POSTGAME QUOTE SHEET:
WICHITA STATE 68, #6 HOUSTON 63
Feb. 18, 2021 | WICHITA, KAN. | CHARLES KOCH ARENA (2,625)
ISAAC BROWN, DEXTER DENNIS, TYSON ETIENNE, ALTERIQUE GILBERT
 

---

Head Coach ISSAC BROWN on…
 
Opening Statement:
"I'm just so proud of these guys. You know, when everything when I first got this job, we told these kids, just trust us and we're going to give them 110% every day, and all those guys trust the process. And they just basically stepped up and just been doing tremendous on the court off the court, and in the classroom. Houston, good basketball team, we got off to a slow start. They were really defending at a high level; they started the game with two offensive rebounds. And I think we made two substitutions really quick, because we told them before the game started, this is going to be a hit game. When the ball is up in the air, you got to find someone to touch. So, I thought we did a great job. On the glass, we out rebounded them, and we were equal in offensive rebounds, we were able to cut it to two or three points at the half, we're down 12. And the guys just kept battling. In the second half, I felt like we're starting to execute a little bit, we started to get some drives to the basket, we started to get out in transition. And at the end of the game, those guys stepped up, got some stops, made some free throws, and we were able to put it up."
 
… Winning the rebound battle:
"I'm just so excited about that. They met the challenge. You know, coming into the game, that's all we talked about. They're gonna make some shots, we gonna make some shots. We gonna miss, they're gonna miss. But this game is gonna come down to three keys: rebound, rebound, rebound. Every time the ball is up in the air, you got to find someone to touch, and I thought those guys did a great job of going to make contact. Even if we didn't get the rebound, the ref had to call the foul. And once that happened, it equaled everything out and we were able to rebound with those guys."
 
… What he saw from the team after a not-so-great first 10 minutes:
"You know what I thought about it today and I talked about it before the game with the staff that at some point in the game there's gonna to be some adversity and I just got to try to keep my cool. I can get excited out there at times, we get down 10 to 12, you know I saw yelling. But tonight, I just want to keep my cool, tell those guys to keep battling. And in the huddle again and that leadership from Dexter Dennis, Tyson Etienne. All those guys. Morris Udeze. All those guys came together, they kept battling, they kept chipping away, and we were able to cut it from 12 to about two or three points at the half. In the second half, you know we played Shocker basketball. We were able to get out in transition, get some easy baskets, and we ran a couple sets to get certain guys the ball."
 
… Dexter Dennis' steal near the end of the game:
"Wow, big time play. I thought overall it was a total team effort. But that play right there sealed the deal for the win. He did that same exact thing down in Houston. They were bringing it up in the first half and they threw it away and he grabbed it, went and dunked it the same exact play. He does it a lot in practice. He has good anticipation, he can get steals, and I just thought that was a veteran play and that sealed the deal. So proud of him."
 
… Pulling off this big win while fighting through the adversity this year has brought:
"You know what, yeah, it was a lot of adversity when the season started. And like I said, our first meeting with the team, our staff, we talked about you guys just got to trust us. We're gonna give you 110% every night, we can't let anybody in our circle. And you know, we started the season out slow. We started 1-2 and I tell people this, those first two games, we played with eight players. So, we didn't make any excuses in the end. Those guys kept battling. They kept getting better. They kept believing, and they just trust us. We trust them and they trust our staff."
 
… Their position on the NCAA bubble:
"I've always thought this is a three-bid league. I think the top three teams in this league should get in the tournament every year. I mean, I think this is a really good basketball league, you know, a lot of rich traditions here. You know, Memphis is a good team, SMU us, you know, Tulsa, all those teams got good basketball teams. But I think this does put us in position to get there. But we still got to take it one game at a time. It's still a long season, and not sure how many games we will make up. But we got two tough games coming up, you know, back-to-back with SMU."
 
… The improvements Alterique Gilbert has made during the season:
"I would say he's putting in the work. You know, he got off to a slow start. He wasn't shooting it great. But he was still able to run our team. But after practice every day, he gets up 200-300 shots. And those shots that he's getting up now, he's starting to make them in the game. But he's just become a leader on the floor, in the locker room, you know, in the weight room, his leadership is really starting to stand out."
 
… What it's like to play Houston:
"You know what it takes such a good effort that I'm gonna give them the day off. Those guys, when you play Houston, they just keep coming at you, coming at you, coming at you. Hitting you, hitting you, hitting you. So, it takes a lot out of you. It's hard to score because on offense, you know, when you're trying to score, you just had to box those guys out there constantly going to the glass, they pushed it in transition, they got a big, physical basketball team. And that's why we had to go to our bench early. We wanted to keep those guys fresh. And I thought we're doing a good job of making sure that we sub guys in and we played nine to 10 guys."
 

---

 
Junior guard DEXTER DENNIS on…
 
… The difference between the first 10 minutes and the rest of the game:
"We weren't really playing well. And they were so they were capitalizing on things and we weren't really being smart I'd say. But that wasn't our best basketball. We knew eventually, we were going to start playing the way we normally play."
 
… His steal at the end of the game:
"Kind of just hiding a little bit, hide behind somebody, something like that. I know he really didn't see me. So, once he kind of picked it up I was watching Grimes (Houston guard Quintin Grimes.) So, once it left his hand I just took off."
 
