WICHITA STATE (5-19, 2-9 American) vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC (10-13, 4-7 American)
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis and Tracy Anderson
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Denning Gerig
Champions for Literacy, Educator Appreciation Night
 
OPENING TIPS
Wichita State looks to get back in the win column as the Shockers face Florida Atlantic on Tuesday evening in Charles Koch Arena on Educator Appreciation Night.
The Shockers and Owls meet for just the sixth time in program history and the second time this season with Wichita State leading the overall series, 3-2. FAU claimed the win in the teams' the first meeting of the season, 88-64, on Jan. 13.
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 down the No. 2-ranked American Conference team on the road, defeating East Carolina, 63-54.
In the Jan. 20 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 12.4 and 11.3 points per game, respectively.
Harding is one of the best three-point shooters in the nation, ranking 17^th in made threes with 70, leading the conference in three-point attempts and ranking second all-time in Wichita State history for single-season threes. She is averaging 2.9 threes per game.
Cater ranks third in the conference in steals per game with 2.4, 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 sixth 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 88 on the season, averaging 3.7 per game.
 
STREAKS & TRENDS
Harding has hit two or more threes in 18 of 24 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 14 different starting lineups.
Taya Davis recorded five or more assists in the last five-straight games, dishing a season-high 11 against Tulsa, the first Shocker to finish with double figure assists since 2022.
Cater has been perfect from the free throw line nine times this season.
Bre'Yon White finished in double figures, tying her career high of 12 points in both of the last two games.
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.
 
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
A late Wichita State surge powered by hot shooting from Jaila Harding gave the Shockers offensive momentum, but Charlotte kept its foot on the gas to hand the Shockers an 81-72 setback Saturday afternoon at Halton Arena. Graduate guard Jaila Harding led the Shockers in scoring with a game-high 21 points, knocking down five three-pointers to move up to tie for No. 2 all-time in Wichita State history for single-season threes, while Bre'Yon White finished in double figures for the second-straight game, tallying 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Abby Cater finished with 10 points, and Taya Davis and Maimouna Sissoko each chipped in nine points, while Davis dished a game-high six assists, her fifth-straight game with five or more assists. The best offensive rebounding team in the American Conference out-rebounded the Shockers 40-27 as the 49ers took advantage of their 15 offensive boards, scoring 17 second-chance points. Charlotte jumped out to an early advantage, outscoring Wichita State 21-10 in the opening quarter behind hot perimeter shooting. The Shockers settled in during the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 38-28 at the break. Wichita State continued to chip away in the third quarter, shooting 58 percent from the floor and pulling within three points before former Shocker Princess Anderson hit a buzzer beater three to end the quarter and make it a six-point game. The Shockers outscored Charlotte 20-16 in the quarter and carried momentum into the final 10 minutes. In the fourth, Wichita State matched Charlotte bucket for bucket and shot 55.6 percent from the field, including four three-pointers from Harding, but Charlotte converted 10-of-11 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. The Shockers finished the game shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc, while also scoring 36 points in the paint. Charlotte was led by Anderson with 19 points as four Niners finished in double figures.
 
SERIES VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The teams meet for just the sixth time in program history with Wichita State leading the all-time series 3-2. The teams have each won one in Charles Kocha Arena, and FAU claimed the win in the teams' first meeting this season in January in Boca Raton.
 
LAST MEETING
Wichita State closed strong in the final 10 minutes, but Florida Atlantic built an early cushion and held on for an 88-64 decision Jan. 13 at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. The Shockers were led by Abby Cater, who poured in a team-high 17 points to go along with eight steals and five rebounds. Cater's eight takeaways ties for seventh all-time in program history for single-game steals, just three away from the record held by Alex Harden and April Banks. Jaida McDonald added 10 points, four rebounds and two steals, while Wichita State got 39 points off the bench on the night. Florida Atlantic shot 51.6 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from three, jumping out to a 22-14 lead after the first quarter and extending the margin to 45-25 at halftime. The Shockers scored 38 points in the paint and 14 fast-break points, but FAU's perimeter shooting proved difficult to overcome. The Owls knocked down 11 three pointers, including eight in the first half, to stretch the lead to as many as 25 midway through the second quarter. Wichita State competed throughout the second half, matching FAU's 21 fourth quarter points. Cater fueled the late push, scoring nine of her points in the final period. Sophie Benharouga chipped in seven points off the bench in the third quarter, including one of Wichita State's three triples of the game. FAU was led by Michiyah Simmons and Vivian Onugha, who combined for 33 points, as five Owls finished in double figures.
 
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Led by head coach LeAnn Freeland, Florida Atlantic is 10-13, 4-7 American, coming off a 68-63 home win over UAB after losing back-to-back road games at Tulsa and North Texas. The Owls lead the American Conference in bench points per game with 24.7. They shoot the third-most threes in the conference, averaging 21.6 attempts per game, and shot 17-for-24 in the Jan. 13 game against the Shockers earlier this season in Boca Raton. No Owls are averaging double figures, but Vivian Onugha and Erin Rodgers are scoring 9.2 and 9.0 points per game, respectively. Haley Walker is the team's leading rebounding with 6.5 per game. Onugha ranks third in the conference in free throw attempts, and Grace Carstensen is one of the best three pointer shooters in the conference, ranking third in three-point percentage (40.8). Florida Atlantic was picked 13^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 35.5 percent from beyond the arc. The graduate transfer and Wichita native ranks second in the conference in threes per game with 2.9, hitting four or more threes in eight different games and tying her career high of six in both games against Tulsa. Her 70 total threes this season landed her on Wichita State's all-time top-10 list for single-season threes, currently sitting No. 2. 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 2.4 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 3.7 per game. She has dished five or more assists in eight games this season, including the last five-straight. She recorded a season-high 11 at home against Tulsa. 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 22.4 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 head to Houston, Texas to take on conference-leading Rice (20-3, 10-0 American) on Friday, Feb. 13 in Tudor Fieldhouse.