Murray State University Athletics
The Week Ahead In MSU Women's Basketball
2/25/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
THIS WEEK'S PRESS CONFERENCE
with head coach Jody Adams
Opening statement
This last game (against Samford on Saturday) was a great win for our team. To see our upperclassmen play the way they did - there wasn't a sign of being scared or "We're going to lose this" look on their faces. Our coaching staff made some changes and adjustments at halftime, and our players responded. There was a sign of determination in this team. As the head coach -- and I can tell from the entire coaching staff as well -- that makes you feel really good as you're closing out your season.
We definitely can't look past Tennessee Tech. We're going into a tough environment on the road. That's been a tough place for us to win in the past. I don't want to think that way, but I respect what they do. They are a team that's very hungry and in need of a win, and they're going to scrap for 40 minutes.
On the team's status after beating Eastern Illinois and Samford, both among the OVC's top four teams:
I thought that both wins were great wins for our team. Those were teams that had beaten us early on. They were close games; they were both one-possession games (on the road: EIU won 62-59 and Samford won 62-60). I think we're playing some really good basketball in the month of February. Just to see the production of our team when you look at it as a whole as to how the numbers have shifted: the rebounding margin has shifted, bench production -- not so much in the points column, but in the rebounding and things that you really don't chart, as far as communication, deflections, hustle plays that we're getting from our bench. We're beginning to get there, and close to being there. We just have to stay excited about practice right now and continue to get better. (Key February statistics are given later in this article)
I can't say that they're not excited about practice. It's just that, after days off, it's tougher to get going. When you have to hop on that line real quick, things begin to change, though, and the upperclassmen begin to step up. They know that these are their last few practices before they hang it up. They're still competing. We go back and forth, blue against gold or against the coaches -- and they don't like to lose, so that's a good thing. If they said, "OK, we'll just settle for running," then you know that they're tired of practice, but we were competitive today. We got through our practice and preparation for the Tennessee Tech game.
On Tennessee Tech:
The main challenge will be their interior. They have post players who can shoot well inside as well as the three. They also can post up. They're very versatile. Their guards have been pushing the ball of late -- by that, I mean going coast to coast -- and if you don't slow them down in transition, they're going right to the rim to get a layup. I'd say their transition game and their post play are things that they have been doing well of late, besides just pounding the heck out of you defensively.
On Angela Brown, this week's OVC Newcomer of the Week, and her improvement since Day One:
Thank goodness the old Angela Brown is no longer here! She's not coming back! (Laughs) I have to give a lot of credit to (assistant coach) Rob Cross. He did a great job with her and Pam Bell, taking special attention to them in practice. They've just been getting tons of reps. I think that, when Angela or Pam get deep in the paint, they do a great job of scoring the ball. They get those reps every day, having to go against defense every day. Those 50 shots that they get, going through move after move after move -- you just begin to remember those things, and doing that in a game is no different than when it's just them and Rob working on those shots. I have to give credit to those guys for putting in the time. It's just those two, and they go at it, and they go at it hard. Usually, you enjoy your shooting, but that is one thing I think they look at and say, "Oh, gosh, here we go. It's going to be a tough day of shooting," but they still work hard at it. They've earned it.
On rebounding in recent games:
I don't know if the players know how much we focus on that. We put the players in positions where they have to box out, or one of those things that you make mandatory: there's a winner and a loser. We're constantly talking about it, things that win championships: they defend and they rebound the ball. Lately, it's been important for us not to settle to be behind somebody and let somebody have the position on us. In the last game, we talked about fighting for every inch. (Assistant coach) Kerensa Barr did a highlight film for us, and they talked about fighting for every inch, and that's something that this team has to do. We wear "Outwork" on the back of our jerseys. We have to outwork people; we just don't naturally have the size or the height of other teams in this league. The thing that we can do each and every night is be tougher and we can outwork, and rebounding is part of outworking.
That's extremely important. Some of those teams, their best shot is the second or third shot. Our defense is getting pretty decent on the first shot the majority of the time. I can't say it's good from the start of the game, like the other night. I think they know; I think they understand. I have a veteran group, so I depend on them to enforce the things from practice along with us coaches, and not to settle for where we're at right now, and to still have the hunger and the discipline to do the little things. I think that it's the little things that eventually add up to a championship team.
