Nov. 17, 2012

Recap |  Final Stats

HOUSTON HEAD COACH James Dickey
Opening Statement
"I'm really happy with the way we played. Our guys had good focus for the majority of the game. I was pleased with the way that we shared the ball. Our defense was very active early. We played good defense without fouling."

"We shared the ball well. We had 11 assists at halftime and didn't turn the ball over. I would have liked to have seen us shoot over 50 percent, but if you look at Leon (Gibson) and Jherrod Stiggers, it makes it kind of difficult when you have that kind of night shooting."

"I'm proud of the number of times we got to the free throw line. We got there 29 times, but we only hit 18. We have some guys who are better free throw shooters than that. Danuel House and Leon are much better free throw shooters. Both of those guys went 2-6, so that's eight misses right there from two key players."

"Joe (Young) and House were just like starters, so there was a high expectation level for them coming off the bench. Both of them did a good job of driving the ball and sharing it. Our shot selection was good, and I liked the way we handled the game. I would have liked to have seen more assists in the second half, but we had a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio."

"The majority of the game the guys did a good job looking for their teammates. We made some progress in terms of the way we played. The games are going to get tougher as you move forward, but I was pleased because we looked at Grambling State on film, and they've really played some good basketball. (Terry) Rose has been averaging right at 20 points per game. Nobody had been able to shut him down, but he had seven in the first half, and we challenged the guys in the second half, and he only had two."

"Our awareness was much better. We went through a stretch there where I did something unusual. I wholesale substituted simply because we gave up two offensive rebounds, and defensive board play has been a high goal of ours. I just wanted to get the guys attention. We went through a stretch where they were a little bit soft, and they threw in a couple of threes but for the most part I was pleased with our guys."

On the focus of the team
"I'm much more pleased. One of the things we talked about was no matter who is in the game, no matter what the score is, we're playing hard for 40 minutes. That was our theme at halftime. We set the score at 0-0, went back and played hard. I was pleased with our focus for the majority of the game. Our bench enthusiasm was good. We have to keep building on team chemistry."

On the spark from sophomore guard Joseph Young and freshman forward Danuel House
"When Joe (Young) and Danuel came into the game, they gave us a lift because they were really active and driving the ball. House got to the free throw line right off the bat. He got there six times in the first half. We just have to deliver our free throws, because when you get to the 29 times against anybody, that is good. Our communication defensively was the best it's been. We had good awareness of where our key players were. "

On the team's depth
"We tell our guys when we go to the bench we don't want to level out or play the same; we want to go up. Joe is a third-year guy, and he has been banged up a little bit. He really shared the ball extremely well, and he advanced the ball down the court.

On the play of forward Danuel House
"Danuel has continued to learn, but he's practiced so hard since we got back from San Jose. He was a lot more active tonight. When you have players with his potential, they just want to come in and stand around and just get going offensively, but he was very active tonight. He let the game come to him."

On preparation for Louisiana College on Monday
"Tomorrow will be a short day for us. We'll have preparation just like we normally do. We didn't play guys many minutes, so we can have a good short practice. Our focus is going to be to win the game but, at the same time for us, to continue to get better at everything we do."

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HOUSTON SOPHOMORE FORWARD TaShawn Thomas
On offensive production tonight
"Coach (James Dickey) has really emphasized setting screens for our guards. When we set screens for them, it allows the shots on the court to open up. If we accomplish that, then we are capable of putting points on the board."

On having the big lead
"It reminded us of the San Jose State game. We had a big lead, but then they came back and made the game very close. We wanted to make sure that didn't happen again."

On Monday's game
"We have to get some rest. Tonight we enjoy the win, then get back and play another game here at home."

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HOUSTON SOPHOMORE GUARD Joseph Young
On the team depth
"We have a great group of guys. Everybody played really well and did what was needed to get the win. Being prepared for a game makes the game go smoother."

On being prepared for the game
"Watching film is crucial in being prepared for a game. Being able to improve on defense is going to win games for us this season. Winning championships starts with playing good defense."

On coming off the bench
"The guys did a great job of setting the tone early. When I came in the tempo of the game was great. TaShawn (Thomas) did a great job of feeding me the ball. Mix that with great defense, and we were able to get the win."

On finishing
"We have to play a 40-minute game. We have to be mature and do everything possible to play a complete game. When we do that, we'll be a hard team to beat.

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HOUSTON JUNIOR GUARD Brandon Morris
On adjusting to the new setting
"The transition has been great. I have great teammates and being able to spread the ball tonight was the key to getting the win."

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