Abby Cater reached heights no other Wichita State women’s basketball player has on Tuesday night.
The graduate guard scored a school record 42 points on 15-of-29 shooting for the Shockers during their 66-59 win over Memphis inside Koch Arena, helping push them out of a seven-game slump and avoid the worst start to conference play in the program’s history.
Her 42 points broke Kareema Williams’ mark set in 1992 against Illinois State and is just the second 40-plus point performance ever for WSU.
“I’m so proud of her,” graduate guard Jaila Harding said. “She comes in, works hard every day. We had a practice a couple of days ago where we were on opposite teams, just battling against each other.”
The Shockers won their first game in the American Conference after six losses to open their league schedule and improved to 4-17 overall, while Memphis dipped to 7-12 and 1-5.
Cater said it meant a lot to her to break the record.
“It’s my first year here,” she said. “So, just to come here and make an impact feels great.”
Despite Cater’s career night, it took WSU over four minutes of the first quarter to score its first basket. During that stretch, it felt like the same rhythm as the previous losses — the Shockers turned the ball over three times while Memphis opened up a 9-0 lead.
WSU responded with a 10-0 run almost immediately that was sparked by a 3-pointer from Cater to give the Shockers their first lead of the game, 12-11. Memphis came back, however, and gained a two-point lead at the end of the quarter, 18-16.
The Tigers’ lead grew to five within the first three minutes of the second quarter, 23-18, but Cater ripped off a 6-0 run by herself to give WSU a 26-24 edge. Cater repeatedly drove to the rack, and either drained free throws or converted down low.
Cater’s effort helped WSU mount a slim 28-26 lead at halftime, the team’s first lead at the break against a conference foe this season. She managed 18 of the Shockers’ first-half points.
The third quarter became a back-and-forth until a 10-2 WSU run helped open up a seven-point cushion, 44-37. That was all the momentum the Shockers needed, as they went into the final quarter ahead, 49-43.
Memphis opened the fourth quarter hot, trimming WSU’s lead down to a point on multiple occasions and eventually tied the game at 57. But Cater wouldn’t let the Shockers fold. She scored five unanswered points to reopen a lead, 62-57.
“I’m just trying to be who I am every game for my team,” Cater said. “And tonight, I just was me — times 20.”
With 20 seconds left on the clock, Cater sank a pair of free throws that broke the record and essentially sealed the win.
The Shockers’ defense held strong in the end, as Memphis only made one of its final 10 shots and went 5-for-24 from the field in the fourth quarter alone. They held the Tigers to 31% shooting for the entire game.
“It feels good,” WSU coach Terry Nooner said about the team’s first conference win. “It’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I think we have a really good group of young ladies. They’re great people, they’re great ambassadors, they’re great student athletes who can also play basketball.”
The Shockers were down two guards as well: junior Kyleigh Ortiz and graduate Diamond Richardson. In their absence, graduate guard Taya Davis stepped up, playing all 40 minutes while scrapping for seven rebounds and dishing seven assists.
“This was probably the best game that Taya has played since she’s been here,” Nooner said. “She had to play 40 minutes, she had to guard an elite point guard on the other end, she’s getting pressured and she has to get us into offense. She also had seven rebounds from the point guard spot. So I thought it was just a heck of a game from her.”
WSU will get a week off until its next game on the road against East Carolina on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. Earlier this season, the Pirates beat the Shockers in Koch Arena.
Box score breakdown
WSU — 16; 12; 21; 17 — 66
Memphis — 18; 8; 17; 16 — 59
Shooting totals (fg-3p-ft)
WSU (39% – 33% – 74%)
Memphis (31% – 23% – 56%)
Leaders
Points — WSU: Abby Cater (42), Bre’Yon White (7), Jaida McDonald (4). Memphis: Daejah Richmond (11), Tamya Smith (11), Chaé Harris (11), Amauri Williams (10).
Rebounds — WSU: Abby Cater (7), Taya Davis (7), Jaida McDonald (6), Treasure Thompson (6). Memphis: Tamya Smith (8), Daejah Richmond (6).
Assists — WSU: Taya Davis (7). Memphis: Daejah Richmond (7).
