Women's Basketball | 12/13/2017 12:13:00 PM

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will travel to Fort Smith, Ark., for a non-conference match-up against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Monday (Dec. 18). Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. (CST) at USFS's Stubblefield Center.

The Records
The Gorillas enter Monday's action with an 8-2 record after sweeping a pair of home games last week.

Pitt State opened its 2017-18 season with a pair of emphatic NCAA Division II Central Region wins over Concordia-St. Paul (80-61) and Minnesota State (84-60) at the Central Region Challenge at Municipal Auditorium at Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 10-11.

The Gorillas followed that up with two more wins at the UCM Classic at Warrensburg, Mo., against Arkansas Fort Smith (78-63) and William Jewell (62-42) on Nov. 18-19.
Pitt State extended its winning streak with a pair of road wins in Colorado over Regis (73-61) and Colorado Mines (60-50) last weekend.

Pitt State, the defending MIAA regular-season champion, dropped a hard fought 97-95 overtime decision to the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 30 as well a 75-70 decision to Fort Hays State University on Dec. 2.

The Gorillas bounced back with a pair of home victories – 87-75 over Lindenwood University on Dec. 7 and 69-47 over Lincoln University last Saturday (Dec. 9).

UAFS has a 6-5 overall record heading into a Saturday (Dec. 9) match-up against Tarleton Statet University. The Lions dropped a 67-58 decision to No. 25 University of Central Oklahoma in their most recent action Dec. 9.

Head Coach Lane Lord
Lane Lord is in his 11th year as head women's basketball coach at Pittsburg State University.

Lord has compiled a 216-97 (.690) record in his tenure at Pitt State, including five trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and the program's first two Elite Eight appearances. He has led the Gorillas to four straight NCAA Tournament berths (2014-17) and his Pitt State program has averaged 24.7 wins during the past six seasons (2012-17), compiling a 148-43 record.

Lord has been honored as the MIAA Coach of the Year five times (2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017) and he has been selected the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year three times (2009, 2012, 2017).

Monday's action will be Lord's sixth meeting vs. UAFS. He's 3-2 against the Lions.

Series History
Pitt State and UAFS will meet for the sixth time in program history Monday. The Gorillas hold a 3-2 edge in the series after claiming a 78-63 victory over the Lions at Warrensburg, Mo., on Nov. 18. Athena Alvarado (14 & 10) and Madison Northcutt (14 & 12) both posted double doubles in the win over the Lions.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas enter Monday's action averaging 75.8 points per game and shooting 43.0 percent from the field.

Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures on the season: senior guard Mikaela Burgess (17.2 ppg), senior guard Paige Imhoff (11.6 ppg) and junior guard Brenlee McPherson (10.5 ppg).

Burgess is averaging a team-leading 17.2 points per game. She also is contributing 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Burgess, who ranks third in the MIAA in scoring, scored a team-high 21 points in Pitt State's season opening win over Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 10 and she posted 31 points in the Gorillas' OT loss to Nebraska-Kearney Nov. 30.

Burgess averaged 16.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a junior in 2016-17, earning first-team All-MIAA and first-team All-America honors. The Webb City, Mo., native hit 86 3-pointers, leading the MIAA in 3-point field goals and ranking fourth in the conference in scoring.

She has compiled 1,560 career points and 270 career 3-point field goals.Burgess has averaged 14.4 points in 108 career games for the Gorillas. She climbed into sixth place on Pitt State's career scoring list with her 13-point effort against Lincoln on Dec. 9. She needs 25 points to pass Kelly Krumsick (1980-83, 1584 pts.) for fifth place on the list.

Imhoff has contributed 11.6 points and an MIAA-leading 6.2 assists per game from the point guard position. She also has averaged 2.4 steals per game, ranking fifth in the MIAA in that category. Imhoff dished out 11 assists against Minnesota State (Nov. 11) and she scored a career-high 19 points against Regis (Nov. 24).

