STARKVILLE, Miss. — Tessa Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao both spoke off podium today after South Carolina women's basketball beats Mississippi State 95-68 at Humphrey Coliseum, improving to 14-0 on the season and 2-0 in SEC play. Johnson scored a career-high 22 points, and Paopao had 15. Here are exclusive quotes from both, as GamecockScoop was the only of the South Carolina websites present in Starkville.
Tessa Johnson:
On the reaction after Ashlyn Watkins went down:
"I think that's just kind of just how it happens. We love each other out there, and not even out there, just in general we love in general. Yes, we're having her back out there. Obviously she's a big piece of our team, so someone had to step up."
On Dawn Staley's comment that she shoots better when the team is trailing:
"I don't really know. She's probably right. I was just, I don't know. I think I've got a lot of confidence from my teammates and my coaches and obviously getting in the gym. I was talking to my dad, and we were just talking about my shot because he's the one who taught me how to shoot. He just told me to relax more, and I feel like that's what I did also."
On the defensive adjustments in the game:
"We talked about screen coverage, just going under on certain players based on how they were playing and stuff. I think that was our biggest adjustment. We went zone a little bit."
On how well she is playing lately and playing her role:
"Everyone is telling me to trust the process, so I'm just trusting the process out there. I put in the work and go off of my teammates, and whatever is open is open."
On scoring her career-high:
"I don't even think about that, I just go with the flow of the game and try to win. That's what my mentality is."
Te-Hina Paopao:
On defensive adjustments:
"Us guards were getting beat off the dribble. We weren't guarding the 3-point line like we should, and we just kept getting blown by and then our posts got on us. We were like, we've got to lock in and guard better. And that's what happened."
On if the adjustments were more mental or physical:
"It was a little of both. We just needed to loosen up because they weren't really shooting the 3-ball. We were pressuring way far from the basket, and that allowed them to get downhill on us, and that's what triggered our help and the weak side wasn't there, so the posts just got on us guards that we've got to guard better, and we did. And we appreciate the posts holding us accountable on that part."
On the mentality after Ashlyn went down:
"Prayers to Ash, and that we've just got to play for her. She's been dominating thus far. We were a little upset about it, but at the same time we've still got a game to play. She's always going to be in our prayers, and we just hope that she gets better."
On Tessa shooting better when the team is trailing:
"Once Tessa gets going, we have a lot of trust in her to shoot the ball really well and she did that tonight. She gave us a head start on that aspect. I'm just really glad that she's found her flow and found her rhythm and we've just got to keep that going for her."
On her and Tessa getting going in the second quarter run:
"We work really well with each other . We just got it going, and once one of us gets it going, I can feel the other one get it going. Once she got going, I got going, and it was good to play off each other. 5 really got us going."
On getting back home;
"I'm really excited. I love playing at CLA, and I'm just really excited to get back to Columbia and start playing in front of the home crowd."
n.rivals.com
