PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will wrap up a three-game homestand Saturday (Jan. 16) when the Gorillas play host to MIAA rival Missouri Southern State University. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (CST) at John Lance Arena.

The Records
Pitt State is 8-8 overall and 3-7 in MIAA play. The Gorillas split a pair of home games last week, posting an 80-69 win over the University of Central Missouri on Jan. 7 before dropping an 83-71 decision to Southwest Baptist University last Saturday (Jan. 9).

The Gorillas, who have slid into a tie for 13th place in the MIAA standings, snapped a six-game losing streak with the victory over the Mules.

Missouri Southern is 10-6 overall, 7-3 in the MIAA and positioned in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings (along with Lindenwood and Northwest Missouri).
The Lions enter Saturday's action on a two-game winning streak. MSSU defeated SBU, 80-63, at Joplin, Mo., on Jan. 7 and UCM, 100-89, at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center two days later.

Head Coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff is in his sixth 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 an 84-75 (.528) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.

Muff was named the 2015 MIAA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to a 16-11 regular season record and a tie for third-place in the MIAA standings. Pitt State was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team league in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll after posting an 8-18 (4-15 MIAA) mark the previous season.

He then guided the Gorillas to a perfect 4-0 record in the MIAA Postseason Tournament, helping the Gorillas become the first No. 5 seed to claim the championship. Pitt State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and finished the 2014-15 campaign with a 20-12 overall record.

Saturday's action will be Muff's 10th match-up against MSSU. He has a 4-5 record against the Lions.

Series History
Pitt State and MSSU will meet for the 96th time Saturday in a series that dates all the way back to the 1969 season – MSSU's first year as a four-year college.  The Lions hold a slight 50-45 edge in the series, but the Gorillas are 30-16 against MSSU in Pittsburg.

The two teams split a pair of match-ups last season. The Lions claimed a 66-63 regular season victory at John Lance Arena on Feb. 21, 2015.

Pitt State and Southern met again in the Finals of the 2014-15 MIAA Postseason Tournament and the Gorillas cut down the nets at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., on Mar. 8, 2015, with a 91-65 victory over the Lions.

Trey Starks scored a game-high 24 points in the contest and secured Tournament MVP honors following the win over Southern helping Pitt State earn an automatic qualifying berth to the NCAA-II National Tournament and secure the program's 11th 20-win season.

Gorillas at Home
Pitt State has compiled a 387-182 (.680) record in 569 career games played at John Lance Arena (1970-present).

The Gorillas have posted a 207-72 (.742) record on their home floor during the past 21 seasons (1997-2016), including a school record 40 straight home wins between Jan. 10, 1997 and Feb. 22, 1999. Pitt State is 49-24 (.671) at home during the past six seasons under Coach Muff.

All told, the Gorillas have compiled an 831-343 (.708) all-time home record, winning 70.8 percent of their 1,174 home games.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have three players averaging in double figures on the season: junior guard Josiah Gustafson (15.4 ppg), senior guard Trey Starks (13.7 ppg) and sophomore guard Dakota Jones (10.7 ppg).
Gustafson (6-6, 180) is averaging a team-leading 15.4 points per game thus far.  The Omaha, Neb., native has coverted 82 of 171 shots (.480) from the field, 34 of 70 3-point field goals (.486) and 49 of 56 free throws (.875) in 32.2 minutes of action per game. He also is averaging a team-leading 5.3 rebounds as well as 1.4 assists per game.

Gustafson ranks 11th in the MIAA in scoring. He ranks second the MIAA in 3-point field goal percentage and third in the league in free throw percentage.

Gustafson made 38 consecutive free throws between Nov. 14 and Jan. 2.

He scored a career-high 34 points in the Gorillas 100-97 victory over William Jewell on Nov. 19.  He was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Nov. 30, after averaging 21.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in a pair of victories at Denver, Colo., against Regis and Metro State.

Gustafson started all 32 games as a sophomore in 2014-15 in the Pitt State program, averaging 15.5 points per game. He ranked eighth in the MIAA in scoring and fifth in the league in free throw percentage (.838, 124-148).

For his career, Gustafson has scored 953 points in 74 games, averaging 12.9 points per game.

Starks (6-0, 190) is averaging 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the year.

