PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team returns to John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court to host a pair of MIAA rivals. The Gorillas will entertain Lindenwood University Thursday (Dec. 7) at 7:30 p.m. (CST) and then take on Lincoln University Saturday (Dec. 9) at 3:30 p.m.
The Records
Pitt State enters this week's action with a 5-4 record and an 0-2 mark in MIAA play. The Gorillas opened their conference slate with a pair of tightly-contested road losses last week, falling in overtime to the University of Nebraska-Kearney (101-89) on Nov. 30 and by three points to Fort Hays State University (77-74) last Saturday (Dec. 2).
The Gorillas opened the 2017-18 campaign with a pair of wins over Minnesota State (90-80) and St. Cloud State (72-62) in the MIAA/NSIC Conference Challenge Nov. 10-11 in Pittsburg.
Pitt State added a 90-50 home victory over NAIA member Haskell on Nov. 15, before dropping a 104-95 road decision to Arkansas Fort Smith last Saturday (Nov. 18). The Gorillas rebounded with a decisive 88-69 win over Newman University on Nov. 21 in the MIAA Challenge at Kansas City, Mo.
Pitt State split a pair of games at the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic at St. Petersburg, Fla., Nov. 24-25, defeating the University of Tampa, 86-78, on Nov. 24 before falling to Eckerd College, 114-105, the next night.
Lindenwood enters Thurday's contest with a 6-1 record. The Lions extended their current winning streak to four games with an 81-56 home win over Ecclesia College Saturday (Dec. 2).
Lincoln is 5-3 on the season heading into a Thursday (Dec. 7) match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The Blue Tigers have won two straight games, defeating Truman State University (85-84 in OT) and Robert Morris University-Springfield (132-68) in their most recent outings.
Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his first season leading the Gorillas. He has a 5-4 record. Anderson (Missouri, '79) became the Gorillas' 15th all-time head coach on Apr. 10, 2017, after coaching the past three seasons at his alma mater – the University of Missouri.
He has a 306-166 (.648) record in 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship as head coach at the University of Central Missouri as well as two more Division II Final Four appearances (2007, 2009) while compiling a 274-95 (.743) record at the school.
Anderson led UCM to seven trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and seven 20-win seasons. In his final season with the Mules he guided the squad to a 30-5 overall record and the D2 national title.
His Mules teams captured six MIAA regular season titles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and four MIAA Tournament titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2013).
He was selected the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2010, and the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2014.
Series History
The Gorillas will meet Lindenwood for the 10th time Thursday. The Lions hold a slight 5-4 advantage in the series. LWU swept a pair of games last year, taking an 89-83 decision at St. Charles, Mo., on Dec. 8, 2016, and a 76-55 decision in Pittsburg on Jan. 14, 2017.
Pitt State and Lincoln will meet for the 37th time Saturday. The Gorillas hold a 30-6 advantage in the series, but the Blue Tigers swept both meetings a year ago. LU snapped a 28-game losing streak in the series against PSU with a 71-65 victory in Pittsburg on Dec. 10, 2016. The Blue Tigers also beat the Gorillas, 77-69, at Jefferson City, Mo., on Jan. 12, 2017.
All-Time Victories
Pitt State has compiled a 1411-1172 (.546) all-time record in 109 seasons of intercollegiate play. The Gorillas rank 15th on the NCAA Division II wins list (1409).
Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas enter this week's action averaging 87.7 points per game and shooting 47.2 percent from the field.
Pitt State has four players averaging in double figures on the season: senior guard/forward Xavier Adams (18.7 ppg), junior guard Donovan Franklin (16.4 ppg), junior guard Grant Lozoya (12.2 ppg) and junior forward Demetrius Levarity (10.1 ppg).
Adams is averaging 18.7 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds per game. He ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring and eighth in the conference in rebounding. Adams also is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor (54-99). He posted a double-double with team highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Gorillas victory against SCSU on Nov. 11; and he scored a season-high 30 points vs. Eckerd on Nov. 25.
