MINOT, N.D. -- The Pittsburg State women's basketball team got the 2015-16 season off to a great start with an 18 point, 78-60, win on the road over regional foe Minot State on Friday (November 13) night.

Senior Kylie Gafford scored her number with 23 points on the night to lead all scorers and four Gorillas in double figures. Sophomores Mikaela Burgess and Elena Flott each added 11 and senior Caty Brugman scored 10. 13 players got in the game, with 10 of them scoring. Many different players contributed in different ways in the game. Hadyn Herlocker led the team in assists with six. Madison Nortcutt was the team's rebounding leader with seven boards off the bench. Paige Lungwitz added six more. Paige Imhoff came off the bench and contributed three steals. Burgess hit three threes and Brenlee McPherson added two more, combining for five of the team's eight on the night. 

Pitt State shot .423 from the floor, while holding Minot to .351 shooting. The Gorillas won the rebounding battle by onelt two, 39-37, but were able to score 12 second chance points.

The Beavers scored the first points of the game, but the Gorillas took over from their, scoring 16 unanswered before free throws would break up the Pitt State run. The PSU defense held Minot State without a basket from the floor for nine minutes of the 10 minute first quarter, as the team led 19-6 at the first break. 

The Gorilla lead continued to build in the second quarter as the defense did not let Minot hit double figures until the 2:58 mark in the second quarter. Pitt State led by 20, 29-19 at the half. 

PSU's largest lead of the game was 29, 51-22, on a Brugman jumper with 7:58 to go in the third quarter. Back-to-back threes by the Beavers chipped away at the lead, but Pitt State kept it above 20 until a late Minot State layup with only three seconds left in the game.

The Gorillas now travel to Bismarck, N.D. to take on the University of Mary Marauders at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 14 to finish out the MIAA/NSIC Conference Challenge.