PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The No. 5 Gorillas are ready to jump full speed ahead into league play. The team has not played a game since Dec. 17, 16 days. While most other team's in the league come into this week having played three or four conference games, the Gorillas have only played one. Now the team will not have more than four days between games until between the Southwest Baptist game on Jan. 31 and the Central Oklahoma game on Feb. 7.

Scouting Lindenwood
Lindenwood is 7-3 overall and 1-3 in league games. The team's one conference win was a 70-64 upset of No. 8 Washburn in St. Charles right before the break. The team's three league losses were to Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State and Nebraska-Kearney.
    The Lions average 71.0 points and 43.9 rebounds per game. They outscore opponents by 3.5, as they allow opponents 67.5 ppg, and outrebound them by 8.4 (35.5 opponent rebounds per game). The team hits 43.5 percent of its shots from the floor overall and 29.3 from three-point range. The Lions turn the ball over just over 16 times per game and have a 0.7 assist/turnover ratio.
    Kassidy Gengenbacher leads the team and is second in the MIAA with 21.4 points per game. She has made 19 of the team's 34 three pointers on the season. She also leads the team with 15 steals. Jenny Rocha adds 13.0 points per game. She leads the team with 38 assists on the season. Vanessa Zailo leads the team with 14.3 rebounds per game and 14 blocks.

Scouting Lincoln
The Blue Tigers are 6-4 overall and 1-3 in MIAA play. The team's one conference win was over Nebraska-Kearney in Jefferson City, 90-68, right before the holiday break. Lincoln will play Emporia State in Emporia before traveling to Pittsburg on Monday Lindenwood, Lincoln and Nebraska-Kearney are currently tied for 11th in the league standings
    As a team, the Blue tigers average 69.2 points per game, while allowing opponents 66.6 ppg. The team makes .396 of its shots overall and .292 from long range. Opponents have a .415 shooting percentage against Lincoln and a .337 three-point shooting percentage. Opponents win the rebounding game over Lincoln, 40.9 to 36.5 rebounds per game. The team commits 15.6 turnovers a game and has a 0.8 assist to turnover ratio.
    Four Lincoln players average double figures, led by Kate Frazier with 12.6 ppg. She leads the team with a .547 shooting percentage, 24 steals and 14 blocks. Hunter Yoakum adds 12.0 points per game and is the team's leading three-point shooter, having made 21-of-51 (.412) on the season. Dorian Briggs adds 11.9 ppg, though she has missed one game. Kelsey Williams scores 10.6 ppg and leads the team in assists with 31. She has missed two games this season. Lizzie Nessling leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game.

Scouting Pittsburg State
    The first 10 games have been outstanding for the Gorillas, minus a small hiccup against Rockhurst just after Thanksgiving. The Gorillas have earned wins over then No. 10 Concordia-St. Paul and No. 7 Drury, as well as additional wins over central regional opponents, Bemidji State, Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth and Henderson State and the first conference game of the season over Northwest Missouri. These wins vaulted Pitt State to a No. 10 ranking in the first regular season poll of the season. The win over Drury pushed the Gorillas to No. 8, the then-highest ranking for a Lane Lord led Gorilla team. The Gorillas are now sitting at No. 5.
    Pitt State averages 78.8 points per game, while holding opponents to 56.2 ppg. The Gorillas shoot almost .500 from the floor, at .472, while hitting .356 from long range. Pitt State outrebounds opponents 37.3 to 34.1. The Gorillas only average 13 turnovers a game, while opponents turn the ball over 19 times a game.
    First-team All-American Lizzy Jeronimus leads three Gorillas in double figures with 19.7 points per game, the third leading scorer in the MIAA. She has led the Gorillas in scoring in six of the first 10 games. She pulls down 6.3 rebounds per game and leads the team in assists with 33. Kylie Gafford adds 12.4 points per game and is also second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. The 6-2 junior also leads the team in blocks with  20 and is second in steals with 16. She and Jeronimus are the team's leading free throw shooters, with Gafford making 38-of-47 (.809), and Jeronimus making 64-of-75 (.853). Cathy Brugman adds 11.1 points per game. She has been the team's leading scorer three times this season. She adds 4.4 rpg and has blocked 15 shots. She is second in assists with 22.
    Mikaela Burgess comes off the bench to add 8.0 ppg for the Gorillas. She led the team with 19 in the first game of the season against No. 10 Concordia. She is just behind Gafford with 15 steals. She and senior Morgan Westhoff are the team's leading three-point shooters. Burgess has made 17-of-43, while Westhoff has made 16-of-41. Hadyn Herlocker is quickly earning the nickname "Swiper" as she comes off the bench to lead the Gorillas with 18 steals, while averaging only 13 minutes a game. She has gotten 12 of those 18 steals in just two games.

PSU vs. Lindenwood
Pitt State is a 3-0 all-time against the Lions. The Gorillas have won both MIAA meetings between the tow teams, both in St. Charles. The only other time the two teams met was Dec. 20, 1997. Pitt State won the game 84-52 in Pittsburg.

PSU vs. Lincoln
Although LIncoln is a fairly new member of the MIAA, they are no strangers to the Gorillas, as the teams are former conference foes. Pitt State lost its first game ever to the Blue Tigers in the opening round of the 2012 MIAA Tournament, 83-77. Pitt State is 12-0 at home and 12-0 in Jefferson City, while holding a  2-1 record at neutral sites.
    The largest margin of victory in the series was 53 points in a 78-35 win in Pittsburg on Dec. 12, 1998. Pittsburg has won games agaisnt Lincoln by at least 10 points in 20 of the 22 meetings.
    Pitt State won the game in Pittsburg in 2012 by just five points. The narrow vicotry was the second smallest margin of victory over for the Gorillas against the Blue Tigers.

In the Polls
    Pittsburg State has made a big jump in the polls to the top 10. Pitt State appeared in the first regular season poll at No. 10. The team moved to No. 8 the next week, then No. 6 and moved to No. 5 in the last poll before the holidya break.        The Gorillas opened the season ranked No. 24 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Preseason Poll.
    Four Pitt State opponents were ranked in the top 25 to start the season, No. 3 Drury, No. 7 Emporia State, No. 10 Concordia St. Paul and No. 20 Central Missouri. Three additional opponents were receiving votes, Wingate, Washburn and Truman State.
    Currently Emporia State is No. 1, Washburn, 8, Drury, 16, and Missouri Southern, 22. Central Missouri,   Fort Hays State, Concordia, Northeastern State and Truman are all receiving votes.

Up Next
Pitt State plays its first MIAA road games next week. The team will travel to Warrensburg to take on the Central Missouri Jennies on Thursday, followed by a Saturday game at Missouri Western. Thursday's tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., while Saturday's is 1:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.

Road Warriors
The Pitt State women are road warriors this season. The team has played only one home game in the first 11. The team will play a total of only 10 home games this season, all of them conference games. Luckily four of the team's next six games are at home.