PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team return to the friendly confines of John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court for the first time in 2017-18 Thursday (Dec. 7) when the Gorillas face Lindenwood University in MIAA play. The Gorillas, who opened the season with eight straight games either on the road or on neutral floors, will tip-off against the visiting Lions at 5:30 p.m. (CST). Pitt State then will entertain Lincoln University Saturday (Dec. 9) at 1:30 p.m.

The Records
The Gorillas enter Thursday's action with a 6-2 record and an 0-2 mark in MIAA play. 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 last Saturday (Dec. 2).

Pitt State entered last week's action 6-0 and ranked No. 19 in the WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll.

The Gorillas opened their 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) on Nov. 24-25.

LWU enters Thursday's action with an unblemished 7-0 record. The Lions posted a 113-30 home win over Central Christian College of the Bible in their most recent action Dec. 1. LWU will make its 2017-18 MIAA debut against the Gorillas.

LU heads into a Thursday road match-up against MSSU.  The Blue Tigers, who are 3-4 on the year, posted a 67-59 over Upper Iowa in their most recent action Nov. 28.

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 214-97 (.688) 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, 20171nd he has been selected the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year three times (2009, 2012, 2017).

Thursday's action will be Lord's eighth meeting vs. LWU. He's 6-1 against the Lions. Lord will meet LU for the 33th time Saturday. He's 10-1 against the Blue Tigers.

Series History
Pitt State and LWU will meet for the ninth time in program history Thursday. The Gorillas hold a 7-1 advantage in the series. The Lions posted a 64-63 victory over the Gorillas in the MIAA Tournament on Mar. 3, 2017.  

Pitt State and LU will meet for the 33rd time Saturday. The Gorillas hold a 30-2 advantage in the series, including a six-game winning streak.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas enter this week's action averaging 75.2 points per game and shooting 43.2 percent from the field.

Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures on the young season: senior guard Mikaela Burgess (17.8 ppg), senior guard Paige Imhoff (11.3 ppg) and junior guard Shelby Lopez.

Burgess is averaging a team-leading 17.8 points per game thus far. She also is contributing 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Burgess scored a team-high 21 points in Pitt State's season opening win over Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 10 and she scored a season-high 31 points in the OT loss to UNK on 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. She has compiled 1,530 career points and 267 career 3-point field goals.

She led the MIAA in 3-point field goals (86) and ranked fourth in the conference in scoring (16.6 ppg) a year ago. Burgess has averaged 14.4 points in 106 career games for the Gorillas.

Imhoff has contributed 11.3 points and an MIAA-leading 6.3 assists per game from the point guard position. She also has averaged 2.3 steals per game, ranking sixth in the MIAA in that category. Imhoff dished out 11 assists against Minnesota State (Nov. 11) and she has scored a career-high 19 points on two occasions – against Regis (Nov. 24) and UNK (Nov. 30).

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 89 career games, averaging 2.8 points per game.

Lopez is averaging 10.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She has knocked down 15 of 32 3-point field goal attempts early in the season, converting 46.9 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.

Additionally, Pitt State has three players averaging between 7.0 and 8.8 points per game:  junior forward Madison Northcutt (8.8 ppg), junior guard/forward Brenlee McPherson (8.2 ppg) and sophomore forward Athena Alvarado (7.0 ppg).

Northcutt is contributing 8.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game thus far, ranking second in the MIAA in rebounding. She is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and she leads the squad with 27 offensive rebounds (3.4 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.

McPherson is averaging 8.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in six games played, while shooting 42.5 percent from the field (17-40). She leads the MIAA in free throw percentage to date (.938, 15-16).

McPherson, a Carl Junction, Mo., native shot 45.7 percent from the field last season, averaging 6.4 points per game. She has averaged 4.8 points in 64 career games for the Gorillas.

Alvarado is scoring 7.0 points and grabbing 3.9 rebounds per game on the season. She also has blocked 14 shots, ranking third in the MIAA in blocked shots (1.8 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 (5.4 ppg) and junior forward Elena Flott (3.6 ppg) both are averaging more than three points a game.

Recent Action: UNK 97, Pitt State 95 (OT)
After being held scoreless in the first half, Michaela Barry scored 20 points to help lead tNebraska-Kearney to a 97-95 overtime win over No. 19 Pittsburg State in the MIAA opener Thursday (Nov. 30). UNK trailed Pitt State, 72-57, with 8:20 to play in the game before the Lopers used a 21-4 run to overtake the Gorillas.

Alyssa Frauendorfer scored a team-leading 28 points for UNK, while McKenzie Brown added 24 points for the Lopers. UNK shot 52.5 percent from the field in the contest and the Lopers made 28 of 31 free throws.

Mikaela Burgess led all scorers with 31 points to pace the Gorillas. She made five of 11 3-point attempts in the game, while the remainder of the Pitt State squad shot a collective 0-for-11 from long range. Paige Imhoff added 19 points and five assists for the Gorillas, while Athena Alvarado added 15 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.

Recent Action: FHSU 75, Pitt State 70
After trailing at the end of the first half, Fort Hays State fought back to capture a 75-70 win over No. 19 Pitt State Saturday (Dec. 2). FHSU trailed Pitt State 35-33 at the half, before the Tigers gained control in the second half.

Kacey Kennett scored a team-leading 20 points for FHSU, while Belle Barbieri added 10 rebounds. FHSU shot 45.5 percent from beyond the arc in the contest and the Tigers made 15 of 19 free throws.

Mikaela Burgess led all scorers with 24 points to pace the Gorillas. She made five of 10 3-point attempts, while the Pitt State squad shot 10-for-24 from long range. Maya Williams added 11 points for the Gorillas, while Paige Imhoff added 8 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
 
Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    4    Athena Alvarado, 6-0, So., Wichita, Kan.
    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.