PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The No. 7 Gorillas will play their final home games this week in John Lance Arena. The team will take on Northeastern State at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and play the annual State Farm Trophy Series game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Missouri Southern.
Saturday is also senior day. Pittsburg State will recognize the five seniors, Brigit Hesser, Lizzy Jeronimus, Nett Reed, Hailey Roderique and Morgan Westhoff, immediately after the game.
Also on Friday night, Pitt State will host its annual Alumni game. The women's game beings and 7 p.m. and the men's game at 8 p.m. All former men's and women's players are invited to come back for the game, social hour and the game on Satruday.
Scouting Northeastern State
Northeastern State is 10-12 overall and 6-9 in MIAA play. Most recently, the RiverHawks lost a 83-58 decision to Washburn in Topeka, after earning a 58-56 overtime win over Emporia State in Emporia just a week ago.
The RiverHawks are outscored by their opponents 61.3 to 55.3 ppg. Opponents also have a large rebounding margin over NSU, 41.0 to 32.3 rpg. The team has a .372 shooting percentage, including a .305 percentage from beyond the arc. The team turns the ball over 13.3 times per game.
Chelsey Beathard is the only RiverHawk player averaging double figures with 10.6 ppg. Fontana Tate is just under double figures with 9.3 ppg. The two are the team's top three-point shooters, with Tate having made 40 on the season and Beatherd, 35. Kate Bellamy leads the team with 4.4 rebounds per game, though Tate is just behind with 4.2 rpg. Bellamy leads the team in steals (22), Tate in assists (37) and Beatherd in blocks (11).
Scouting Missouri Southern
Missouri Southern is 16-6 overall and 10-5 in MIAA play. The team is receiving votes in the WBCA Poll and is currently fourth in the MIAA standings. Most recently, the team earned a 81-69 win over Missouri Western in Joplin. The team will host Southwest Baptist on Wednesday before coming to Pittsburg on Saturday.
The Lions score 69.9 ppg, 10.6 ppg more than their opponents. The team hits 41.9 percent of its shots overall and 35.7 percent from long range. They make six threes a game. The team outrebounds is opponents by just over five rebounds a game, 36.7 to 31.3 rpg. Missouri Southern turns the ball over 15.6 times per game.
Sharese Jones (14.3 ppg) and Nicole Hartzog (13.5 ppg) lead the Lions. Jones also leads the team in rebounds (7.5 rpg). Hartzog is the team's steals leader with 54 on the season. Jolee Sharp leads the team with 22 threes made on the season, though nine different players have made 10 or more threes on the season. Camila Lacerda leads the team with 48 assists.
Scouting Pittsburg State
After a win over the-No. 2 Fort Hays State, the Gorillas have moved back up to NO. 7 in the WBCA poll. The team is currently second in the MIAA standings. The team has recorded 20 wins in a season in back-to-back seasons for only the second time in school history and the first time in 22 years. With the 23 wins so far on the season, the Gorillas are just four wins away from the school record for single season wins.
The Gorillas have earned four wins over ranked teams this season, Concordia-St. Paul in the first game of the season, Drury, right after Thanksgiving, Washburn and, most recently, Fort Hays State. They also earned a win over Central Missouri, who was receiving votes. Two of the team's three losses were to ranked teams, then No. 3 Emporia State and No. 17 Fort Hays State
Pitt State outscores its opponents by 16.9 ppg, 74.5 to 57.6 ppg. The team also wins the rebounding game by 4.7, 39.3 rpg to 34.5 rpg. Pitt State hits 44 percent of its shots overall and 32.8 percent from long range. The Gorillas have a 1.0 assist/turnover ratio, committing 12.7 turnovers per game, with 12.7 assists.
Lizzy Jeronimus leads the team with 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in assists with 59. She is the team's leading free throw shooter, having made 153-of-178 (.860) on the season. Jeronimus has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and has scored 20 points or more in 14 games.
Junior Kylie Gafford also scores in double figures with 11.1 points and adds 5.8 rebounds per game. She leads the team in blocks with 43 and steals with 33. Gafford has scored in double figures in 19 of 26 games this season. Cathy Brugman is just under double figures with 9.5 ppg. She adds 35 assists, 34 blocks and 14 steals on the season. She, Mikaela Burgess, Morgan Westhoff, Gafford and Jeronimus have each led the team in scoring in games this season. Gafford, Jeronimus, Burgess, Brugman, Elena Flott, Antqunita Reed and Hailey Roderique have each led the team in rebounding. Burgess averages 7.2 points per game. Antqunita Reed gets 6.5 ppg. She missed all the first semester games due to injury.
