Opening Statement…
“I thought we played pretty well for the most part. We got some guys back who had been out. Posh [Alexander] was out, and Rafael [Pinzon] was out, so it was good to get those guys back and get in a groove. I thought we created our own energy from a defensive mindset. As you saw, we shared the basketball again. It was a good team win. Guys came off the bench and gave us some good minutes. Let’s credit LIU. I have a lot of respect for them. They didn’t just lay down. We did what we were supposed to do. We took advantage of our size with Joel [Soriano] inside. I thought O’Mar’s [Stanley] energy on the floor was contagious.”
On getting Posh Alexander back…
“I thought the biggest thing was he was engaged, not just shooting the basketball, but in everything. They put in a zone once and I thought he did a good job of attacking it. When they packed it in, he took the shot with confidence. He was anxious to get back out there. He was good tonight.”
On Esahia Nyiwe…
“He’s big for us. We have to get him in rhythm. I thought we saw him in a better rhythm tonight.”
On the state of the team heading into a road game…
“I think we’re playing pretty good basketball. When we go on the road, we’re going to play against a team [Iowa State] that’s a really good defensive team. Like all teams, they play well at home. We know we’re going to have to defend and hit shots. That’s the bottom line. When adversity takes place, I want to see how we respond. We’ll learn a bit more about our team; I think that’s the biggest key.”
On Joel Soriano’s production…
“I think he’s playing with what he brings to the table. He has length, size and athletic ability. He’s in shape and he’s playing with a lot of confidence. One thing about big guys is if you get them going offensively, they’ll do some things defensively and rebound the basketball. He’s playing to his size and length. I love the way he’s going and getting the ball. He’s playing with a lot of confidence.”
Junior Guard Posh Alexander
On hitting multiple three-pointers as part of a 12-point effort…
“I love to see one go down and it builds up my confidence. The morale of the story is that we got the win today and I played basketball with my brothers. Every one of my teammates that had confidence in me and gave me the ball, a big shout out to them.”
On how the team feels going into a weekend game at Iowa State …
“We are going to take it day-by-day. We got a win against a great team and we are going to play another great team in Iowa State. We just want to take it day-by-day, get after it in practice and get prepared.”
Senior Forward Esahia Nyiwe
On his six-point performance on Tuesday and return to the court…
“Basketball is my love and passion. My brothers in the locker room have been helping me a lot. It’s great to be back, I love my family here and I’m just ready to get to work.”
