PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will hit the road for a pair of MIAA match-ups. The Gorillas will take on defending NCAA Division II national champion University of Central Missouri Thursday (Jan. 8) at Warrensburg, Mo., before facing Missouri Western State University Saturday (Jan. 10) at St. Joseph, Mo.

Tipoff for Thursday's game against the 17th-ranked Mules is set for 7:30 p.m. (CST) at the UCM Multi-purpose Building, while Saturday's match-up against the Griffons is slated for 3:30 p.m. at the Looney Athletic Center.

The Records
Pitt State is 7-5 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA heading into Thursday's match-up against UCM. The Gorillas, who currently sit in third place in the MIAA standings, have won six of their last seven games after opening the season with a 1-4 slate.

Pitt State bounced back from its first loss of the season – a hard-fought 69-65 decision against Lindenwood University on Jan. 3 – to post a 74-50 victory over Lincoln University in its most recent action Monday (Jan. 5).

UCM is 12-2 overall, 3-2 in MIAA action and ranked No. 17 in the most recent NABC/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Mules, currently sixth in the conference standings, claimed a 63-60 road win over Washburn University in their last action Monday (Jan. 5), after dropping a 65-64 decision on the road against the University of Nebraska-Kearney two days earlier.

Western is 6-6 overall, 2-3 in the MIAA and tied for ninth place in the conference standings heading into a Thursday home match-up against Emporia State . The Griffons posted an 81-77 road win over Nebraska-Kearney in their last outing on Jan. 5, two days after suffering an 85-60 road loss to Washburn University.

Head coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff is in his fifth season leading the Gorillas. Muff (Kansas State, '86) became the Gorillas' 14th all-time head coach on Apr. 5, 2010, after spending 12 seasons at Cloud County Community College, where he helped the Thunderbirds to an average of 21 wins in each of the last five seasons.

He has a 63-60 (.512) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.  This will be his second meeting vs. ATU. Muff is 2-6 vs. the Mules. He has a 5-1 record vs. Western.

Series History
Pitt State will meet UCM for the 112th time in series history Thursday. The Mules hold a 69-42 edge against the Gorillas, including a 43-12 advantage in games played at Warrensburg, Mo.  UCM has won nine straight home meetings against Pitt State.

Last Meeting (vs. UCM):  The Mules posted an 88-62 victory over the Gorillas in Pittsburg on Jan. 9, 2014.

Kyle Wolf led four UCM players in double figures with a game-high 18 points as the Mules shot 52.7 percent from the field (29 of 55). Devon Branch scored a team-leading 17 points for the Gorillas.

The Gorillas are 31-37 all-time against the Griffons, but just 11-22 vs. Western at St. Joseph, Mo. Pitt State has posted wins in each of its last two visits to St. Joseph.

Last Meeting (vs. MWSU):  Jake Bullard made five of six free throws in the game's final minute as the Gorillas claimed an 85-82 home win over the Griffons on Jan. 11, 2014.

Bullard scored a game-high 19 points and Pitt State led by as many as nine points in the contest.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has two players scoring in double figures on the season: sophomore guard Josiah Gustafson (16.6 ppg) and senior guard Devon Branch (15.8 ppg). Junior forward Lamine Dieng is averaging just under double figures on the year (9.3 ppg).

Branch (6-6, 180) is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor, converting 70 of 129 shots on the season. He's also contributing 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The Aberdeen, Md., native has led the Gorillas in scoring five times this season, helping the squad to a 4-1 record in those games.

Gustafson (6-6, 190) is shooting 48.2 percent from the field (68 of 141), including 17 of 39 (.436) from 3-point range. The Omaha, Neb., native also has made 46 of 56 (.821) free throw attempts. Gustafson has scored 20 or more points five times this season, including each of the Gorillas' last two outings.

Dieng made his Pitt State debut against West Texas A&M on Nov. 26. The Thies, Senegal native redshirted in 2013-14 and missed the Gorillas' first three games this season. He has averaged 9.3 points and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds thus far. Dieng (6-8, 240) had a season-best 18 points and nine rebounds vs. Newman (Dec. 2). He had 12 points and nine rebounds in his Pitt State debut vs. WTAMU (Nov. 26).

Sophomore forward Trevor Gregory (6-7, 235) also chips in with 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while junior guard Javis Flynn (5-10, 170) adds 5.7 points and a team-leading 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game.  Flynn scored seven points and snared a season-best seven steals in the Gorillas'  road win against SBU (Dec. 20).

As a team, Pitt State has averaged 72.2 points per game, shooting 48.6 percent from the floor (300 of 617), 39.9 percent from 3-point range (59 of 158) and 72.1 percent from the free throw line (207 of 287).

The opposition has averaged 69.1 points per game and shot 45.5 percent from the field (273 of 600).

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    20    Lamine Dieng, 6-8, 240, Jr., Thies, Senegal
    F    24    Trevor Gregory, 6-7, 235, So., Lee's Summit, Mo.
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Jr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 190, So., Omaha, Neb.
    G    5    Devon Branch, 6-6, 180, Sr., Aberdeen, Md.

Scouting the Mules
UCM has two players scoring in double figures – senior guard Rakeem Dickerson (13.6 ppg) and senior forward Dillon Deck (11.6 ppg) – and three more players scoring more than eight points a game –  senior guard T.J. White (9.7 ppg), sophomore forward Kyle Wolf (9.4 ppg) and senior forward Brennen Hughes (8.4 ppg).

Deck, who has played in a reserve role in UCM's first 14 games, is shooting a team-best 59.3 percent from the field (64 of 108) and White is leading the squad in rebounding (6.5 rpg). Wolf has made a team-leading 27 3-pointers (1.9 pg).

The Mules are averaging 78.2 points per game and shooting 51.2 percent from the field on the season.

UCM Probable Starters
    F    10    Brennen Hughes, 6-6, 240, Sr., Moberly, Mo.
    F    33    Kyle Wolf, 6-6, 205, So., Lenexa, Kan.
    G    4    Preston Brunz, 6-1, 180, Sr., Mankato, Minn.
    G    05    Rakeem Dickerson, 6-0, 180, Sr., Little Rock, Ark.
    G    12    T.J. White, 6-1, 185, Sr., Raytown, Mo.

Scouting the Griffons
Western has one player scoring in double figures – senior guard Cortrez Colbert (13.5 ppg) – and three players scoring more than seven points a game – junior forward Kevin Thomas (9.6 ppg), freshman guard Cole Clearman (7.9 ppg) and freshman forward Currie Byrd (7.2 ppg).

Thomas is shooting a team-leading 51.7 percent from the field and grabbing a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game. Colbert and sophomore g Aaron Emmanuel share the team lead in assists (2.3 apg).

As a team, Western has averaged 71.4 points per game and shot 43.3percent from the field.

MWSU Probable Starters
    G    0    Aaron Emmanuel, 6-1, 180, So., Toronto, Canada
    G    1    Cortrez Colbert, 6-2, 180, Sr., Midwest City, Okla.
    G    2    Cole Clearman, 6-0, 185, Fr., Betterdorf, Iowa
    F    21    Hans Thun, 6-5, 195, Sr., Oklahoma City, Okla.
    F    24    Kevin Thomas, 6-8, 240, Jr., Toronto, Canada