Graduate guard Jaila Harding is now in rarified air for the Wichita State women’s basketball program. Helping propel the Shockers to a 62-61 Saturday afternoon, she also became the single season 3-point record holder.
“I wanted to represent the city and inspire the youth,” Harding said after the game. “To have my name at the top of that record, and I know a lot of young kids look up to me, and to have that record now just means the world.”
Harding’s 19 points on 4-of-12 threes helped WSU’s record grow to 6-21 on the season, 3-11 in American Conference play and snapped a five-game skid. The Shockers are two games out of qualifying for the conference tournament with four games left in the regular season.
“(We) understand you only got five games left,” head coach Terry Nooner said. “You got our seniors who want to go out with a bang and want to end on a high note, and so the stakes are high for us. It’s postseason time for us, like it’s win or go home for us every single game.”
Junior Jaida McDonald opened up the Shockers’ scoring with a driving layup in the first quarter and the teams remained in a deadlock for more than half the period. A buzzer-beating jumper gave the Roadrunners a 12-11 at the end of the first.
Going into the break, WSU and UTSA were tied at 24. The Shockers held the largest lead of the half at four points with two minutes left before halftime.
Coming out of halftime, graduate guard Abby Cater hit a 3-pointer to open up the second half scoring.
With 6 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third quarter, Harding hit a three that tied the record. Then, just a minute later, she hit another that put her solely at the top. She credited her teammates for the feat.
“They set amazing screens for me tonight (and) all season long,” Harding said. “I know I’m probably the most difficult person to screen for just because of how tight they play me. All credit to them, they’ve been talking about it for weeks, and been making me anxious about it. So it’s kind of a relief to just have it.”
Nooner added: “It means a lot. She was the first one in this new class as far as the portal. She took a chance on us and wanted to be a part of what we had going on here.”
In the closing seconds of the third quarter, graduate guard Diamond Richardson made back-to-back impact plays by denying a fast-break layup, then scoring one on the other end and converting a three-point play to give Wichita State a nine-point lead, 49-40.
“It’s huge,” Nooner said about Richardson’s play at the end of the quarter. “The games like this that are the toughness, physicality games — that’s just right up her alley. That’s what she wants, that’s how she plays.”
The Shockers ended the quarter with 25 points after scoring 24 during the entire first half.
With 7:30 left in the game, Wichita State pushed its lead to double digits with a layup by Cater, 53-43. UTSA, however, fought back and brought the deficit to one point with 35 seconds left, setting up a tight-knit finish.
The Roadrunners had a chance to get a buzzer-beating basket to steal the win, but McDonald blocked the shot.
“I actually gave up the play before that. I gave up a layup,” McDonald said. “I just thought it had to be me. I just went into it because my teammates always tell me to block shots, even though I don’t almost all the time, but I feel like I had to make that play, and I did.”
Next up, Wichita State travels to Birmingham, Ala., to play UAB at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Blazers beat the Shockers in Koch Arena earlier this season.
Box score breakdown
WSU — 11; 13; 25; 13 — 62
UTSA — 12; 12; 16; 21 — 61
Shooting totals (fg-3p-ft)
WSU (46% – 33% – 60%)
Charlotte (38% – 27% – 85%)
Leaders
Points — WSU: Jaila Harding (19), Abby Cater (12), Diamond Richardson (11). UTSA: Cheyenne Rowe (21), Idara Udo (10), Ereauna Hardaway (8).
Rebounds — WSU: Taya Davis (6), Diamond Richardson (4), Jaida McDonald (4). UTSA: Idara Udo (10), Cheyenne Rowe (8), Mia Hammonds (5)
Assists — WSU: Taya Davis (5), Diamond Richardson (4). UTSA: Ereauna Hardaway (6), Idara Udo (3).
