How Alterique Gilbert went from possible DNP to game hero for Shockers in UCF win
1.jpg "Wichita State senior Alterique Gilbert scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Shockers to a 61-60 win over Central Florida in Orlando on Wednesday.")
Less than six hours from the start of the most important performance in Alterique Gilbert’s brief Wichita State career, teammates didn’t know if their starting point guard would play Wednesday night at Central Florida.
Migraine headaches held Gilbert out of Monday’s practice and once again Wednesday from the morning’s shootaround, leaving his availability in question for WSU’s key road game.
“We didn’t know if AG was going to play play,” WSU junior Dexter Dennis said, hinting the team didn’t believe Gilbert was 100%. “We knew he wasn’t really feeling well.”
Gilbert wasn’t about to let that stop him from trying to help his team win. In the end, the graduate transfer from Connecticut delivered his most impactful performance as a Shocker.
The senior led WSU in scoring solely for the first time this season with 17 points, including his team’s final five points in the last minute of a 61-60 win over UCF. The Shockers improved to 12-4 overall and 8-2 in American Athletic Conference, their best start since joining the conference in 2017.
Gilbert downplayed his significance afterward.
“That’s just part of the game,” Gilbert said. “It’s me just working hard and my teammates believing in me.”
WSU desperately needed someone to step up down the stretch with how aggressively UCF’s defense was double-teaming leading scorer Tyson Etienne, who was bottled up for five points on 1-for-8 shooting.
Gilbert was up for the challenge.
With WSU clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute, Etienne was once again blitzed on a ball screen, but avoided a turnover and started the ball movement that ended up finding the hands of Gilbert wide open in the left corner with the shot clock winding down. Gilbert elevated, released and stood rooted to the spot until he watched his three-point shot float through the air and hit nothing but net with 28.7 seconds left to give WSU a 59-55 lead.
“It wasn’t surprising that AG stepped up,” said WSU junior Morris Udeze, who scored 12 points. “He does that all the time in practice. Him having a big game wasn’t a surprise because he makes big shots. He made a big shot (for UConn) against us in my freshman year, I believe. So I’m thankful for him.”
When UCF answered back with a jumper, Gilbert wanted the ball in his hands at the end of the game to decide the game at the free throw line. With 12.7 seconds left, Gilbert calmly sank back-to-back free throws to once again extend WSU’s lead to four points, 61-57.
Not bad for someone who wasn’t sure they were going to play the day of the game.
“That just goes to show you that sometimes on the worst days you may not be feeling well, but you still have the chance to turn it around,” said Dennis, who registered WSU’s first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. “I’m super proud of him.”
According to Brown, Gilbert worked closely with WSU trainer Todd Fagan to prepare to attempt to play in Wednesday night’s game after missing the shootaround. Gilbert made sure he was hydrated, took some headache medicine and hoped for the best that night.
Since not even Gilbert was sure how much he was going to be able to contribute entering the game, Brown decided to bring his senior point guard off the bench for just the second time this season. It wasn’t until Gilbert completed his first shift on the court when he knew he would be able to gut through the uneasiness.
“He sucked it up, got hydrated, came off the bench with a great attitude and gave us great minutes,” Brown said. “I’m so proud that Alterique handled it the right way. He stepped up and made some big baskets for us tonight.”
Brown said it was “very surprising” Gilbert played for as long (26 minutes, not far off his average of 28.8 minutes per game) and as well (6-of-10 shooting, including three three-pointers) as he did.
Gilbert said he actually liked the change of perspective to start the game. Junior Craig Porter started in his place.
“It gives me time to just read the game,” Gilbert said. “How the team is playing ball screen coverage, how the refs are calling fouls, how they’re calling the game, the pace of the game, and how I can make an impact. That’s what I try to do when I come off the bench.”
“He’s a guy that’s played in this league for a long time,” Brown added. “He’s a seasoned guy. He’s been to every arena in this conference. He stepped up and made some big baskets for us tonight. I give it up to him because every day after practice he’s staying extra getting up 200, 300 shots.”
And with the game on the line in the closing seconds, Gilbert knew he was going to have to make a defensive stand.
His counterpart on UCF, Darius Perry, had enjoyed a career-night, scoring a career-best 27 points and topping 20 points for just the second time in 111 career games. With the Knights trailing 61-60 with 6.8 seconds left, Perry took the in-bounds pass with Gilbert defending him and settled for a 15-foot fadeaway jumper that had been going in the entire night.
Only this time, Perry’s shot was just long and the rebound went straight to Gilbert. Once the final buzzer sounded, both competitors keeled over — one in agony, the other in joy.
Gilbert came to WSU with the belief that he could bring a veteran presence to the Shockers and instill a belief that they could compete with anybody in the AAC. After 10 games, Gilbert is well on his way to achieving his mission.
“I just wanted to put my best foot forward,” Gilbert said. “I knew he was going to take the last shot. He had a great game. I just contested the shot the best way I could and luckily it turned right for us this time.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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