WICHITA, Kan. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a prolonged scoring drought and a standout individual performance, the Wichita State women’s basketball team secured just its second victory of the season, holding off Loyola Marymount 71-64 on Saturday at Charles Koch Arena.

The Shockers (2-9) were propelled by a career-high 23 points from freshman guard Abby Cater, whose steady hand proved crucial in a contest where both teams struggled for offensive consistency early. The Lions (4-4), led by Jess Lawson’s game-high 27 points, could not fully recover from a disastrous stretch that spanned the end of the first half and the start of the second.

The most critical sequence of the game did not involve a dramatic run, but rather a profound lack of one. After a three-pointer from Loyola Marymount’s Allison Clarke cut Wichita State’s lead to 37-32 with 1:41 remaining in the second quarter, the Lions’ offense went silent. They failed to score for the remainder of the period. The drought extended deep into the third quarter, lasting a total of 7 minutes and 41 seconds of game time. During this span, the Lions missed nine consecutive field goal attempts and committed four turnovers.

While Loyola Marymount stagnated, Wichita State methodically built its advantage. The Shockers closed the first half on a 5-0 spurt, capped by a Treasure Thompson layup, to lead 37-32 at intermission. They then opened the third quarter with five more unanswered points, with Maimouna Sissoko’s layup at the 9:45 mark pushing the lead to 10 points, the largest of the game to that point. The 10-0 run overall gave Wichita State a 42-32 cushion from which the Lions would spend the rest of the afternoon trying to climb.

Loyola Marymount’s Lawson, a guard from Las Vegas, finally ended the drought with a layup at the 8:57 mark of the third. She and forward Zawadi Ogot, who finished with 11 points, spearheaded the Lions’ attempts to rally. A 7-0 run by LMU late in the fourth quarter, featuring five points from Lawson, closed the gap to 63-61 with 3:07 to play, injecting tension into the final minutes.

Wichita State, however, had an answer each time. Following a timeout, the Shockers executed a play that resulted in a Jaida Mcdonald layup off a Thompson assist to push the lead back to four. After two Maya Hernandez free throws made it 65-63, Mcdonald again scored inside to restore a two-possession advantage with 2:33 left. Mcdonald finished with 12 points and a key defensive presence.

The Lions would get no closer than three points the rest of the way. Wichita State sealed the game at the free-throw line, with Cater and Jaila Harding combining to make five of six attempts in the final 17 seconds. Harding, a hometown guard from Wichita, added 13 points. Cater, a 5-foot-7 guard from PG County, Maryland, was the linchpin, adding two assists in 32 minutes while consistently breaking down the LMU defense.

The game began inauspiciously for both sides, with the teams combining for more turnovers (9) than points (7) through the first six minutes. Wichita State held a narrow 18-15 lead after a back-and-forth first quarter before establishing control with the decisive run bridging the halves.

The Shockers, who entered the game having lost nine of their first ten, found a way to close out a tight game, a skill that had eluded them in several earlier losses. Loyola Marymount, which had won three of its last four, saw its momentum halted by the extended offensive lapse and a defense that forced 18 turnovers.

An announced crowd of 725 at Charles Koch Arena watched Wichita State snap a five-game losing streak. Loyola Marymount will look to rebound quickly, returning home to face Chapman on Tuesday. Wichita State also returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Oral Roberts.