The RoundHouse | 11/13/2021 6:36:00 PM

 
 
Qua Grant went to school on Wichita State's opener against Jacksonville State. He watched himself rush at times and at other times hesitate.
 
That's not Qua Grant.
 
On Saturday, the Shockers needed a better version of Grant – one that uses his quickness and touch to break down defenses and score. He delivered with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes to help Wichita State hold off South Alabama 64-58 at Koch Arena.
 
"I saw Qua being Qua out there," said teammate Ricky Council IV. "He was attacking the basket. Finishing and penetrating. That opened everything up for us."
 
The Jaguars (1-1) led by six points early in the second half and led 56-54 with 4:53 remaining. They pushed the Shockers (2-0) with an aggressive, scrambling defense that disrupted Wichita State's rhythm by trapping on ball screens, harassing dribblers and blocking shots.
 
Grant, on a day veterans Tyson Etienne, Dexter Dennis and Morris Udeze combined to shoot 5 of 26 from the field, figured out the Jaguars put a lot of hope on their initial gambit to force turnovers. Grant beat the first line of defense, often found open space, and got to the basket often enough to play a big role.
 
 

No you did not Craig 🤯

Chase-down block on one end, assist on the other for @craigporter0!

📺: https://t.co/oMzeqGkXDJ @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/QOAqow7Lxr

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 13, 2021

"He came in and gave us a spark in transition," Wichita State coach Isaac Brown said. "He got to the rim a couple times. He got some other guys some extra shots."
 
Grant, a transfer from West Texas A&M, made 4 of 8 shots, two from three-point range and two layups. In the opener against Jacksonville State, Grant scored two points and missed 4 of 5 shots.
 
"(Jacksonville State) was more together on defense – they were more fundamentally sound," Grant said. "(South Alabama) had a lot of talented guys, but they weren't as disciplined (on defense). Very talented. Very athletic."
 
Video worked help Grant make adjustments after the opener. He committed two turnovers against Jacksonville State. South Alabama tried to get him frazzled to force some more. Grant made the right decisions on Saturday, which often meant letting the Jaguars take themselves out of defensive position with their pursuit.
 
"Learning from my mistakes," he said. "I was getting sped up. They want to speed you up; make you make mistakes. You want to keep composure."
 
Teammates see that Grant in practice.
 
"You can't stay in front of him," Monzy Jackson said. "When he drives, man, he gets so low. I tell him every day 'Be you, be the best you.'"
 
With Etienne, Dennis and Udeze out of sorts offensively, several Shockers had to step up. Council started for Etienne, who was ill on Friday, and scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Jackson scored five points and grabbed three rebounds in 13 minutes, again boosting the Shockers with his energetic play.
 
 

Degree of difficulty: not high enough, apparently

Big-time shot for @Rickythe4th!

📺: https://t.co/oMzeqGkXDJ @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/ZekLJVX4kd

— Wichita State Men's Basketball (@GoShockersMBB) November 13, 2021

Dennis blocked three shots and made three steals. His hustling tip-in of a miss by Council gave the Shockers a 61-56 lead. Udeze grabbed 12 rebounds.
 
While the Shockers can't continue to survive with their three leaders struggling to score, Saturday did showcase depth. Brown was able to keep trying Shockers and found the ones – such as Council and Grant - who could contribute. While the Jaguars tired, the Shockers had plenty of zip in their legs late in the game.
 
A switch to a zone defense with around eight minutes to play slowed South Alabama's drives to the basket. The Shockers trailed 51-49 when they started mixing in a zone. The defense took away Jaguars forward Javon Franklin, who had been feasting on isolation plays and putbacks. He scored 18 points, but only two in the final eight minutes.
 
With the zone knocking the Jaguars off course, Wichita State ended the game on a 16-7 run.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.