"He (Houston guard Quintin Grimes) had just hit a tough backboard three. That's kind of weird, like I think every other game somebody hits a backboard three on me. It's like super crazy. But anyway. No, I knew he was calling for, I seen his hands. He was calling for it. And dude was like dribbling it and he was looking at him, but he didn't see me. So, once it released his hands, I just ran to the ball."
 
… What it means to outrebound Houston:
"I think he (Coach Brown) sells that we can do it. A lot of games we played in we really didn't rebound. And it looked like we're almost weren't trying. So now you know that we have done it, I think now is just doing it every game no matter who we play. We just have to rebound. It has to be stressed every game."
 
… The locker room environment after the win:
"It was very, very crazy man. The staff was really just proud of us, the way we battled. Like I said the first, the first half for a minute, we weren't really playing well. And, you know, just this year, all the things we've been, and losing them six straight times, you know, it just felt great in there man. Just a sense of relief almost, you know.  You don't really want to let people just beat up on all the time, but we still have a lot of work to do. I think now, people will start to appreciate this league a little more, appreciate us maybe."
 
… Their position on the NCAA bubble:
"Like any social media stuff going on with the team out there, I just hear my teammates talking about it. Sometimes it's kind of weird to hear, but I think this is slept on conference, I think we have a lot of good things in this conference next compete with almost anybody so awesome. And we just, we're still locked down, we still got a lot of people to prove wrong."
 
… Matching Houston's intensity:
"You have to match their intensity, if not overtaking, because if you don't, you're just gonna get embarrassed. And that's something they've been doing. That's their culture. That's what they've been doing. But also, that was a part of our culture, too. You know, what coaches built here over the years is just playing angry, you know, that monsters is made this program that we're trying to get back to that still. They play extremely, extremely hard, every time every possession."
 

---

Sophomore guard TYSON ETIENNE on…

… Taking over first place in the American Conference:
"To be honest with you I've been overcome with you know emotions, and I try to keep my emotions in check so it's kind of hard to even put into words. I'm just so grateful to be a part of this moment, so grateful to be a part of this team. I was saying it from beginning the game, Let's make history. At halftime I was saying let's make history and the guys followed and we did just that. It's amazing feeling to do that."
 
… The chippiness and intensity of the game:
"Oh, it's a man thing. So, it's who wants to win more. They want to win we want to win you know sometimes it's gonna get chippy. But that's a basketball game, especially going to two top teams in the conference fighting for the number one seed, it's gonna get chippy. It's all love at the end of the day. It's nothing that's going to carry out onto the sidewalk, but while we're on that floor, no friends. We competing. So that's just how it goes. They got chippy, we got chippy back, we're not gonna back down for nobody.
 
… The team's resilience to get to this point for a statement win:
"You know, resilience is the perfect word to describe it. You know, we've been through so much, you know, the country has been through so much dealing with COVID, us not even knowing if we're gonna have a season and stuff going on internally within our program. You know, just to be in this moment before the game fighting for first place was a blessing, but to be, you know, on the other side of that, and to say that we're number one is something that, you know, is unbelievable, and I'm so grateful that I myself can experience it, but everybody else on the program can experience it because that doesn't come around all the time. You know, you said 1967, that's a long time ago. And for us to do it in the manner that we did. Back against the wall. You know, they're number six in the country. They're a great team, but for us to hold down home court advantage and win the game in the fashion we did is just a testament to what we've been through and how we've grown because of that."
 
… Dexter Dennis' steal near the end of the game:
"Dexter Dennis was being Dexter Dennis. I missed a free throw, you know. I just felt something was gonna happen. I saw him before the play, I saw him run. I just see him dart and I just looked. As soon as Jarreau (Houston guard DeJon Jarreau) threw the ball I saw Dex just play through it like a cornerback. He took us to room, he obviously got fouled hard, but you know, that's the play of the game. Seriously, that is insane. He just saved us."
 

---

 
Senior guard ALTERIQUE GILBERT on…
 
… What allowed him to drive into the lane in the second half:
"I think just making the right reads, you know, moving the ball from side to side, and then just looking for opportunities. We know they're a great defensive team, they like to run, you know, a lot of guys off the line and they're a great help team. So, I started capitalize off of their aggressiveness."
 
… What it takes to go toe-to-toe with Houston:
"I think you definitely got to come to play and have that hardhat to beat Houston. You know, all their guys are filled with toughness. Not really gonna find too many weaknesses within their team. They play well together. Got a great coach. I just think we did the best we can. We executed our game plan. I think Coach Brown did a great job. Yeah, man, we stuck together, we knew some adversity will come. We overcame adversity together as a team."
 
… Overcoming the multiple turnovers throughout the game:
"Yeah, I always use the quarterback analogy. Quarterbacks throw many interceptions. They gotta come right back out the next possession and they're expected to make plays. So, I just try to keep that mentality. You know, if it happens, it happens. We just move on to the next foot.
 
… Overcoming adversity throughout the season:
"You know, man, just to be here, just to be able to play the game of basketball today is enough for me. You know, I'm overfilled with joy with the win. I'm very happy with my teammates. We just gonna keep getting better. You know, we come in each and every day, work hard, and we're becoming closer. I'm just blessed to be here at Wichita State and we're just gonna keep it going."