NC State
NC State's Saniya Rivers: "It's win or go home"
NC State's Saniya Rivers discusses how the team settled and finished strong against Chattanooga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
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NC State's Saniya Rivers discusses how the team settled and finished strong against Chattanooga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Do it all. Um Obviously a lot of storylines with this game and the teams that were here, you guys took care of business. You guys did a job to go into that. Yeah, just knowing that it's win or go home. Uh We couldn't overlook anybody, couldn't underestimate anybody because if anybody is playing right now, it's because they have a reason to, uh I feel like we definitely have to play better because we're not gonna win many games playing the way we did. Um We were fortunate enough to get through this with us, so we'll enjoy it for just that we just knew that they were three point shooters. We knew we had to run them off the line, find the shooters early in transition. I think we did a pretty solid job with that, but we did not execute what we need to do on offense as far as exploiting their size. You know, they were smaller. Uh We're bigger, we need to get the ball inside, but we were struggling to do that. So it's, I feel like it's gonna be opposite with Tennessee. They're bigger down there. So maybe we're gonna have to be able to be ready to hit some shots. So we'll see how it goes though. I know confidence is always high and you're always ready, but to hit the amount of threes that you as I did in that 44 is that just something that makes you feel a little better going into the next game, a three ball going in always feels good. So hopefully me and the rest of my team can go in and make some fall next game. Um, I haven't been shooting the ball too well since the tournament from three. So it gave me some confidence to be able to hit two tonight. So, so pretty good when you have a point win like that, it's like a margin that you guys did. You look like you've had a lot of like every time you pull one of those turn around it was shot. Hey, it looks good to me. I feel like it's just a size advantage, you know, I'm a little bigger, I can shoot that over these smaller guards, so it felt good and I'm just gonna keep shooting them if they give them to me, what do you know much time on them? Yeah. Uh, they're, they're big, like I said, uh, we have to be ready for those trees down there, be ready to knock down some shots, uh, be ready to guard them. Um It's gonna be exciting. I think we match up with them very Well, and I can't wait for Monday. Wow, she's confident. I love her to death. She's not scared at all when she goes out there, sometimes she gets slowed down on herself. I didn't see that much tonight. So it makes me feel good going in to 10, going to play Tennessee. So hopefully she just gonna used to be that senior we need. So, yeah, he, he was upset because we put our name on the um board without him. But we say, you know, when we win on Monday, you can, you can put it down there yourself. So, um but no, he, he's not the happiest with the outcome of the game, but he is happy that we of course, won. So we'll enjoy it for now, watch some film tonight and be ready for Monday. One last question. When you look around, you're playing in, in the mode and see a pack at you. You obviously you're seeing all the, the bling and the hype around all the sports. It's gotta feel good knowing that that women's sports, especially basketball and the NCAA tour. It's only growing. How does knowing that your, your brands, it feels really good. Um Even if it's not us in particularly getting all the shine just seeing like Caitlin Clark's in Jui Watkins, uh Hidalgo, just these freshmen big names even, you know, making a voice for us. It just, it just, it feels amazing. I love seeing women get the recognition that they deserve. Um So this is great and it's only gonna grow from here. It kind of give you hope for the future. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's only gonna get better for sure. Thank you guys. Uh There was uh in the second half at one point and II I know, I know there was a big sign on you allowed. I think it was 30 points over like a five minute mark, your defense. Thank you. I don't know that. What got me smiling was as soon as I saw it, I was like, 00, because you know, everybody wants me to just dunk it so bad. So it made me smile and I got the straight. They didn't even know anybody was coming up behind me. But I don't know, my defense has been working pretty well this season. I feel like they reversed the ball a lot tonight. I feel like I could have had two times more stills than I had, but I just have to keep emphasizing that because I feel like I can get in those passing lanes pretty good. So.