It was the day that Weber State University supporters and fans were waiting for: it was the day the basketball program was prepared for, it was the day where history would be made.
The day began when snowflakes slowly covered the frozen Ogden streets, temperatures dipped below 20 degrees and the clock finally struck midnight. It was now February 6, it was now Coronation Day.
Senior guard Jerrick Harding entered the Dee Events Center in search of a victory, but everyone else in the arena knew that history was going to be made that night. When the final buzzer sounded and the Wildcats secured the win, MVP chants from the student section echoed, and Harding walked off the floor signing autographs for kids. The moment sunk in. Jerrick Harding was now the all-time scoring king for the Weber State Wildcats.
Coming into the night, 24 points were between him and the top spot. Sacramento State is one of the best defensive teams in the conference, and they knew to be ready for a big night, but no one knew quite what to expect.
On a cold day in Ogden, Harding’s hot hand carried him past the record for career points in program history… it only took one half.
He tortured Sac State defenders with quick drives to the basket, crafty step-back jumpers, and contact finishes. The record-breaker came at the very end of the half after he drove and finished a floater with contact to give him his 25th point, and the crowd at the Dee Events Center was alerted that he now was on top of the leaderboard.
The Wildcats ran out for the second half, and the Hornets had to deal with more Harding-induced headaches as he torched them once more to finish the game with 44 points. 44 points is a Dee Events Center record. It was previously held by a Montana player in a game that older WSU fans don’t like to talk about too much.
When the game was over, it felt like there was a spotlight on Jerrick as he completed a TV interview, walked around high-fiving fans and began his march back to the locker room.
“It’s very special. Ogden is my second home. It’s flown by fast, already four years. I just love it here,” Harding said about the reception he got after the game.
When Jerrick Harding is mentioned, he’ll no longer just be known as a special talent. It is now mandatory to refer to him as Weber State’s all-time scoring leader, the scoring king of WSU.
