PITTSBURG — For the second time in program history, the Pittsburg State University women's basketball is headed to the NCAA Elite Eight.
 
The second-seeded Gorillas (29-5), winners of 18 of their last 19 games, posted a 78-74 victory over top-seeded Emporia State University (28-6) before a partisan crowd of 2,891 fans at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court to claim the NCAA Division II Central Regional title.
 
Pitt State advances to the Elite Eight at Sioux Falls, S.D., where the Gorillas will meet Midwest Regional champion Grand Valley State University Tuesday, Mar. 22, at 8:30 p.m. (CST) at the Sanford Pentagon.
 
Pitt State evened the season series with ESU in taking the regional crown. The two teams traded road victories during the regular season and the Lady Hornets, making their fifth straight trip to the NCAA Sweet 16, knocked off the Gorillas, 80-66, in the finals of the MIAA Championships at Kansas City, Mo., on Mar. 6.
 
Two nights after scoring a career high 31 points in a 91-80 overtime victory over Arkansas Tech University in the regional semifinals, senior forward Cathy Brugman secured Regional MVP honors with a game-high 27-point scoring effort. Brugman made eight of 19 shots from the floor and 10 of 10 free throws.
 
Pitt State owned a 12-point advantage at the charity stripe. The Gorillas made 26 of 31 foul shots, while the Lady Hornets converted 14 of 19 attempts at the free throw line.
 
Pitt State took a 32-27 lead to the intermission and the Gorillas scored 16 of the first 22 points in the third quarter to build a 13-point cushion, 48-35, on Paige Lungwitz' 3-pointer with 5:32 remaining in the period.
 
The Lady Hornets battled back with a 12-2 run to trim the margin to 50-47 with 1:47 remaining in the period of Kelsey Barnwell's driving shot.
 
The Gorillas took a six-point lead (55-49) to the fourth quarter, but ESU eventually pulled even at 60-60 on Sandra Ngoie's 3-pointer with 4:37 to play in the game.
 
Brugman helped Pitt State reclaim the lead 17 seconds later with her driving basket and the Gorillas never relinquished the lead down the stretch.
 
Pitt State went in front 72-64 on Hadyn Herlocker's two free throws with 1:20 to go, but the Lady Hornets forced a pair of turnovers and added a basket by Kathryn Flott and a three-point play by Addie Lackey to trim their deficit to 72-69 with 40 ticks left.
 
Brugman hit a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left, and, after an Ngoie 3-pointer brought ESU within 74-72 with 26 seconds remaining, Brugman hit two more charities to make it a 76-72 game with 19 seconds left.
 
Lackey, who finished the game with 13 points, once again made it a two-point game with a driving layup with 10 seconds to go, but Mikaela Burgess sealed the win with two free throws for the Gorillas with 7.1 seconds to play.
 
Burgess and senior forward Kylie Gafford joined Brugman on the all-tournament team. Burgess finished the game with 17 points, while Gafford added 14 points. Herlocker chipped in with 10 points and five assists, while Lungwitz made eight points and a team-leading eight rebounds.
 
Kelly Moten scored a team-leading 25 points and dished out six assists to lead ESU. Ngoie added 11 points while Flott contributed 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Pitt State advances to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time in five seasons. The Gorillas claimed the South Central Regional crown on Mar. 12, 2012, by defeating ESU, 79-67, at Topeka.