Morgan Westhoff is the team's leading three-point shooter, having made 44-of-102 threes this season for a .431 shooting percentage. She led the team with 23 points after hitting seven threes in the home meeting with Central Oklahoma.
Brigit Hesser is third on the team in assists with 50 and has a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio. Herlocker has had two different games this season where she has had six steals and is second on the team with 27 steals. She is also second on the team with 52 assists and has a 2.3 assist/turnover ratio, third best in the MIAA. She made her first start of the season against Washburn. While Hailey Roderique and Paige Lungwitz have not scored a lot for the Gorillas, the make their presence felt on defense. Roderique has 21 steals on the season, while Lungwitz has 13, though much of their contributions aren't seen in a stat sheet.
PSU vs. Northeastern State
After a sweep of the Riverhawks last season and a win in the fist meeting this season, the Gorillas lead the all-time series with Northeastern State, 14-11. The Gorillas lead the series in Pittsburg 8-4 and at neutral sites, 2-1, but the Riverhawks lead in Tahlequah 6-3. The longest streak of wins in the series was six by the Northeastern from Jan. 4, 1985 to Nov. 25,1988. Pitt State's longest string of wins has been four from Dec. 18, 1991 to Dec. 6, 1996, as well as the team;s current four-game streak. The most points scored by either team in a game has been 79 twice by Pitt State in a 79-76 win in Pittsburg on Dec. 18, 1993 and a 79-62 win in Bolivar, Mo. on Dec. 6, 1996. The largest margin of victory in the series was 23 (71-48) points by PSU in the Jan. 7, 1984 meeting in Pittsburg. NSU's largest margin of victory has been 22 points on Jan. 10, 1987. The teams have met eight times over the last three seasons. Pitt State has won six of those games. Each of the last six games has been decided by double figures, including both games last season.
PSU vs. Missouri Southern
Pitt State leads the series with Missouri Southern 44-40 after winning five of the last six meetings. Pitt State won the last meeting between the two teams.
Each team leads at its home venue, with Pitt State leading 25-16 in Pittsburg and Missouri Southern leading 23-18 in Joplin. The teams are tied 1-1 at neutral sites. Pitt State has won seven of the last 10 meetings. Missouri Southern opened the series, which began on Dec. 13, 1974, with an eight game win streak. PSU did not earn its first win in the series until a one-point victory on Dec. 6, 1978 in Pittsburg.
The Gorillas did earn the longest win streak in the series, winning 10 straight from Jan. 28, 1998 to Feb. 13, 2002. The streak ended when Missouri Southern earned a 69-65 win over Pitt State in the MIAA Tournament on Feb. 25, 2002.
The largest margin of victory by either team in the series was a 87-44 (43 points) win by Missouri Southern on Feb. 15, 2006. Pitt State's biggest win was a 35-point (80-45) win on Feb. 16, 2000.
The State Farm Trophy
Series
The State Farm Trophy Series is a cooperative effort between MSSU, PSU and State Farm to reward and honor the athletics department 12 sports in which both departments compete. The school with the most points at the end of the year will be presented the State Farm Trophy Series trophy. Pittsburg State has won both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 State Farm Trophy Series battles, 7-6. Missouri Southern leads the current series 3-1 after winning the points for both men's and women's cross country and volleyball. Pitt State won the football point.
In the Polls
With the win over Fort Hays State, the Gorillas move up to NO. 7 in the WBCA poll from No. 10 the last two weeks. The previous No. 2 ranking ties the highest ranking ever by a Pitt State squad. The Gorillas were also ranked No. 2 on January 2, 1995, the first poll of the 1994-95 season
Pitt State appeared in the first regular season poll at No. 10 and has been in the top 10 every since. 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 Fort Hays State State is No. 5, Emporia State, 13, and Drury, 11. Washburn and Missouri Southern are receiving votes.
Up Next
The regular season ends next week with trips to Emporia State on Wednesday and Washburn on Saturday.
The Senior Class
Pitt State's seniors have been program builder's for the Gorillas over the last four years. Brigit Hesser, Lizzy Jeronimus, Nett Reed, Hailey Roderique and Morgan Westhoff have done things that no other group of seniors in the history of the program have been able to do.
The five helped the Gorillas win the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament game as freshman on the way to winning a Central Regional and reaching the program's first-ever Elite Eight. They have been a part of many amazing wins, including back-to-back wins over Washburn and Emporia to end the season last year and Saturday's win over No. 2 Fort Hays State.
Over the last four year the five seniors have amassed a 90-27 record and have never lost more than 10 games in any one season, while winning 20 games or more three times. Together they have scored 3,828 points (32.7 ppg).
