PITTSBURG, Kan. — Six players scored in double figures, including three off the bench, as the No. 8 Pitt State women's basketball team (9-1, 1-0 MIAA) cruised to a 85-59 win over Northwest Missouri (3-6, 0-2 MIAA) on Saturday (Dec. 6) in John Lance Arena.

Cathy Brugman led the Gorillas with 15 points, 13 of which she scored in the first half. Lizzy Jeronimus was just short of a not-so-conventional double-double as she scored 12 points and dished out nine assists. Kylie Gafford added 10 points. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Mikaela Burgess led the players off the bench with 13 points. Morgan Westhoff contributed 12 and Elena Flott, 10. 

Jeronimus, Burgman, Flott and Paige Lungwitz shared the rebounding lead with six a piece. The Gorillas outrebounded the Bearcats, 36-30.

The Gorillas shot 57 percent (17-30) from the floor in the first half and 45 percent for the game. They hit 10 threes, including six in the first half. Burgess hit 3-of-6, while Westhoff was a perfect 4-for-4. Pitt State made 21-of-24 free throws on the night, with perfet charity shooting from Gafford, Jeronimus, Brigit Hesser, Brugman and Lungwitz. 

Pitt State started the game on a 13-2 run and already had a double-digit lead with 16:31 to go in the game. Northwest would not come closer than six from that point on. The team took its first 20-point lead on free throws by Brugman with 6:14 to go in the first half. Pitt State led 53-31 at the half.

The Gorillas allowed five points in the first four minutes of the second half, but then went on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 73-36 lead. A jumper by Burgess with with 5:09 to go gave the Gorillas their largest lead of the game, 84-42. 

Pitt State will have the next week off to take finals. The team will then travel to Hawaii for the Maliki Sports Tours Oahu Classic in Honolulu. The team will face BYU-Hawaii on Tuesday (Dec. 16) and Wingate on Wednesday (Dec. 17). Both games will tip at 2 p.m. central time.