Coach Aaron Johnston's quotes vs. Northern Iowa

Opening statement
I thought defensively we played well the whole game, but the second half we had some players go out and make some good plays. Obviously Kristin (Rotert) I though had a really good game the second half after really having a quiet first half with just two points. In the second half she was much more assertive and kind of got herself involved in what was going on. She rebounded the ball better. I was also really pleased with Leah (Dietal). I thought Leah had a great game. She was just really under control and poised. Defensively played well, rebounded really well for us. Those two I though were a big difference in the second half with their energy and the things that got done. I'm really proud of them and it's a good win.

Kristin Rotert's role as a go-to player
I think we can do it how ever we have to. We've done it both ways, by committee and by a go-to player. If it's going to be by committee, within each game someone going to have to step up and make plays. It can't be my choice or the other teams choice. Somebody's got to go and really assert themselves and Kristin did that in the second half. We really didn't do anything differently. We ran the same offense and a couple of the same sets, but she just had a different approach to how she was going to play. That's really what being a go to player is all about and if you have the same person do it all the time, that's fine. But if you have other people do it, I think that's fine. Those players have to really take it upon themselves to make plays. Offense is offense. Whether we do some different things then UNI, it still comes down to individual players really make plays and Kristin made a lot of them in the second half.

She did a real good job posting up. I thought that she did a good job of putting on the floor at times. She's just very versatile. When Kristin is a good player, she does more than just stand on the three point line. She also tried to rebound a little bit better. That's something we need Kristin to do as well. In the first half, she was just kind of floating around waiting for people to penetrate and creating and waiting to make three. In the second half, she was the one that was getting us started. That's true for all of our players. It seems like right now offensively, we have people that kind of wait for that go to player to do something and they all need to look at themselves as go to players.

Sense urgency that someone need to step up
I think they all do. I don't think Kristin's got the market cornered on that at all. I think you have a team that is very urgent. I think Maria (Boever) showed urgency. Her results didn't come out the way she wanted, but it wasn't necessarily from lack of effort or aggressiveness. I thought Ketty (Cornemann) showed urgency. She didn't necessarily create offensively, but she rebounded the ball a lot better than she has.

Starting league play a home coming off a two game losing steak
We wanted to play better because we think we can play better. Coming off of a couple of pretty good games at Utah and at Iowa and not finding ways to win was disappointing. We want to play better because of that. We feel that we can be a better team and now we will have a chance to be a better team when we play Centenary and Oral Roberts this weekend. We are excited to be in the Summit League and are excited to see what we can do.

Non-conference schedule
I think we are really prepared. The one thing that we have to still do is win more close and I think there will be some of those in this years Summit League. Sometimes when you are winning, you learn how to win because of it. Sometimes when you are not making those plays that can stick with you a little bit. Competition has prepared us. We have seen the different styles that will help us. We have seen different levels of athleticism, so I think we are very prepared. But now we just need to learn how to we close games, because we have lost a few quite a few of them. Every game that we have lost this year we have either had leads or been in it with a short period of time in the second half. Now we just need to learn how to win those. Last year in our non-conference schedule we didn't play that much better. We just won a lot of those close games. I know it's hard for people to compare last year to this year and they say there's a big difference. The difference is really small. Last year we won a lot of close games and this year we haven't.

Low attendance
Weather isn't great right now. It's hard to ask people to drive five hours when you are going through blizzard conditions. We've only had four home games. We played Gonzaga, which was a good night and a good team. We had a great crowd then. I'm not disappointed in that. You always want to have more fans because they are a big part of it. I get a sense that the people like the doubleheaders that are coming up. I think that's really going to be a big event for us. We'll have a North Dakota State game and a USD game. Some of our bigger games just haven't happened yet. Last year it was a little different with big games right away. We had Wisconsin, Oregon and Utah at our place. We haven't had, in my opinion, quite that name value coming to Frost Arena yet.

Target on your back winning two conference titles in a row
I think so. I don't know if it's a target, but I think people are getting tired of South Dakota State. I would. We went through it years ago in the old NCC with a couple of teams that won all the time and you just get tired of it. You build up a little more toughness to take those people down. When you are up there sometimes you build up a little complacency. I am sure it's going to be a different year. I really do. I'll be fun too and I look forward to that.

Physical game
That's probably our style. It seems like everyone asks me that after we get done playing.

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Kristin Rotert

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 6 Washington on March 20, 2026 , Loss , 54, to, 72

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus -/RV No. 1 North Dakota State on March 8, 2026 , Win , 64, to, 51

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 3 South Dakota on March 7, 2026 , Win , 74, to, 59

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 7 Kansas City on March 5, 2026 , Win , 75, to, 61

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus South Dakota on February 28, 2026 , Win , 82, to, 49

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at -/RV North Dakota State on February 25, 2026 , Win , 59, to, 44

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