PITTSBURG -- The Pitt State Gorilla women's basketball team recorded its third consecutive 20-win season, as it knocked off No. 5 Fort Hays State, 79-69, on Thursday (Feb. 11) night in John Lance Arena. This marks the Gorillas' third upset of a top-20 ranked team this season.
 
The Gorillas notabaly went 8-9 from the field within the first five minutes of play. They took the lead early in the first quarter and never looked back. Following Cathy Brugman and Paige Lungwitz layups, Mikaela Burgess drained her first two attempts behind the arc sparking a 13-2 run for Pitt State. FHSU regrouped and cut the lead to just four with 2:35 remaining. The Gorillas managed to score 22 points in just the first quarter for a 22-18 lead.

A jumper from FHSU's Chelsea Mason shortened the deficit to two at the start of the second quarter, but a layup by Burgess resulted in a 9-0 Gorilla run. The Tigers slowly started to diminish the lead thereafter but had no match for the Gorilla offense in the first half.
 
Pitt State kicked off the second half with a huge 11-1 run. Before Mason ceased the run with a shot from the paint, Brugman took a shot underneath to give the Gorillas their largest advantage of the game by sixteen at 8:38 in the fourth. Fort Hays made a desperate three to cut the lead to seven with 44 seconds left of play. The timeout called afterwards did not contribute to the Tiger's last efforts, as Hadyn Herlocker and Paige Imhoff drew fouls to add the last five points on the board with 23 seconds left.
 
Burgess scorched the Tigers with 21 points, 18 of which came from the first half of play, marking her seventh 20+ game of the season. Her 50 percent accuracy from long range was fundamental to the team's .421 shooting percentage overall. Lungwitz finished with a career-high 14 points. Herlocker pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, dished out six assists and pitched in 14 points. Cathy Brugman and Kylie Gafford added 11 and 12 points, respectively.
 
Chelsea Mason (15), Beth Bohuslavksy (14) and Jill Faxon (13) all reached double figures for the Tigers. Mason also had nine rebounds.
 
The Gorillas will play their final home game  of the 2015-16 season on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Nebraska-Kearney. Seniors Cathy Brugman and Kylie Gafford will be honored immediately following the game.