her. Again, like I said, I feel bad sometimes because I may hurt some of our kids in some of those categories.

I know it's no secret you guys have a great fan base, but when you're in these games, do you ever get lost in the moment and feel like you're at Reynolds Coliseum with the amount of red and the amount of Wolfpack fans that are there?

EC: Yeah, I mean, it almost feels like Reynolds, but this is also our second home. I think Coach Moore said it before the game today. This is our second home. We're only an hour and a half away. I think our fan base is amazing. People are like, dang, like, how early did they get her? They were all here yesterday to watch the game before us that we were going to play. I think it's just amazing how much they follow us and support us and they're a part of this journey, and I'm glad they're back in the stands this year. It's a second Reynolds but it's also a second home.

Wes, looking ahead to tomorrow's game, what kind of challenges do they present for you, and how different are they if Kitley can't go?

WM: Yeah, you know, again, I have a lot of respect for Kenny Brooks and what he's done with that program is really impressive. And the players they have, they're built a lot like us. They have really talented postgame, can score inside really well, and want to work inside out like we do. But then if you decide to double that person, they surround her with people that can shoot the three. I think they have three young ladies that were in the top 15 in the conference in three-pointers made, and they shoot it really well, high percentage. So you've got to kind to pick your poison. If you want to help down on the post, then they're going to hit threes, and if you decide to stay out on the shooters, then Kitley presents a lot of problems. You know, we've got to prepare as if she's playing. Obviously today was a great win for them considering they had King out and then had Kitley go out, as well. It was really amazing what they did today. That's what I told our team; they won today without Kitley. So you can't take anything for granted. It's this time of year where you've got to be locked in and ready to play. We've got to prepare as if she's playing, and again, they've got a lot of weapons, so we know we'll have our hands full.

Wes, I thought I heard this on the court, so correct me if I'm off on this. Diamond had a rough shooting game and at one point I thought I heard you yelling about the back of the rim. Can you talk about that?

WM: Well, her aim has been really good, and I over-coach everything, so I'll admit that, and they laugh, they know it. And I say that a lot to a lot of them. Her aim is fine. It's dead on. But she's leaving them short. Want to focus on aiming at the back of the rim, not just the rim. Definitely not the front of the rim. Focus on the back of the rim. It's like my putting, never up, never in. If you don't give it a chance, it's not going in. Just trying to get her, remind her, got to get that thing up.

You said you have to prepare as if Kitley is playing, but the way they played today without her shooting the ball so well, does that make the scout a little bit more challenging tonight because they played a different style of basketball without their best player?

WM: Well, I am feeling pretty good at the fact that hey, we just played them Sunday, so the scout isn't going to be real difficult. I mean, I know according to my coaches they ran a couple of different things, sets today and all that, but at least we have a fresh scout on them. We have our game that we've already clipped. So in that respect, normally I'd be really scrambling right now. I'd be getting a scout with a whole lot of clips that I've got to trim down to show them tonight, and then also watching -- going back, watching the last game. That stuff is done. So that's good for me. I might even enjoy the evening, who knows. But again, I don't know. They're not going to change who they are or what they do. I realize they'll have somebody else on the block if she doesn't play, but I don't think they're going to just scrap what they do. I always say all the time -- I love it -- a former Texas football coach back in the '70s used to say, I'm going to dance with the ones that brung me. Same thing here. Just like if somebody is having an off-night that's proven themselves over the long haul, I'm going to stick with them, okay. Same way, they're going to stick with what they do; I don't doubt that. Like I say, Kenny is a great coach, so I know he'll figure out a way.