The Springfield, Mo., native is shooting 46.4 percent from the field (65-of-140) and he's made 66 of 82 free throw attempts (.805) on the season. He matched his career high with 24 points in the Gorillas' 80-62 road win over Regis on Nov. 27.

Starks averaged 12.3 points in Pitt State's final 12 games in 2014-15, after taking the court for the first time with the Gorillas on Feb. 7.

He scored a season-high 24 points in the finals of the MIAA Tournament against Missouri Southern (Mar. 8) to help the Gorillas claim the tournament title. Starks was named the MIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, averaging 15.3 points per game in Pitt State's four victories.

Jones is averaging 10.7 points and 1.8 assists per game. The Warrensburg, Mo., native is shooting 43.9 percent from the field (54-of-123), including 47.3 percent from 3-point range (26-of-55). He's also converted 37 of 44 free throws (.841) on the season.

Jones tallied a career-high 23 points vs. Northeastern State on Dec. 2. He also scored 23 points and converted five of seven 3-point field goals against Missouri Western on Dec. 10. Jones ranks sixth in the MIAA in free throw percentage. He would rank third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage but does not meet the 2.0 per game minimum of makes to qualify for a ranking.

Additionally, four Pitt State players are averaging between 5.4 and 9.1 points on the year:  senior forward Lamine Dieng (9.1 ppg), senior guard Javis Flynn (8.9 ppg), sophomore guard Jaxon Holden (7.5 ppg) and freshman guard Chris Owens (5.4 ppg)

Dieng is averaging 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on the season, while shooting a team-high 58.6 percent from the field (65-of-111).

The Thies, Senegal native logged his first career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds against Newman on Nov. 17. He also scored 18 points in the road win against Regis on Nov. 27.

Flynn is averaging 8.9 points, an MIAA-leading 5.3 assists as well as 2.0 steals per game. The Watonga, Okla., native scored a career-high 19 points in the Gorillas' win vs. William Jewell (Nov. 19) and matched that total against Fort Hays State (Jan. 2). He dished out 10 helpers in the win vs. St. Cloud State (Nov. 14); and he currently ranks second in the MIAA in steals.
Flynn led the MIAA in assists and steals last season. He also converted 17 of 45 3-point field goal attempts (.378) on the year.

His 76 steals and his 160 assists both ranked as the second highest single season totals in school history.  Flynn set the Pitt State single game assist record with 12 helpers vs. Emporia State on Jan. 14. He twice made a season-high seven steals, including vs. Minnesota State-Moorhead in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Holden (6-1, 185) scored 19 points in his Pitt State debut on Nov. 13 vs. Minnesota State. The Flower Mound, Texas native is averaging 7.5 points on the season. He suffered a concussion five minutes into the Newman game on Nov. 17. He missed five games, before returning to the lineup in a reserve role vs. Missouri Western on Dec. 10.

Holden came to Pitt State after one season at Stephen F. Austin University where he played in 17 games for the Lumberjacks as a freshman in 2014-15 and helped SFA to a 29-5 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Owens (6-4, 180) is averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 15.3minutes of action. The Springdale, Ark., native scored 10 points and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds against Metro State on Nov. 28. He scored a season-high 15 points against William Jewell (Nov. 19).

As a team, the Gorillas are averaging 75.9 points per game and shooting 48.1 percent from the field (403-of-838). Pitt State also is shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range (105-of-265) and 74.1 percent from the free throw line (304-of-410). The Gorillas are +1.2 in the rebounding margin department.

Defensively, Pitt State is allowing 77.2 points per game while its opponents are shooting 49.0 percent from the field (424-of-866), 43.0 percent from 3-point range (128-of-298) and 72.0 percent from the free throw line (260-of-361).

Pitt State ranks fourth in the MIAA in field goal percentage, but the squad is 13th in the league in field goal percentage defense. The Gorillas are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    4    Josiah Gustafson, 6-6, 190, Jr., Omaha, Neb.
    F    20    Lamine Dieng, 6-8, 230, Sr., Thies, Senegal
    G    3    Javis Flynn, 5-10, 170, Sr., Watonga, Okla.
    G    21    Jaxon Holden, 6-1, 185, So., Flower Mound, Texas
    G    32    Dakota Jones, 5-11, 175, So., Warrensburg, Mo.