Kamora Pruitt and Qadence Samuels spoke after the win over Liberty about playing a full game without Zoe Brooks, trusting the process, and the freshmen stepping up when the Pack needed it. Pruitt talked through the threes she hit in the fourth quarter and the adjustment to the college game, while Samuels broke down the defensive effort that turned the second half and why the group never let their heads drop.

Full video and transcript below.

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Question: What was the key to closing it out?

Samuels: I would just say continue playing hard even though they were playing good. Just competing and playing hard. That’s the key to everything.

Pruitt: I just say trusting the coach’s plan, sticking to what we work on at practice, and trusting each other. That’s what helped us get through that.

Question: Did it take a bit to find an identity without Zoe in there? You had to play a whole game without her today.

Samuels: I’d definitely say it wouldn’t make a difference because we also have other people coming in that can show up. Even though we have one of our best players out, we still need to play our game. She’s definitely a big part of the team, but we have other people who were willing to step up into their roles. Playing without her is tough, but we were willing to step up.

Question: You were willing to step up and shoot three-pointers in the fourth quarter. You made three. On one hand you’re probably excited, but you still have to go in and play the floor game. How do you handle that situation as it developed?

Pruitt: My teammates just found me in the right spot. I just stayed in rhythm and let the game come to me.

Question: How much does a performance like that in the fourth quarter help with your confidence as you’re getting into the college game?

Pruitt: It definitely helped with my confidence seeing the ball go through the net. My teammates trusted me to knock down those shots, so that helped a lot too.

Question: What’s the jump from high school to college been like for you so far?

Pruitt: From high school to college it’s faster-paced games. Just adjusting to that over practices and scrimmages. That’s the biggest difference for me.

Question: Would you like to see Kamora knock down some threes and help lift you guys on the offensive end?

Samuels: I feel like everybody trusts her three and her confidence coming in. When she comes in I’m like, oh yeah, we’re already about to get started. Just her shooting threes—you always got to look for her because she is a shooter.

Question: As Liberty was giving y’all a game, were you ever flustered? How did you approach that?

Samuels: I never let my head down. I would always have positive thoughts and just keep playing hard, keep getting rebounds, keep defending the ball, and keep helping our team win by making the right plays.

Question: With that 23-0 run at the end, did you guys change anything on defense to stop them from scoring, or was it just the game flow?

Samuels: I would definitely say the game flow. They barely hit anything in the second half from defense. We changed a little bit, but not really that much. I think we just played hard defensively.

Question: You had a background in Texas, but you insisted on St. Louis being in your bio. Explain that.

Samuels: I grew up in St. Louis. I’m from St. Louis, so that’s where I grew up. Then I moved to Texas in 2020. I’m from St. Louis, so that’s all I put in my bio.

Question: You used to have allegiance to St. Louis?

Samuels: Yes.

Question: Is basketball tough in St. Louis? Was it good?

Samuels: Yeah, there’s some good talent out there in St. Louis, so basketball’s good. Yeah.