George Washington University Athletics
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2006
- NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
February 6, 2006
St. Louis 46
@GW 84
Postgame quotes
Coach Joe McKeown
On Jazmine and Jessica Adair's good performances
"Maybe it's the twin thng, b ut when one plays well, the other gets hurt; when she comes back, the other one gets hurt. It's amazing. We're finally getting both of them to contribute on the floor, not at the same time, but being able to change the game. Jazmine is a good defensive presence, and I'm really proud of her. As freshmen, they are only now learning about playing on the road, and matching up with players the same size--something they didn't have to deal with in high school. It's been a challenge, but they've responded well."
What has helped Keenan Cole come into her own?
"She's a workaholic, in the gym and in the classroom. As a freshman, she played behind Cathy Joens. Last year was her first taste of minutes against high-caliber opponents. Now she has confidence. Her work ethic is incredible. She lives in the gym and the library. She really only needs two places. She's pretty much unflappable. It doesn't matter if we're playing Tennessee or someone else; she's just a very consistent person."
What got her going tonight
"Like other players, she feeds off her teammates and her teammates are starting to look to her. They're finding her when she's open and giving her a little rhythm. They're starting to believe in her and she feels that from them."
Is Jessica Simmonds getting worn down physically?
"I think she's just frustrated. She's a big-time player, and against the high-level, high-caliber team that's going to play you man-to-man and has somebody like her to guard her-she's okay. But against a lot teams, she's getting frustrated against the zone and being double-teamed all the time. She's going to have to break out of this, but she's also the kind of player that in March will put you on her back in the tournament and get you 20 points. That person will show up; she has a lot of pride."
Was it critical to come back from Xavier and win big?
"I think so; it was a close game and we had a chance to win. It just didn't happen. My staff did a terrific job, since I wasn't there. I think it says something about your conference when you have teams like Xavie, Charlotte, Temple, and us that can all go out and match up with teams nationwide. Coming back tonight helped us get rolling and get some confidence....It was more about us than St. Louis tonight, and I'm really happy with the way we shot the ball. We needed that since we're going to be seeing a lot of zones over the next four games. We've got to make shots."
F Whitney Allen
You had 14 points tonight, above your average per game "We were pressing them, I was getting open looks, we were behind the zone. Our team was throwing me good passes and I was wide open, so it was a little easier tonight than usual. My teammates created the shots for me."
Do you feel comfortable in the offense.
"Yes, I've been here for three years, and played for two so most of the things we run, I'm pretty familiar with. I switch up positions a lot, so it just depends on where I am. Last year I played mostly the four-spot, but I'm fine with all the offenses."
After the loss to Xavier, how important was it to win big tonight?
"It was important to come back home and win big to show everybody that we're GW, and we're not going anywhere."
You're about to go on a two-game road trip. What do you tell freshmen about what it takes to win on the road?
"When we're on the road, everything is pretty much planned out. You just have to stay focused, and when you're there, handle your business."
G Keenan Cole
You had a career high in points tonight. How are you getting it done?
"I just keep focusing on each game, because evey night we have to come out as a new team. We have to come out ready to play; we can learn from the previous games, but we always have to come out and produce in the next game."
You've developed into an offensive threat. What are you doing differently?
"I think I'm looking for my shot more, and also just coming in and doing extra work offensively."
Do you spend extra time in the gym working on your jump shot?
"I've been trying to go in and work as hard as I can on my shot and ball handling--anything the coaches say we need to work on."
What helped you get so many good looks from the perimeter?
"Everybody was hitting them, which is good. We were getting some pretty good looks against the zone as well. When we moved the ball and reversed it, we were getting some pretty wide open looks then too."