Imhoff averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and dished out 38 assists last season. The Smithville, Mo., native has played in 91 career games, averaging 3.0 points per game.

McPherson is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field (29-66). She is second in the MIAA in free throw percentage to date (.917, 22-24).

McPherson, a Carl Junction, Mo., native, shot 45.7 percent from the field last season, averaging 6.4 points per game. She averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last week, making her first two starts of the season.

She has averaged 5.2 points in 66 career games for the Gorillas.

Additionally, Pitt State has three players averaging between 6.5 and 9.9 points per game: junior guard/forward Shelby Lopez (9.9 ppg), junior forward Madison Northcutt (8.3 ppg) and sophomore forward Athena Alvarado (7.0 ppg).

Lopez is averaging 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. She has knocked down 16 of 42 3-point field goal attempts early in the season, converting 38.1 percent of her long-range shots.

Lopez contributed 9.2 points per game while earning honorable mention All-MIAA honors in 2016-17. The Wichita native hit 69 3-pointers, shooting a team-leading 38.1 percent from long range (69-181). She ranked third in the MIAA in 3-point field goals.

Northcutt is contributing 8.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game thus far, ranking third in the MIAA in rebounding. She is shooting 46.5 percent from the field and she leads the squad with 31 offensive rebounds (3.1 pg).

Northcutt averaged 11.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game a year ago. The Wichita, Kan., native shot a team-best 54.9 percent from the field, making 129 of 235 shots from the floor.

Northcutt ranked fifth in the MIAA in rebounding while earning honorable mention All-MIAA honors. She has averaged 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 72 career games for the Gorillas.

Alvarado is scoring 6.5 points and grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game on the season. She also has blocked 16 shots, ranking third in the MIAA in blocked shots (1.6 bpg).

Alvarado, a Wichita, Kan., native, shot 57.9 percent from the field in her rookie campaign for the Gorillas, converting 81 of 140 shots and scoring 6.2 points per game. She also blocked a team-leading 29 shots on the year.

Redshirt freshman guard Maya Williams (4.3 ppg) and junior forward Elena Flott (3.6 ppg) both are averaging more than three points a game.

Recent Action: Pitt State 87, LWU 75
Pitt State utilized a 30-point third quarter to rally from an eight-point halftime deficit and overtake Lindenwood en route to an 87-75 victory Thursday (Dec. 7) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

Mikaela Burgess and Brenlee McPherson scored 17 points apiece for the Gorillas, who snapped a two-game losing streak while making their home debut after opening the season with eight road games.

Paige Imhoff added 16 points, seven assists and five steals for the Gorillas, while Madison Northcutt chipped in with 11 points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Shelby Lopez finished the game with 11 points and four steals as Pitt State forced Lindenwood into 21 turnovers in the contest while handing the Lions their first loss of the season.

Recent Action: Pitt State 69, LU 47
Brenlee McPherson scored a game-high 18 points to lead Pitt State to a 69-47 win over Lincoln Saturday (Dec. 9) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

The Gorillas outscored the Blue Tigers 18-5 in the first quarter and never looked back despite shooting just 35 percent from the field in the game (21-60).

Pitt State outscored LU, 22-10, at the free throw line as the Gorillas converted 22 of 27 charity shots in the contest.

McPherson made five of eight shots from the field, including a 3-pointer, and added seven rebounds and four assists. Mikaela Burgess added 13 points and Paige Imhoff chipped in with 10 points and five assists. Athena Alvarado added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    23    Brenlee McPherson, 5-11, Jr., Carl Junction, Mo.
    F    32    Madison Nortcutt, 5-11, Jr., Wichita, Kan.
    G    11    Shelby Lopez, 6-0, Jr., Wichita, Kan.
    G    14    Paige Imhoff, 5-10, Sr., Smithville, Mo.  
    G    15    Mikaela Burgess, 5-7, Sr., Webb City, Mo.