On Ashley Hayes' chances of being OVC Player of the Year:
Her numbers have been very consistent, whether she has one or two defenders on her. There is the versatility that she brings to this team. Her scoring is consistent, even in some games, she'll still have 27 points and play only 20 or 25 minutes due to foul trouble or whatever. I think if she's not the best, she's one of the two who are the best. I think she should be considered that highly.
On this year's senior players:
To have the group of seniors that I've inherited, I am fortunate for them to adopt and adapt to me and my style. I've also adapted and adopted to some of their things that are not going to change, to bring out the best in them. I think we've worked well together in doing so. There's times when I've had to give, and times when they've had to give, and I think that relationship has built with trust. They trust in me, and I trust in them. They've accepted my challenges not to settle, but to get better. I think they've gotten better. There's no doubt that the numbers for Alaina (Lee) and "Lee-Lee" (Shaleea Petty) show that. You can see the progress in Angela Brown in the short time that we've had with her. Right now, "G" (Gerraca Matthews) is playing some of her best ball in practice; it's just my decision to put her in those games at those times to let her use her talents. She's probably one of the most competitive kids that I've been able to coach.
Those four are very special to this program. They came with that competitiveness and the work ethic, and when you don't have to hammer that out of somebody -- that's something that can drain you, along with attitudes. They have great attitudes; they're just good people. I've had fun with them.
THE RACERS IN FEBRUARY
February is the shortest month in the calendar, but it is the most important month in college basketball, as conference races come down the stretch. Murray State is 5-1 thus far this month, helping push its all-time February record in the Regional Special Events Center to 28-13 (.683). Here is how the Racers have shaped up statistically this month:
Points per game: MSU 74.3, Opponents 63.2
Rebounds per game: MSU 36.0, Opponents 35.3
Field-goal percentage: MSU .456, Opponents .409
Field goals per game: 27.8, Opponents 22.8
Free-throw percentage: MSU .847, Opponents .676
Free throws per game: MSU 13.8, Opponents 12.2
Turnovers per game: MSU 12.7, Opponents 16.7
Steals per game: MSU 8.5, Opponents 5.0
Blocked shots per game: MSU 2.7, Opponents 2.3
Individual points/rebounds per game (other stats):
Ashley Hayes: 22.0 / 7.3 (.510 FG%, .905 FT%, 5.2 defensive rebounds per game)
Alaina Lee: 12.5 / 3.5 (.353 3FG%, 2.3 assists per game, 1.56 assists per turnover)
Amber Guffey: 12.5 / 3.2 (.963 FT%, 1.8 3FGs per game, 4.0 assists per game)
Shaleea Petty: 11.4 / 3.2 (.440 FG%, .474 2FG%, 3.4 assists per game, 2.8 steals per game, 9-10 FT)
Angela Brown: 9.5 / 6.3 (.649 FG%, 9-10 FT, 1.5 blocked shots per game)
Non-starters' rebounds per 40 minutes:
Jasmyne Thornton: 12.0
Pam Bell: 11.6
Jessica Jackson: 8.0
Mallory Luckett: 7.3
Gerraca Matthews: 7.2
CURRENT OVC STANDINGS (OVC / All)
Southeast Missouri (16-2 / 21-6)
Samford (14-4 / 21-7)
MURRAY STATE (13-5 / 19-7)
Eastern Illinois (13-5 / 15-12)
Tennessee State (9-9 / 12-15)
Eastern Kentucky (8-9 / 13-11)
Jacksonville State (8-10 / 11-16)
Tennessee Tech (7-12 / 8-21)
Morehead State (6-11 / 8-17)
Austin Peay (3-15 / 6-21)
UT Martin (2-17 / 5-24)
THIS WEEK IN THE OVC (Times given are Central Time.)
Tuesday, Feb. 26
Morehead State at Eastern Kentucky, 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 28
MURRAY STATE at Tennessee Tech, 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee State at Morehead State, 4:15
Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky, 4:30
Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois, 5:00
Samford at Southeast Missouri, 5:00
UT Martin is idle.
Saturday, March 1
UT Martin at MURRAY STATE, 5:30
Tennessee State at Eastern Kentucky, 2:00
Austin Peay at Morehead State, 4:15
Jacksonville State at Southeast Missouri, 5:00
Samford at Eastern Illinois, 5:00
Tennessee Tech is idle.
End of regular season
