WICHITA STATE (5-18, 2-8 American) at CHARLOTTE (10-13, 4-6 American)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. CT
Charlotte, N.C. | Halton Arena
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KEYN 103.7, GoShockers.com/Listen with Denning Gerig
 
OPENING TIPS
Wichita State looks to get back in the win column as the Shockers head to Charlotte, N.C. to face the 49ers for the first time this season.
The Shockers and Niners meet for just the sixth time in program history with Charlotte leading the overall series, 4-1, going undefeated in Halton Arena (3-0).
The Shockers concluded their non-conference slate with a 3-10 record, defeating Lincoln in the season opener and claiming back-to-back wins over Loyola Marymount and Oral Roberts in December. They picked up their first American Conference win against Memphis and took now the No. 2-ranked American Conference team on the road, defeating East Carolina, 63-54.
In the win over Memphis, Abby Cater poured in 42 points, breaking Wichita State's single-game scoring record and tying for No. 7 in the nation this season for single-game points.
Jaila Harding and Cater are leading the Shockers in scoring, averaging 12.0 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
Harding is one of the best three-point shooters in the nation, ranking 22^nd in made threes with 65, leading the conference in three-point attempts and ranking third all-time in Wichita State history for single-season threes. She is averaging 2.8 threes per game.
Cater ranks third in the conference in steals per game with 2.5, recording a career-high eight at Florida Atlantic, good for No. 7 all-time in program history for single-game steals. She has recorded five or more steals in five games this season. She also ranks seventh in the conference in free throw percentage, shooting 79.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Taya Davis is No. 7 in the American in assists with 82 on the season, averaging 3.6 per game.
Treasure Thompson ranks ninth in the conference in blocks per game with 1.0 and recorded her 100^th career block in the non-conference finale.
The Shockers rank fifth in the American Conference in three-point percentage defense, holding opponents to 30 percent from beyond the arc.
 
STREAKS & TRENDS
All but two wins in the Terry Nooner era have come when holding opponents to less than 70 points, including nine of the 10 wins last season and the five wins this season.
Eighty-eight percent of Terry Nooner's wins have come when outrebounding the opponent.
Harding has hit two or more threes in 17 of 23 games and at least one in all but one.
Harding is the only Shocker to have started every game this season. Wichita State has tested 13 different starting lineups.
Taya Davis played all 40 minutes of regulation in two of the last four games and recorded five or more assists in the last four-straight, dishing a season-high 11 last time out.
Cater has been perfect from the free throw line eight times this season.
 
THE SHOCKS, IN SHORT
The Shockers return just 9.6 percent of their scoring from last season but bring an abundance of experience to the court with eight graduate students on the roster, tying ULM for the most graduate players on a Division I roster this season.
With only one underclassman on the roster, the Shockers are 93 percent upperclassmen, the second-highest percentage of upperclassmen in the NCAA (DI), and they bring 44 seasons of combined collegiate basketball experience.
Wichita State returns Bre'Yon White, the Shockers' second leading rebounder from last season, who grabbed 154 boards, averaging 4.8 per game but lost its top four scorers.
For the third-straight season, Nooner has brought a Wichita native home for their final season of collegiate basketball – Tre'Zure Jobe in 2023-24, Taylor Jameson in 2024-25, and now Jaila Harding, who shot 35.7 percent from behind the arc both of her last two seasons at New Mexico State.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Wichita State built early momentum and battled until the end, but Tulsa pulled away late as the Shockers fell 75-65 on Tuesday evening inside Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State (5-18, 2-8 American) came out sharp, shooting 60 percent in the opening quarter and jumping out to a 23-16 lead after 10 minutes. Jaila Harding set the tone early, knocking down three triples in the first quarter, helping the Shockers to their second-highest scoring first period of the season and best since their game one win over Lincoln. Tulsa (16-6, 8-2 American) responded in the second quarter, holding WSU to eight points while using a 21-point frame to take a 37-31 lead into halftime. The Golden Hurricane capitalized at the free-throw line in the period, going 11-for-13, to swing the momentum. The Shockers regrouped out of the break and matched Tulsa punch for punch in the third quarter. Wichita State poured in 20 points, thanks to a 10-point quarter from Harding and a pair of baskets by Bre'Yon White. Tulsa sealed the game in the final period, shooting over 60 percent in the quarter and extending the lead to double digits midway through the frame. Wichita State continued to compete, cutting into the deficit late, but couldn't fully close the gap. Individually, Tulsa was led by Hannah Riddick, who finished with a game-high 27 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting, while Mady Cartwright added 21 points and seven assists. For Wichita State, Harding led the way with a career-high 24 points, hitting six three-pointers against Tulsa for the second time this season, and added six rebounds. Bre'Yon White chipped in a career-high tying 12 points off the bench, and Taya Davis dished a season-high 11 assists. Wichita State finished the night shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and knocked down seven triples, while Tulsa connected on 49.0 percent of its shots and went 18-of-21 at the free-throw line.
 