Adams (6-6, 215) joined the Gorillas from the University of New Mexico. He started 14 of 77 career games in three seasons for the Lobos. The Flower Mound, Texas, native averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2015-16. He contributed 3.9 points per game as a junior in 2016-17 before suffering a season-ending injury in early January.
Franklin scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in his Pitt State debut against MSU Nov. 10. He ranks 12th in the MIAA in scoring and seventh in the league in free throw percentage.
The St. Louis, Mo., native is shooting 46.7 percent from the field (42-90), 83.3 percent from the free throw line (50-60) and averaging 3.3 rebounds per game. He has converted 14 of 34 attempts from 3-point range (.412).
Franklin (6-5, 205) joined the Gorillas from Indiana State University. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 26 games for the Sycamores in 2016-17. The St. Louis, Mo., native averaged 14.9 points a game as a freshman at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla.
Lozoya scored a season-high 22 points against Tampa on Nov. 24 and he's averaged 18.5 points in the Gorillas last four outings. He has dished out 25 assists (2.8 apg) and snared 13 steals (1.4 spg).
Lozoya (6-3, 180) came to Pitt State after three years at Stetson University. The Agoura Hills, Calif., native averaged 9.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Hatters in 2014-15, earning All-Freshman honors form the Atlantic Sun Conference. He contributed 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds as a sophomore in 2015-16, before exercising a medical redshirt in 2016-17.
Levarity (6-7, 210) transferred to Pitt State from Sam Houston State University, where he redshirted in 2016-17. He contributed 15.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Southeastern Illinois College.
Levarity is contributing 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He did not play in Pitt State's opener against MSU. The New Orleans, La., native is shooting 45.5 percent from the field (25-55), including 47.8 percent from 3-point range (11-23).
The Gorillas have four additional players scoring between 5.0 and 9.0 points a game: junior guard Jabari Antwine (8.8 ppg), senior guard Jaxon Holden (7.5 ppg), junior guard Mar'Qywell Jackson (6.2 ppg), and junior center Deitrich Cole, Jr. (5.4 ppg).
Antwine scored a game-high 15 points in the Gorillas lopsided win against Haskell on Nov. 15. For the season, he is averaging 8.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals in eight games played.
Antwine (6-1, 155) averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.9 steals as a sophomore at Moberly Area Community College in 2016-17, earning second-team All-Region and All-Conference honors. The Chicago native also made 35 3-point field goals, converting 44.9 percent of his long range-shots (35-78).
Holden (6-1, 180) is contributing 7.5 points per game and shooting 54.5 percent from the field (18-33). He scored a season-high 18 points against UAFS on Nov. 18. Holden started 13 games for the Gorillas a year ago, averaging 10.5 points per game. He missed 14 games due to injury.
The Flower Mound, Texas, native has started 34 of 45 career games for the Gorillas, after transferring to Pitt State following his freshman season from Stephen F. Austin University.
Jackson, a Detroit native, is averaging 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He scored a season-high 19 points in the Gorillas win over Newman on Nov. 21.
Jackson (6-5, 195) contributed 11.5 points per game at Moberly Area Community College, helping the Greyhounds to a 27-5 overall record a year ago. He knocked down 42 3-pointers on the season during his sophomore campaign.
Cole is shooting 57.1 percent from the floor (20-35) and averaging 4.6 rebounds in eight games played.
Cole (6-10, 240), also a Detroit native, averaged 2.5 points and shot 55 percent from the field at Moberly Area Community College last season. He also averaged 2.4 rebounds and recorded 11 blocked shots on the year.
The Gorillas have averaged 31.4 free throw attempts per game and Pitt State has generated 22.7 points per game from the charity stripe.
Pitt State ranks second in the MIAA in scoring (87.7 ppg) to date.
Pitt State Probable Starters
   F   21   Xavier Adams, 6-6, 215, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas
   F   5   Demetrius Levarity, 6-7, 210, Jr., New Orleans, La.
   G   2   Grant Lozoya, 6-3, 180, Jr., Agoura Hills, Calif.
   G   3   Donovan Franklin, 6-5, 205, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
   G   25   Jaxon Holden, 6-1, 180, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas
