Teri Moren Press Conference After Indiana's 86-69 Win Over Iowa
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00:00 Wow, you know I think we, as we represent our program,
00:09 all three of us up here, we would need to first start by just talking about the crowd.
00:15 And just how grateful, we knew it, you know, people have said the Caitlin Clark effect
00:22 and that's probably, you know, has somewhat to do with it,
00:26 but I also think that our fan base has continued to come out and support us.
00:31 And so we're once again really just grateful, you know, for that.
00:38 You know, I thought our guys from the jump were really, really got after it defensively.
00:47 I think we made everything very difficult for Caitlin Clark tonight, and that's hard to do.
00:53 She's a phenomenal player.
00:56 But I think maybe the most important thing we felt like we did at halftime was we kept Martin,
01:02 we kept Molly Davis, you know, Stalke, Marshall, we kept them relatively quiet.
01:10 And that was the key.
01:12 You know, I don't -- going into it, that did not happen when we went to their place.
01:18 And I thought tonight, you know, at halftime we were pleased with the way we had guarded those other
01:23 pieces that they have on the floor.
01:26 But I loved you guys, you know, and you guys know this, Monday was really hard for us,
01:32 disappointing performance, none of us were happy.
01:37 We got back on Monday before film.
01:41 They had a player team meeting, which they have often,
01:45 and we came out and had one of our best practices of the year.
01:49 And you could just tell that they wanted to make this thing right tonight.
01:54 And, you know, there were so many moments, you know, during the game.
02:02 And, you know, we tried to just continue to try to win four-minute segments of the game.
02:07 That's what we were trying to do, you know, throughout, especially in the first half,
02:11 because you've got to get off to a good start against Iowa.
02:14 But, you know, incredible performances by all these guys, you know.
02:19 And I haven't even looked at the stat sheet, but, you know, certainly Sarah and McKenzie were great.
02:25 But they would all tell you that they had help.
02:27 You know, we had 20 assists, which means we're sharing the ball.
02:30 But I thought defensively we were just terrific.
02:33 And so really, really proud of, you know, our team and the way they responded.
02:40 Questions for our student athletes.
02:41 Matthew?
02:42 [Inaudible]
02:46 Yeah, so just kind of coming after the Illinois loss, just, and losing to Iowa by 25 before in January,
02:54 just kind of what was the message that was being passed along to the team before tonight?
03:00 You know, the past is the past, and it's all about how we respond.
03:03 And I thought we did a good job responding tonight.
03:06 We got a build off of this.
03:07 You know, we weren't perfect by any means.
03:10 They went on runs, but we were able to, you know, contain those and combat those runs.
03:14 But we're going to get back.
03:16 You know, we have Northwestern and Maryland left in our schedule.
03:18 So just keep building off of this and knowing that, you know, we know we're capable of a game like this,
03:23 night in and night out, and we just have to build off of it.
03:29 Sarah, you're known for being this kind of even-keeled, like, stone-faced shooter,
03:33 and you showed so much emotion tonight, like even got the tech late in the game.
03:37 Just, you know, to have such a big game tonight, like it --
03:40 Yes, Sarah.
03:41 [Laughter]
03:43 What was that all about?
03:44 Coach, I don't know.
03:47 Just what brought this type of juice out of you tonight?
03:50 I mean, I just am honestly just having fun.
03:55 Like, that's really it.
03:57 I love playing with my teammates.
03:59 I love playing under this coaching staff.
04:01 And we all -- you know, we put in the work, and nights like tonight really show all the work that we put in.
04:06 We show all the work that we put in behind the scenes.
04:08 So I just think it's all about our hard work that pays off, and it's fun when that shows.
04:14 Michael and Mike.
04:15 Yes.
04:16 Hang on one second.
04:17 Michael.
04:18 McKenzie, Coach was saying you guys made things hard for Kaitlyn tonight.
04:20 You've played against her a lot and Iowa a lot.
04:23 They really seem like you guys had them on their heels tonight.
04:26 Can you just talk maybe specifically what you felt like you guys did so well defensively against Iowa
04:32 to have that kind of response from them?
04:35 So, you know, credit to Kaitlyn Clark.
04:38 She's a phenomenal player, phenomenal scorer.
04:40 We knew she was going to get hers.
04:42 She was going to get 25, 30, 40 points, whatever it looked like.
04:45 But we had a goal in mind to, one, make it an inefficient 30, 40 points, and, two, keep the others out of it.
04:52 You know, don't let Molly Davis get hot like she did last game.
04:55 Don't let Gabby Marshall get hot.
04:57 You know, Kate Martin's been playing at a high level lately.
05:00 We kept her 0 for 6 from 3.
05:02 She's been shooting, I think, like at a 47% clip.
05:04 So to be able to do that and just be locked in to the game plan that we had in store was the biggest thing for us tonight.
05:14 Yeah, for either of you, Kaitlyn said you guys described your defense as tenacious, and she said, you know, really physical.
05:19 Was that something coming in you guys had talked about needing to find another level there, and now is the goal to sustain that?
05:26 I mean, yeah, that's always our goal each and every game to, you know, have defensive intensity like that,
05:32 not allowing teams for second chance opportunities, making things hard for teams we know we can guard.
05:38 We'll have a great scouting report.
05:40 We'll be able to guard their first and second actions, but then, you know, when the play breaks down and they get into iso ball,
05:46 being able to guard that as well.
05:47 So all those things are stuff we rep and work on in practice.
05:51 So I think that showed tonight.
05:53 Mackenzie, you really let loose tonight and had some animated moments out there between, like, hyping up the crowd, a stare down, I think a shrug.
06:00 How much fun were you having tonight?
06:02 Just what was that like?
06:03 I mean, you know, I had coach said it before the game, just really embrace the moment.
06:08 We had an incredible crowd tonight.
06:09 Hoosier Nation showed up for us in a big way, and I was just embracing it.
06:14 You know, I know that, you know, my attitude and energy, you know, I know my teammates feed off of that.
06:19 So when I'm able to just be myself out there, which is, you know, an emotional basketball player, I think my teammates feed off of it.
06:25 And, you know, even if it leads to a technical, I'm kind of okay with that.
06:32 Mackenzie, the team had 42 rebounds.
06:34 That's the second most other than against Northwestern.
06:37 So how key was that to the victory?
06:39 I know I've asked you a couple times this season, but getting after it on the boards, how key was it?
06:43 It was a big key, especially -- I don't remember the exact number,
06:47 but they got a lot of second chance opportunities on us from offensive rebounds, so really limiting those.
06:52 Having Sydney back was huge for us, especially down the stretch.
06:55 She just makes those hustle plays, gives us those second chance opportunities that we really missed.
07:01 And, you know, we had a bunch of people who rebounded tonight.
07:04 It was 9, 5, 4, 5, 6.
07:07 All those numbers are pretty high for us.
07:10 So just continuing to not let them get those second chance opportunities.
07:16 Kenzie, you've been here for a while, and you've seen this game kind of grow and get more of a fan base and more exposure.
07:21 Can you talk about the growth and the atmosphere and how it continues to kind of push your all-team?
07:27 Yeah, I mean, when we have a crowd like that, it not only helps us, but it just really pushes us through.
07:35 Third quarter is tough, especially midway through that third quarter, you're starting to feel a little bit of fatigue.
07:39 And the adrenaline you just get from the noise and the fans in Assembly Hall, I can't really explain the feeling.
07:45 It's really incredible.
07:47 But I feel very lucky and grateful to play in front of a crowd like this who just show up for us night in and night out.
07:53 And hopefully we continue to draw those type of crowds.
07:56 Last question first, or you're not making it up.
07:58 For either of you guys, obviously a lot of emotions coming into this game and on the court, people have asked you about that.
08:03 Got a little chippy at times.
08:05 I'm just curious, how do you regulate those emotions to make sure that they keep helping you and they fuel you
08:10 and they don't kind of hinder you and make it more difficult to play?
08:15 I mean, we knew they were going to go on runs.
08:22 We know it's an emotional game.
08:24 Things are going to happen throughout the game.
08:26 People are going to say things, do things.
08:28 But at the end of the day, it's all about the five of us on the floor staying together throughout the tough moments,
08:34 knowing what we need to do.
08:36 Sometimes maybe we didn't like a call, but just reminding ourselves just get back on D, get a stop, and just keep pushing forward.
08:44 Do you have a question for Senate Leader or Coach?
08:48 Okay, go ahead.
08:51 This is for Sarah.
08:52 Just in the last few seconds of the game and also when the buzzer went off,
08:58 can you replay your emotions of how you felt knowing this game was in the bank?
09:05 I mean, I just -- I mean, I felt like the work we put in the past two days prepping for Iowa, it really showed tonight.
09:13 And, you know, like I said, it's always a good feeling when the work you put in behind the scenes shows in games like this.
09:20 So I was just really proud of my team, and obviously the coaches put a really good scout for us together for this game.
09:28 And, yeah, I was just proud of us all.
09:30 All right, thank you, guys.
09:32 Good job, you guys.
09:39 Terri, just obviously with an atmosphere like this and a game you all really, really needed for, you know, the resume
09:45 and just, you know, knowing you needed a big answer tonight after the way Monday went, you know, your team kept us cool and met the moment tonight.
09:51 Just how reassuring is a performance like this in the big picture?
09:54 Well, you know, Seth, I'm not surprised.
09:57 You know, we talk a lot about it's not what happens to you, it's how you respond to what happens to you.
10:03 And so, you know, again, this is a group that's connected.
10:08 They're mature, they're competitive, and they care about each other.
10:16 And so I'm not surprised with -- you could just see it brewing in the last two days of practice.
10:22 Tuesday was really good, and yesterday wasn't bad either.
10:28 And so you could just tell there was a different feel in terms of their focus, how they came in,
10:36 and probably a little bit more stoic and serious, and not that we're not serious when we're prepping,
10:42 but you could tell that it was -- they were going to come out and they were going to give everything they had.
10:54 And I'm not surprised by it.
10:59 You know, there might be a lot of people after they watched us on Monday play so poorly question that.
11:05 But if you're around these guys long enough, you understand the kind of character that they have
11:12 and their ability to bounce back.
11:17 Yeah, Terri, what did you guys do differently against Kaitlin this time in terms of defense?
11:21 Was it just an attitude in terms of being a little more aggressive and physical?
11:25 Well, yes, and Matt didn't talk a little bit.
11:27 We switched what we were doing defensively.
11:30 We were -- in white, we switched more ball screens, off-ball ball screens, than we had the first time we played them.
11:39 Yeah, part of it was just how hard we played, how we tried to crowder and make sure that we were maybe a little bit physical in our space.
11:49 But the other thing we did on a dead ball was we face guarded her, and we went into a little bit of a triangle ourselves.
11:56 That's what they did to us when, you know, Chloe got into foul trouble.
12:00 And so, you know, we switched what we did, and I'm not sure -- I'm almost positive that they didn't score.
12:08 I mean, that was only on dead balls.
12:10 But, again, just enough to keep them out of rhythm.
12:13 We felt like we had to -- we couldn't just stay completely man-to-man the entire game.
12:18 And so we threw out a little bit of a zone there and tried to face guard her and make her work.
12:24 How was the game?
12:26 Terri, 38.8% is what Iowa shot in this game, which is your best in a Big Ten game all season.
12:32 It hasn't been great defensively, and it's -- obviously you mentioned the want-to was there for the players.
12:37 Sure.
12:38 But how did they transfer the want-to to do on the court?
12:41 And, you know, how encouraged are you that maybe it's something you can kind of build on?
12:46 Well, I hate to keep talking about Monday, but we were not very good defensively.
12:52 And they knew it, and I think they were frustrated by it.
12:56 They were a little bit embarrassed by it, too, you know, that -- you know, and, again, they played terrific.
13:02 But they literally put their head down and just went at us.
13:05 And so, again, it goes back to how they're built, you know, their competitive spirit,
13:13 and just wanting to be better.
13:17 That's really what it was.
13:19 They knew that, for lack of better words, we laid an egg over in Champaign,
13:23 and they wanted to come back and, you know, do it the right way.
13:29 And, you know, I thought, like I said, it took all of them, and we knew it was going to.
13:34 We knew -- we had to come in here confident, too.
13:36 And we talked a lot about confidence coming into this game right before we tipped it off.
13:42 Like, I wanted them to be confident that we could get the job done.
13:46 And, you know, I thought they -- like I said, they performed at a really, really great level for us tonight.
13:53 Terri, was there a moment in the game tonight, whether it was a possession or a play
13:58 or during a timeout where you kind of realized, like, okay, we're going to win this,
14:02 and you were able to not necessarily step back, but you realized what your team was going to do?
14:06 Sarah hit that -- it was in the fourth, and she -- Sid had it in the corner, I think,
14:09 and through that extra to Sarah right there on the wing.
14:13 And you could just tell.
14:15 I was like, that's the dagger right there.
14:17 That's the one that we're going to win the game.
14:22 Coach, Sydney Parrish being out there knocking down some of the shots that she made,
14:25 felt like the crowd really fed off her energy.
14:27 What did she bring for you tonight?
14:29 Right.
14:30 She, you know, I think Mac alluded to it.
14:32 You know, she's all that, energy, effort, hustle player.
14:37 She's a high IQ kid, constantly talking on the floor, off the floor, in timeouts.
14:44 You know, she was a nice -- it was a shot in the arm for us because we've been, you know,
14:48 without her for the last seven games.
14:50 And she's meant so much.
14:52 And she was playing so great, right, before she got hurt.
14:56 So, you know, to have her back is really special.
15:00 Michael?
15:02 I will say this, too, going back to yours.
15:04 I thought the little -- we call it money, the little lob that Yarden threw to Mac over the top,
15:12 that was a pretty special play, too.
15:14 Because we had ran it, Yarden got deflected off of her out of bounds,
15:19 and Mac and Yarden both run past me and say, "We're running it again."
15:24 And for them to have the confidence that the two of them were going to make that play happen,
15:30 I thought that was pretty special, too.
15:33 Yeah, Coach, how are you doing?
15:35 You know, you guys in the reveal, which was a week ago, you guys were in the top 16.
15:40 And I know you probably don't want to get too caught up in those numbers of where you are,
15:44 but how big is this in terms of making sure you guys are going to host in the first round?
15:49 Yeah, I think tonight we certainly had to have this win.
15:53 You know, I try not to look too far ahead at any of that stuff,
15:58 but I knew that we were part of it.
16:03 But, you know, after -- you lose a game like Illinois, and you think, "Oh, wow,
16:07 our backs are against the wall.
16:08 We've got to get that one on Thursday."
16:12 But we've got to also finish on the road at Northwestern.
16:19 We've got to finish at home against a Maryland team that always seems like they start to figure things out
16:24 in February and March.
16:26 And then we've got to start the next season, which is Big Ten Conference tournament.
16:34 And so we still have our work cut out for us,
16:37 but tonight I thought was a step in the right direction to hope secure that for our fans here in Bloomington.
16:46 [Inaudible]
16:47 Terri, just with the way that the results have gone against top ten teams,
16:51 is tonight a big weight off your shoulders as a coach?
16:54 You know, I don't know.
16:56 I don't really think of it like that because the teams that we've lost to are really, really,
17:02 really freaking good.
17:03 And, you know, we went to Stanford.
17:09 We went to Ohio State.
17:11 We went to Iowa.
17:16 And if you just think about the Big Ten, this league is really good, and we've said it,
17:23 and I know I've said it.
17:24 It's hard to win on the road.
17:26 It's hard.
17:28 And I don't know if it's a weight.
17:31 I just -- going back to Michael's question -- I think we had to have this one tonight to help us with our resume,
17:40 for sure.
17:41 Coach, you mentioned that your team had the confidence, you could tell right at the beginning of the game.
17:47 How much does that mental and that mentality part play when you're going against these top ten opponents?
17:52 Well, I think it's important, but I think, you know, the lesson here will be we've got to show up against any opponent
17:59 like we showed up tonight against Iowa, you know?
18:03 Yeah, everybody says there's lessons out of losses, but there's sometimes lessons out of wins, too.
18:08 And, you know, that we are capable of a lot, and with that means that we've got to bring it every night.
18:19 And, you know, we'll have tomorrow off and then get back to work on Northwestern.
18:26 All right, thanks, Coach.
18:27 Yep, thank you, guys.