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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: SPOKANEMarch 18, 2016Phil MartelliDeAndre' BrembryIsaiah MilesAaron BrownSpokane, Washington St. Joseph's - 78, Cincinnati - 76 THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with an opening statement from coach and then take questions for the student-athletes. COACH MARTELLI: I want to thank these players. I had a lousy start to my day. My son, who is a Division I assistant coach got fired this morning. He worked for one of my best friends, and he called at 6 this morning and told me. I shared it with my wife. And it was really difficult, really difficult. But the rest of the day was dedicated to this group and to giving them every chance to be successful tonight. We knew that this would be 40 minutes, because that's the way Cincinnati plays. I thought both teams offensively did things in a spectacular fashion. That was a NCAA game and there were 15 turnovers in the game. Their shooting percentage in the first half was astounding and for them to have a freshman do what he did, hats off. In a small way, I wish it hadn't ended like that. I wish it had ended with Isaiah making the three and us getting a stop. But at least from what I could see, it was the right call. And we're delighted to have preparation tonight and to build on what is really the excitement. We're getting a lot of reports from Philadelphia that there's a lot of celebration. I just hope that everybody back in Philadelphia catches their breath, because tomorrow's St. Joseph's day and everybody will have to get to church and hit their knees in Thanksgiving and then get ready to do this again Sunday. THE MODERATOR: Questions? Q. Isaiah, before you walked out on the court you looked at the white board. Was that just a reflex action or did you actually look to see what was, what exactly where you were supposed to be or what the play was, remind yourself of what the play was? ISAIAH MILES: It was just to remind myself. Coach drew up a really good play, and I didn't want to screw it up. So just double checking myself. Q. Are you tired? DEANDRE' BEMBRY: No, not really. It's not my first time playing 40 minutes here. (Laughter.) Q. Talk about that second half. You have that 20-point first half and then kind of in the second half, from the defense kind of collapses on you, now you're dishing out, you get five assists and Isaiah and Aaron kind of take over the scoring. DEANDRE' BEMBRY: Yeah, this wasn't my first time being double teamed. Every time a team does that these two guys step up. I told Zeke at half, this is your half, and he came out and made some big shots. Pierfrancesco came in, hit a big three in the corner, and one three and that's what this group is about, it's a collective effort. Q. DeAndre', what was the emotion on the sideline as you were waiting to hear the ruling on the final call? DEANDRE' BEMBRY: It was mixed emotions, different people were doing different things. When they showed the instant replay some guys were celebrating already. I was sitting on the bench just relaxing, chilling to see what the call. Isaiah was just yelling at everybody. So it was just different mixed emotions. That was about it. Q. Isaiah, what's the first NCAA game winning shot you can remember seeing on TV? And also, is that the first game-winning shot you've had? ISAIAH MILES: Yeah, in my career that's the first game-winning shot I ever had. Evan Turner's in Ohio State, when he hit that half court game winner. He gave that stare to the crowd. I couldn't do that stare, I had to get back on defense. No, it's just an amazing feeling. But I definitely want to credit DeAndre' for looking for me. The play -- and credit coach for the play. The play was drawn up well, and the guys reacted off the pick. And pick and pop, I've been practicing that since seventh grade and middle school. So just step into the shot and make the shot. Q. Isaiah, what were you yelling at everybody and when did you see a replay that you thought was kind of definitive in your mind? ISAIAH MILES: When I saw the replay, I was -- I knew I didn't think it was good. His fingertips were still on it, but everyone was telling me, calm down, calm down, we might have to play overtime, relax. Just get your mind prepared for overtime. But everything's going, the crowd's into it, I'm into it, and yeah, I was excited. I thought it was good. I thought that the game was over, but the same time, my team was telling me keep your head, because you need to be ready for another overtime. Q. This is your first NCAA Tournament game with St. Joe's being able to play. Talk about that second half that you had really stepping up with the scoring when DeAndre' was more of a facilitator? AARON BROWN: Yeah, you know it was just my mindset was to come in and be aggressive and get things going to the basket. I started out settling, shooting jump shots and the coach was telling me get it going to the basket. That's what I do best. That's what all half I thought, get it going to the basket. Get a lay up. Get yourself going. And things were going to be fine. And that's what happened. Q. A lot of big shots out there by both sides battling all the way through. Can you walk away from a game like this for any sort of sympathy for the team you just beat? DEANDRE' BEMBRY: Definitely for the seniors. Seeing one of the big guys, not in the line to shake our hand. He was over there crying. I went over there and told him you had a great game, keep your head up, and your future is so bright, man. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. Take questions for coach. Q. Was Isaiah option No. 1 on that play? COACH MARTELLI: He was option No. 1. DeAndre' was going to take it off the ball screen, which he did. And then Isaiah's supposed to stretch a little bit further. And on the other side of the floor, Aaron Brown runs a dive and Papa Ndao runs a flare to the corner. I had the sneaking suspicion that DeAndre' would throw the ball back to Isaiah and want Isaiah to figure out a way to get the ball in the air. When I was standing behind him, it didn't miss, that kid didn't miss from blocking another jumper by much. So, there's a lot of shots that Isaiah's taken since last April, to see that one go in, because he's envisioned this. Q. Where are you now without that Bembry first half? COACH MARTELLI: Well, he was -- they had a lot of great performances, right? Quadri Moore, DeBerry, they had all these buckets off the bench that we didn't anticipate. There was one guy playing a game like this and everybody else was trying the best they can to play really a collegiate game. He was -- he's been zeroed in. He's just been, like the look in his eye since last Saturday night, has been not that he would say it this way, but everybody in the country now knows his name. Even Mark Few will now say, that kid with the afro? You mean Bembry? He will say Bembry. Q. You've been in some high quality games through your career, where does this one rank, if you can even get there, given the moment. COACH MARTELLI: Yeah, I can't even, I can't even like process where it fits in terms of game. And in terms of stage. If you know what I mean. Like so when at some point in time and I don't know what else was going on in the country, but at some point in time everybody in the country was watching this game. So, for that stage, for the two teams to play under 10 turnovers, for the ebb and the flow, we go to the basket that maybe does the knock out. Miss a layup. They come rushing back. They block a shot, they throw the ball down to dunk it. A freshman gets 26 for them. Look, the freshman, our freshman, five points on a three, on a knock down. Look, I'm not clichéish, but if that isn't everything that this tournament's about, including, including the agony. I know that's from Wide World Of Sports, but this is the ecstasy and the agony that happened to kids 18 to 22 a long way from home. A long way from home both teams. Q. DeAndre' had that big first half -- COACH MARTELLI: You all right? You need like a cushion or anything? I've never been in a press conference where the guy has his feet up on the chair in front of him. I'm cool. This is like the West Coast. We're liking it. I'm cool. Q. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest. COACH MARTELLI: Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that. Do they sell marijuana in this town? Q. Yes, actually. You might want to keep your team in the hotel. I know DeAndre' had that big first half scoring-wise, but just seen from my perspective, the way that he was rebounding down the stretch, the way that he was dishing maybe had as big of an impact on the win as his scoring in the first half. COACH MARTELLI: No question about it. He is a -- the key to his game is his versatility, the beauty of his game is the versatility. There were calls that he was, that he wanted me to make, he would come by and say, call this offensive pattern. And we would make the call. You could see him looking for the double team to find his teammate. Aaron Brown hit a big three, I think we were up one, DeAndre' found him. He had Caupain the whole first half. So he had 20 and Caupain did not score, until I took him out with like eight seconds left in the first half. So, he's a really, really special player. But he's even more special as a teammate and as a leader. Like, they're hopping around in there, when he comes in, and he said, oh, no, no, no, this is for Zeke, I want this for Isaiah. THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. COACH MARTELLI: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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