Jennie Baranczyk spoke to the media following the team’s 93-75 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. Here’s everything she had to say…

Jennie Baranczyk spoke to the media following the team’s 93-75 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. Here’s everything she had to say…

 

Following the team’s 93-75 loss to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday, head coach Jennie Baranczyk spoke to the media about the performance, the challenges the team faced, and the lessons learned from the hard-fought game. Here’s everything she had to say.

 

Baranczyk opened the press conference by acknowledging the competitive nature of the matchup and praising South Carolina’s performance throughout the game. “South Carolina is an incredibly talented team. They’re the defending national champions, and they showed why today. We knew it would be a tough contest, but I’m really proud of how our team battled,” she said.

 

The game was a high-scoring affair, with South Carolina dominating much of the second half, outscoring Baranczyk’s squad 52-34 after the break. While Baranczyk recognized the challenges her team faced defensively, she also highlighted the positives in their offensive execution. “We scored 75 points, and we had stretches where our offense looked really good. We were able to move the ball well, create opportunities, and make shots, especially early on. But at the end of the day, we didn’t do enough to slow them down,” she explained.

 

When asked about South Carolina’s dominant inside presence, particularly from star player Aliyah Bostony, Baranczyk didn’t shy away from the challenge posed by the Gamecocks’ physicality. “Aliyah Boston is one of the best players in the country, and we knew we had to find ways to slow her down. It wasn’t just about her, though—South Carolina as a whole is a team that is hard to match up with. Their size and depth create problems, and we just weren’t able to get the stops we needed when it mattered,” Baranczyk noted.

 

Despite the loss, Baranczyk remained optimistic about her team’s future, particularly with the upcoming NCAA Tournament on the horizon. “This is just one game. We’re disappointed, no doubt, but we’ve got a lot of basketball left to play. The focus now is on learning from this experience, recovering, and getting ready for the next challenge,” she said.

 

The coach also took a moment to reflect on the growth of her team over the course of the season, noting how much the squad had evolved since the beginning of the year. “We’ve come a long way. We’ve faced a lot of adversity, and we’ve fought through it together. This team has a lot of character, and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. We’ve shown resilience, and we’ll continue to build on that,” Baranczyk added.

 

Looking ahead, Baranczyk emphasized the importance of mental and physical recovery before the NCAA Tournament. “We’ve got to refocus, get some rest, and prepare for what’s ahead. The most important thing right now is taking care of our bodies and our minds so we can perform at our best when it matters most,” she said.

 

In closing, Baranczyk expressed gratitude for the support of the fans and the continued growth of the program. “We’ve got a great group of players who are committed to the process. We’ve seen a lot of progress, and I’m excited for what’s to come. We’ll keep pushing forward.”

 

While the loss was a tough one, Baranczyk’s words reflected a team determined to learn from their experience and remain focused on the larger goal ahead. With the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, her squad will look to use the lessons from this defeat to fuel their postseason run.