Lynn - First Round Press Conference Quotes
General Thoughts
Head Coach Nikki Washington: Well you know, we didn’t play the best basketball that we are capable of playing. I feel it’s tougher to go out like that if we had played better and lost a game. You could have taken it better, but the fact that we didn’t play well really kind of left a bad taste. I couldn’t be more proud of this team, we have great senior leadership. Kira Harvey, what can I say? She makes a team great. Her presence on the floor, she commands so much attention, you saw it today. Rollins paid special attention to her. We’re a young team as well, Zachara Bailey was able to step up today and relieve some of the pressure they were giving on Kira. I thought defensively, we had a good game. We are looking to stay positive in this loss and not hang our heads. And move on to bigger and better things.
Q: You couldn’t turn it on at the end of the second half. What happened towards the end of the game where you weren’t able to get that last little push?
Washington: It was just making plays. We didn’t make plays and they made plays down the stretch. We had offensive rebounds and looked like we were turning the ball over, and those are the plays you’ve got to make down the stretch that we didn’t make. I can say, we missed Tyler Tracey this game, she was a huge part of this team and our success and not having her it hurt us some. I think more than anything, Rollins made plays down the stretch and we didn’t. That’s the name of the game.
Q: If you could pin point one thing that you would have liked to see differently, what one aspect of the game would you have liked to change?
Washington: Offensively, we didn’t work a lot against the zone. They played some zone at the end and we weren’t able to execute down the stretch. And that’s my fault. We worked a lot against man and I wish we would have down a little bit more zone stuff down the stretch; we crumbled down the stretch because of it.
Q: Kira, what are your thoughts after this whole game coming to end like that. A post game that could have gone either way, like what’s going on through your guys minds now that this game is over?
Kira Harvey: I mean obviously it hurts being that this is my last year. I thought we fought hard even though we didn’t have the best night. We did come together in the end a little bit and make a run especially with Bailey stepping up. Everybody fought hard, and we just happened to lose. The game could have gone either way at any point.
Q: Zachara, you guys are down by three at half, what was the mood in the locker room at half time and what did coach tell you guys coming out of the locker room?
Zachara Bailey: Well, at first we were talking and bickering with each other. So she told us to come back as a team, get on the floor, play as a team, come together and at the end we fought hard. Like Kira said, it could have gone either way, but we tried our best.
Q: Kira you started and finished your career in the NCAA tournament. In between, you’ve rewritten the accolades record books at Lynn University. Talk about that journey from your freshman year to here.
Harvey: It’s been crazy because coming in I didn’t think I would be in the position I am now; like you said with the accolades that I have. I’ve had some bad times, really bad times and I’ve had some really good times but most of all, very good. I wouldn’t change any part of it for anything and I couldn’t do it with out my teammates through out the years and a great coach.
Q: What can you impart the freshman here going forward. Starting and ending your career in the NCAA tournament it’s a tough thing to do but what can you say to motivate them to get back?
Harvey: Just keep making history at Lynn. This is not the end, we got a great young team, good talent, they can keep making history .And make the school better, make the program better, just keep pushing.
