The RoundHouse | 12/16/2020 2:37:00 PM

 
Isaac Brown scrolled through his phone on Tuesday night to read messages from coaches and friends, giving him props for a win at Tulsa.
 
One stood out, words from his old friend Rob Evans. Evans, a former head coach at Arizona State and Mississippi, worked with Brown at Arkansas and they remain close. Evans complimented Wichita State's unselfish play and more.
 
"He said, 'Man, I like the way your team is playing. Most important thing, I saw a lot of energy from your bench during the highlights,'" Brown said. "After the game, the first thing I told them . . .  I'm just so proud of the energy on the bench. Guys were cheering for their teammates. It wasn't about them. It was about the team."
 
The Shockers (2-2) never trailed, built a 17-point lead in the first half and held on for a 69-65 win at Reynolds Center to start American Athletic Conference play. Tulsa (1-3) postponed two games last week due to COVID-19 protocols and played for the first time since Dec. 4.
 
Wichita State, after playing and practicing short-handed for its first two games, is in something close to a normal practice routine. The consistent work with a full or nearly full roster showed up at Tulsa in many ways.
 
The Shockers committed nine turnovers. They limited Tulsa to four fast-break points, a problem in losses to Missouri and Oklahoma State. They won the rebounding battle for the first time. They made 10 of 26 three-pointers (38.5 percent). 
 
"It gives you confidence as team, knowing that when you do the little things right . . . I'm so proud of how we got back in transition," Brown said. "Once it gets in the half court, we've been a pretty good defensive team. We took better shots. We shared the ball. Now, they know what it takes to win."
 
Wichita State enjoyed its most complete contributions from the roster this season. The bench scored a season-high 33 points, led by 13 from freshman Ricky Council IV and 10 from Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler. 
 
Leading scorer Tyson Etienne took five shots and scored four points. Foul trouble limited starting center Morris Udeze to 10 minutes. Plenty of other Shockers stepped in, including guard Craig Porter Jr., with five assists and a three-pointer that beat the shot clock for a 66-58 lead with 3:40 to play.
 
"We're getting all our pieces back together," Porter said. "Everything is coming together."
 
With the Shockers able to practice with a full team, Brown can make demands needed to get the most out of a session. Turnovers and missed box-outs are penalized by sprints. Substitutes are available when needed. Practicing 4-on-4 made it difficult to work on plays. 

The Shockers played NCAA Division II Emporia State (3-0) on Friday (6 p.m. ESPN plus). On Tuesday, they travel to USF (6 p.m. ESPN plus).
 
"The biggest benefit is we can now hold guys accountable," Brown said. "When we had eight guys on the roster – If I got mad at somebody for turning the ball over or not rebounding, I couldn't take them out of practice. Guys are held accountable now."
 
A road win – over a team that went 21-10 and shared the conference title with Cincinnati and Houston last season – shows that practices help and video review and scouting reports work.
 
"These road games count, really, as two," Shockers guard Alterique Gilbert said. "To get the win, it's a great team feeling."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.