Postgame Quotes vs. Mississippi State

OLE MISS HEAD COACH YOLETT MCPHEE-MCCUIN

Opening statement…
"I was very pleased with how my squad responded after a difficult loss in Athens. We just played a team that could potentially be in the Final Four and I thought that we gave them our best punch. Wish a couple things could've gone better in the third quarter, but when you play a team like that you have to have your best game with no mistakes. Overall, I thought we did our university proud. I'm not using that as a moral victory. It's a step in the right direction. The fact that we were able to do that today gives us something to build on. I said this in Starkville and I meant it. A rivalry is not about hate, it's about your love for your university and it's about pride. I've been a part of many rivalries before, and I believe that the records don't matter. Someone comes to your gym to compete and you've got to give them a game."

On neutralizing Teaira McCowan in the 2nd half...
"I don't think there's a player more dominant in this league, so for us to (hold her to two points and two rebounds), that's definitely something that we're proud of."

On thoughts after seeing MSU and South Carolina this season and how to make a program like that...
"According to those coaches, I'm barking up the right tree. It's toughness, it takes commitment from your administration which obviously I have. It takes commitment from fans. It takes players that want to come and do something special and be a part of something special and believe."

On the SEC...
"It's the most physical league in the country. Night in and night out you have to be ready for a fight and that's why our teams go deep in the NCAA's, because they can endure. They get it game after game in league play."

MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH VIC SCHAEFER

Opening statement…
"It was a grind for us tonight. We couldn't seem to do very much in stretches. We were very bad in the first half. In the third quarter we were much better. I thought the Rebels played very well. I thought they attacked us and were fearless. I just thought that we kind of hung around. Really the third quarter was the difference. I thought we came out and punched first, and kind of had our foot on the pedal for a little while. We didn't play very well, but give them credit. It wasn't our best night when we score 80 points. It's okay. Defensively I just thought we were miserable, we weren't very competitive at times. This (MSU team) is a different group, y'all. We'll go in stretches where we play well and then we'll go in stretches where we just aren't very good. I thought Crystal Allen was special, she's a special player and hard to guard. I thought we did a great job on everybody else. They were 3-for-12 at halftime between Sessom and Allen. They ended up going 11-for-26 (improving in the second half). It's life on the road and it's hard. Every game in this league is a rivalry game. We have 16 rivalry games and tonight was no different."

On guarding Teaira McCowan…
"Double team, triple team, that's life for (McCowan). I thought she made a great pass there in the second half to Anriel Howard. We've got to do that more because that's the only way to beat the double team. You want to beat the double team? Start making passes and get open on the backside to lead to threes. Then teams would have to decide (how to guard). She doesn't care, she just wants to win."

On seeing Ole Miss' growth this season…
"I think they compete and they've got a lot of pride. That's four seniors out there that have been in the wars. Those kids know what it's about. They've been in that arena and that environment, so they ought to. I think as they get to play together longer and longer and they get their rotations, everybody should be getting better throughout the year. And I think they have. I don't think we have, but I think they have."

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Players Mentioned

Crystal Allen

The University of Mississippi Athletics