There isn’t much that junior Alex Harden cannot do after the whistle is blown and the ball is tipped. In the 71-53 win over Missouri State, the second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year showed fans why she deserved the honor.

Harden finished the contest with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and steals, the only double-double in the Lady Shockers win.

“She’s grown a lot,” Missouri States’ Jessica Diamond said in a press release. “Her play is amazing to watch. It’s amazing to play with her. She’s aggressive. She can’t be stopped. The only person that can stop her is herself.”

Both teams left the contest with three players scoring in double-digit figures. Senior Michelle Price added 14 points while junior Jamillah Bonner contributed 19.

“Credit to Wichita State,” Missouri State head coach Stephanie Glance said. “(They) played a great game and I thought their players really stepped up. They hit a lot of tough shots—shots that you hit in championship games.”

While the Shockers held the lead during the entire game, head coach Jody Adams credits the team’s ability to swiftly shift through waves of momentum as the reason they were able to come out on top.

 “I’m very proud of our team and our program,” Shocker head coach Jody Adams said. “We hung through the momentum shifts. We knew that there were going to be those times. And how we endured that—we were able to switch that momentum to our way and sustain it there until the end of the game.”

The Lady Shockers will take on the winner of the Illinois State and University of Northern Iowa tomorrow at 4 p.m. to continue their pursuit for the conference title.