Arkansas Razorbacks players Karley Johnson and Makayla Daniels recapping big win over the Kentucky Wildcats' on Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
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00:00 >> The goal for the year was just to do whatever the team needed you to do and
00:03 then tonight you got called on to start and career high.
00:06 Just how did you get yourself ready for this moment?
00:09 >> I think it was the confidence from my teammates that helped me out the most.
00:15 I was struggling a little bit on offense, so I just focused on my defense.
00:19 But they told me anytime I'm open, I need to shoot that shot and
00:22 get mad at me, so it ended up helping me.
00:25 >> And then Mikayla, coach has said all year that this is your team.
00:29 Whenever you go into a game where y'all are under,
00:32 y'all don't have two of your best players, just how much responsibility,
00:36 I guess, did you take to make sure that things still went well?
00:39 >> I think it's just kind of something that's unspoken.
00:41 Me and Abe don't ever have a conversation.
00:43 It's kind of like, I just know that's what I have to do in order for
00:46 us to just get off to a good start.
00:47 That was a big emphasis because in SC we have not gone off to good starts and
00:51 tonight that was our main goal, to get off to a good start.
00:52 I think we did that.
00:54 And so now the goal is to let that carry out throughout the whole game,
00:57 try to make the game as perfect as possible.
00:58 >> Yeah, it was kind of ironic.
01:00 I mean, y'all fell down at LSU 18-0.
01:02 You look up tonight, y'all are up 18-0.
01:04 Just what do you think kind of sparked that sort of start?
01:08 >> I think the guards really focused on making the first contact on our drives.
01:12 When we were at Kentucky, a lot of the times we were getting ran off our line and
01:16 we were getting frustrated thinking we were getting fouled.
01:18 And then of course we watched the film back and we're like, okay,
01:20 it's not a foul, we were just being a little soft.
01:22 But today that was a really big focus,
01:24 like take that extra dribble and make the first contact with them.
01:27 >> Anything on the hot start, what you thought went well?
01:30 >> I think it was just coming out with a different mindset this game.
01:34 Starting off harder and then seeing it through the rest of the game.
01:40 >> [LAUGH] >> Sorry.
01:43 >> She had a lot of rebounds, but it was a long time before she scored.
01:47 Who gets the credit for defense on her?
01:49 >> Who?
01:52 >> Yeah, which of the- >> No, who's he talking about?
01:55 >> On Petty.
01:57 >> Mariam, of course, and Emory came in and when she came in, she gave her a good look.
02:01 So I think both of them did a really good job.
02:04 They didn't really need a lot of the guards help to come dig off her.
02:06 They played her straight up and they did pretty well on her.
02:08 >> [COUGH] >> Yeah,
02:13 you all hung in there pretty well on the boards despite not having Sailor.
02:17 I guess kind of what went into that in practice once you all knew that
02:20 Sailor wasn't gonna be available tonight?
02:22 >> I think it's just like not one person's gonna get as many rebounds as Sailor.
02:26 So kind of just spreading it out within the guard.
02:28 So you gotta get one or two extra this game just because we're missing
02:32 all of Sailor's 20 plus boards that she gets each night.
02:34 >> And then Carly, does this kind of give you confidence moving forward,
02:38 whatever your role may be, whoever's available?
02:41 >> I definitely think it has.
02:43 As I'm earning more time and having my teammates trust me more,
02:48 I definitely think it's giving me more confidence.
02:50 >> [COUGH] >> You all forced 21 turnovers tonight.
02:54 Just how impressed were you with the defense?
02:57 What was kind of the key to that?
02:58 How did you all kind of get under their skin a little bit?
03:01 >> Again, back to the film, I think we watched the game and
03:04 realized a lot of times we weren't in our gaps.
03:06 We weren't on our defensive assignments.
03:07 We weren't guarding the ball.
03:08 And we had some times where we didn't guard the ball today, but
03:10 it was the next man in rotation that was there.
03:12 And I think that made a big difference.
03:13 And I don't really think Kentucky was expecting us to do that because the past
03:16 game we did not do that.
03:18 >> I know it's a next woman up mentality, but
03:20 is there any added confidence from this kind of performance without Taliyah and
03:24 Saylor tonight?
03:25 >> Definitely, because let's say Taliyah, when they come back, Taliyah or
03:28 Saylor gets in foul trouble, we know we can depend on Carly or
03:32 Jenna or Emory to step up and come in.
03:35 >> Carly, I saw a lot of hugs when you checked out, got a curtain call.
03:38 What was that moment like just after the game?
03:40 It was all over being able to soak it in.
03:43 >> It was amazing.
03:45 I feel like I haven't had that moment yet in college, and
03:47 I think tonight it finally happened.
03:49 And my coaches and my teammates and my family all being here, it's really special.
03:55 >> You're about to cry.
03:57 >> Mikaela, kind of a random question, but you and Saylor are both from Maryland,
04:01 obviously, Angel, who you all just played from Baltimore and Asia is too.
04:05 Just what do you think about what your home state is kind of doing in the women's
04:08 college basketball world right now?
04:10 >> I also think Anaya Russell's from Maryland too.
04:12 But I think it's kind of cool just seeing people that you played against in high
04:16 school, middle school, on this big stage.
04:18 And all of our dreams are coming true.
04:19 So it's really cool to see their progress from then when we were playing an AAU
04:23 tournament to get to each other until now.
04:25 >> You all probably had a little bit of a quicker starting lineup tonight.
04:29 Did the coaches talk beforehand about how to take advantage of that?
04:32 >> No, not really.
04:34 I mean, we've played with certain lineups.
04:37 In practice, we've tried different lineups.
04:39 And we knew me and Sam would be taking the ball out to each other.
04:42 So we knew we could get it out quick and kind of put pressure on them in transition.
04:46 - Thank you.
04:47 - Okay, thank you everyone.