The memory of that Feb. 12 meeting with Southern Illinois was still fresh in the minds of the Wichita State women’s basketball team.
A 10-point WSU lead turned into a three-point loss last month, and in Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference quarterfinal another lead seemed on the verge of slipping away as the Salukis had cut a seven-point deficit down to just one in the fourth quarter.
But the Shockers avoided another collapse, ramping up the defense in the final six minutes to grab a 73-60 win and a date with top-seeded Drake at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the iWireless Center.