SERIES VS. CHARLOTTE
The teams meet for just the sixth time in program history with Charlotte leading the all-time series 4-1, winning all three in Halton Arena. Wichita State picked up its first win over the Niners in the last meeting, winning 62-43 last March in Charles Koch Arena.
 
LAST MEETING
Wichita State's comeback effort fell just short, dropping its American Conference Wichita State led wire to wire as a dominant defensive effort gave the Shockers a 62-43 win Saturday afternoon in Charles Koch Arena. The Shocker defense held the 49ers to 11 points or less in all four quarters, forcing 17 turnovers and holding Charlotte to 17-for-55 (30.9 percent) from the floor and 0-for-11 from behind the arc. Three Shockers finished in double figures with Salese Blow tying for a game-high 13 points, Jayla Murray recording 12 points and eight rebounds, and Princess Anderson scoring 11 points. Ella Anciaux grabbed seven rebounds, and Taylor Jameson hit three three pointers, her 14th game with multiple threes, to tie for No. 4 all-time in Wichita State history for single season made three pointers with 51. Wichita State won the battle of the boards 44-39 as now nine of 10 wins this season have come when the Shockers out-rebounded their opponent. The Shockers won every quarter and scored 15 second-chance points. With conference tournament seeding implications motivating both teams, Wichita State needed a win over Charlotte to tie for No. 11 in the American Conference standings and keep the Shockers' hopes of a first-round bye alive.
 
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Led by head coach Tomekia Reed, Charlotte is 10-13, 4-6 American, snapping a three-game losing streak last time out with a win over Tulane. The 49ers lead the American Conference in offensive rebounds per game with 17.8, ranking third in the nation in the category. Three Niners are averaging double figures, led by former Shocker, Princess Anderson, with 14.1. Asianae Nicholson is the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.4 per game, good for third in the conference. Anderson ranks second in the conference in field goal attempts, putting up 304 shots this season. Tanajah Hayes leads the American in assists per game with 5.6. Charlotte was picked 10^th out of 13 teams in the American Conference Preseason Poll.
 
TREY-LA HARDING
Jaila Harding is the best shooter on Wichita State's roster, shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. The graduate transfer and Wichita native ranks third in the conference in made threes per game with 65, hitting four or more threes in seven different games and tying her career high of six in both games against Tulsa. Her 65 total threes this season landed her on Wichita State's all-time top-10 list for single-season threes, currently sitting No. 3. The record was set by Courtney Sims at 73 during the 1999-2000 season.
 
SERVING POINTS ON A PLATTER
Abby Cater broke Wichita State's single-game scoring record in the win over Memphis, scoring 42 points to tie for No. 7 in the nation this season for single-game points. Cater shot 15-for-29 from the floor, hitting a career-high four threes and shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the line. The Shocker record was previously held by Kareema Williams, who set it at 41 points in 1992.
 
Cater poured in 47 points over two games, leading the Shockers to back-to-back wins over LMU and Oral Roberts. She shot 11-for-12 from the field against Oral Roberts and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line against LMU. At Florida Atlantic, she put up 17 points and recorded a career-high eight steals, good for No. 7 all-time in program history for single-game steals.
 
Cater also ranks third in the conference in steals per game, averaging 2.5 and recording five or more five times this season with the goal of becoming the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
 
THE MAIN DISH
Taya Davis is described as a true pass-first point guard, leading the Shockers in assists with 3.6 per game. She has dished five or more assists in seven games this season, including the last four-straight. She recorded a season-high 11 last time out. She averaged 7.3 assists per game her sophomore season at Garden City CC.
 
DEPTH CHART
The Shockers rank fourth in the conference in bench points per game, averaging 22.6 with 11 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
 
NON-CONFERENCE IN REVIEW
The Shockers finished their non-conference slate 3-10, opening with a 96-49 win over Lincoln before hitting a nine-game slump. Wichita State got back on track with back-to-back wins over Loyola Marymount and Oral Roberts before falling to Middle Tennessee State in a 45-46 heartbreaker in the non-conference finale. Seven of the 10 losses were single digit games. Jaila Harding and Abby Cater led the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Cater recorded back-to-back 20-plus point performances in the wins over LMU and ORU, and Harding put up 21 at UC Irvine. Jaida McDonald led the Shockers on the boards, averaging 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
C.A.R.E. PILLARS
Coach Nooner emphasizes the value of team culture, recruiting student-athletes who fit in with the team's core values of character, accountability, respect and effort.
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Wichita State's roster features four foreign players, two from France, Sophie Benharouga and Fiona Diomande, one from Mali, Maimouna Sissoko, and one from Cameroon, Bella Belong.
 
THEY HAVE HISTORY
Two newcomers reconnect with former coaches as Taya Davis played for current Wichita State assistant coach Antwain Scales from 2022-23 in his final season as head coach at Garden City CC, and Sophie Benharouga played for current director of operations and assistant coach Uyen Tran from 2022-23 while she was an assistant coach at Morehead State.
 
UP NEXT
The Shockers return home to take on Florida Atlantic on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena on Educator Appreciation Night.