Arkansas Razorbacks Tahlia Scott (24 points) and Maryam Dauda (13 points, 4 blocks) after win over Incarnate Word on Sunday at Bud Walton Arena.
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00:00 - First of all, just either of you,
00:03 it was kind of, kind of seemed like a game
00:05 y'all were shaking off maybe a little bit of rest.
00:07 Did it feel like that?
00:09 - Yeah, it did.
00:10 Having seven days off was just,
00:12 and then coming back just felt a little different.
00:15 We just needed to get our group back
00:16 and right when we got it, we just kept the flow going.
00:20 - Yeah, it was a little,
00:21 it was a little rusty in the first half,
00:23 but I feel like in the second half,
00:24 we really came back and we started playing
00:26 how we were playing back in Florida before break.
00:29 And so I feel like that's a good look,
00:30 especially going into Kentucky.
00:32 I think we'll be right back, ready to go.
00:34 - Miriam, in that second half,
00:35 you know, whenever y'all started pulling away,
00:37 you were really getting involved,
00:38 feeding you down low.
00:39 I think you had a couple and ones.
00:41 Just how good is it for you?
00:44 Like whenever guards are finding you like that?
00:47 - It's my job, very easy.
00:48 Just having guards that like get their shots,
00:50 but also look for me on the inside
00:52 and just making sure that they give me the ball
00:54 right when I need it and just finishing plays.
00:58 - We haven't talked to you since, you know,
01:00 you had your buzzer beater at Illinois.
01:01 Just, I guess, where's the confidence at right now?
01:04 - It's very high, like going into conference play,
01:07 because that just showed how well we can play as a team
01:10 and how well we trust each other on and off the ball
01:13 and just finishing plays and finishing games
01:15 and just playing as a team.
01:17 - And Salia, it feels like 20 point games for you
01:21 are almost just like, they just happen all the time.
01:23 I think it was your 10th, that's what Kylie said.
01:25 Just, you know, what was working for you tonight?
01:28 What were you kind of seeing out there
01:30 to lead to this scoring performance?
01:32 - Yeah, in the beginning, some of my threes were falling.
01:35 Just being able to get to my spots
01:36 and I have teammates that really look for me
01:39 and get me easy shots, you know?
01:41 And then just pushing in transition,
01:43 scoring in transition, scoring when the defense
01:45 isn't set up yet, that makes it so much easier.
01:48 My ability to get to the basket
01:50 when defenses aren't set up is crazy.
01:52 You can't stop it.
01:53 And so just being able to play free,
01:57 that's really what's been working for me.
01:59 - For both of you, how important was it?
02:02 You obviously, you had the seven day stretch off,
02:04 but now going into conference play,
02:06 you've mentioned it a couple of times.
02:07 How important was it to come out here
02:09 and just kind of get a clean win
02:10 and go into Thursday's matchup with Kentucky?
02:13 - Yeah, it's just knocking off the rust
02:15 so that we don't have the first half
02:17 that we did against Kentucky, against the conference team.
02:20 And so having this game,
02:21 it was able to just get back in our groove
02:23 off of the seven days that we had,
02:24 'cause apparently that's been like
02:25 one of the longest breaks that we've had.
02:27 And so, yeah, just knocking off the rust,
02:29 getting back playing together as a team,
02:31 getting back feeling one another out,
02:33 and then getting ready for conference play.
02:35 We're excited, we're ready.
02:36 - Adding on to what Taliyah said,
02:40 just going into conference play confident,
02:42 playing hard, and just playing as a team.
02:45 - And then Taliyah, you obviously,
02:47 you haven't gone through SEC play.
02:49 How excited are you to get into the conference slate
02:51 and kind of go through that multiple times a week?
02:54 - Yeah, I'm excited.
02:55 This is what I've been waiting for,
02:56 being able to play in the best conference.
02:58 That's what I came here to be able to do.
03:00 And so being able to play against the LSUs,
03:02 the South Carolinas, the Tennessees,
03:03 like I'm excited to see where I match up
03:05 and how I match up against their guard play,
03:07 and then how we match up as a team.
03:08 And I feel like we have a chance
03:09 to be really, really good this year in conference.
03:13 - And then Miriam, you obviously
03:14 have been through conference play.
03:16 Going into that now, you're through half of the season.
03:18 How do you kind of evaluate where you guys are,
03:21 obviously, knowing the real season
03:22 kind of starts on Thursday?
03:23 - I think starting conference is like a clean slate,
03:26 and just working on doing the stuff
03:28 that we've worked on as a team,
03:30 and just perfecting that going into conference,
03:32 and just working hard, and just doing the little things
03:35 that get us all the wins that we've had
03:38 in the past few weeks,
03:39 and just making sure we're ready for the SEC.
03:42 - What's it like having a sailor who,
03:46 I think, was it 19?
03:48 19 rebounds.
03:49 What's it like having her just,
03:51 you know, it seems like it's commonplace for her?
03:53 - It makes our job very, very easy.
03:56 And it wasn't talked about a lot,
03:59 but the Illinois game, she had a huge defensive rebound,
04:02 and that's how she gave an outlet pass to Sam,
04:05 and that's how we got the last second shot.
04:08 And it just makes everybody's job easier
04:10 having somebody in there that you could trust
04:13 to rebound all the time,
04:14 and just making sure she has the ball in her hands,
04:17 and she fights to get the rebound every time.
04:19 So.
04:20 - Yeah, and then like, especially like for me as a guard,
04:23 it makes the guards,
04:24 like we don't have to get as many rebounds,
04:25 like that we have, okay.
04:27 We don't have to get as many rebounds
04:29 to be able to win games.
04:31 Like, for example, like,
04:33 we don't each have to get six, seven rebounds
04:34 for us to be able to win.
04:36 We can get four or five, and we'll still be good,
04:38 because she's going to get 20 rebounds a game.
04:40 And it makes us being able to play in transition
04:43 a lot easier.
04:44 She gets rebound, we kick it up the floor,
04:46 and we're into our offense that much faster.
04:49 And we don't have to dribble it three, four extra times
04:51 to get to half court and then run set.
04:53 So, she just makes the game so much easier, so much faster.
04:56 And we really, we really need her.
04:59 - All right, give me your best New Year's resolutions.
05:02 - Go ahead.
05:03 - Don't really have one yet,
05:08 but I would say,
05:12 I will pick a show on Netflix
05:14 and actually watch the whole series.
05:16 - Pick a show?
05:17 - Yes.
05:18 Because I can never do that.
05:20 So, I will do that.
05:21 That's my New Year's resolution.
05:23 - I don't know if this is bad or not,
05:26 but like spending less money unnecessarily.
05:30 'Cause like, I just feel like, oh, I say this,
05:32 and I'm like, yeah, I'll get it.
05:34 Doesn't matter.
05:35 And then it's just sitting in my closet
05:36 and never wearing it.
05:37 Spending less money, I would say.
05:42 So.