PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court Friday (Nov. 23) to play host to East Central University. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. (CST).
The PSU-ECU game can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com/go or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.
The Records
Pitt State brings a 3-1 record into Friday's action. The Gorillas have posted three consecutive wins, including a 71-66 victory over Maryville University in their most recent action at Municipal Auditorium at Kansas City, Mo., Monday (Nov. 19).
Pitt State claimed a 79-71 win over the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in its home opener Nov. 17, after splitting a pair of games a the Central Region Tipoff Challenge Nov. 9-10 at Warrensburg, Mo.
Pitt State dropped a hard-fought 95-92 decision to Wayne State College in its season opener Nov. 9, before bouncing back with a 99-76 victory over Harding University the next night.
ECU is 2-1 on the season. The Tigers claimed a 109-71 victory over Bacone College in their most recent action Nov. 17.
ECU split a pair of games in the MIAA/GAC Crossover at Bolivar, Mo., Nov. 9-10. The Tigers dropped a 70-61 decision to Lincoln University before bouncing back with an 88-68 win over Southwest Baptist University.
Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his second season leading the Gorillas. He compiled a 17-13 record in his first season at Pitt State and has an 20-14 (.588) mark leading the Gorillas.
Anderson (Missouri, '79) became the Gorillas' 15th all-time head coach on Apr. 10, 2017, after coaching the previous three seasons at his alma mater – the University of Missouri.
He has a 321-176 (.646) record in 18 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
Pitt State and ECU will meet for the 14th time in program history Friday, but it will mark the first action between the Gorillas and Tigers in 61 years.
Pitt State has a 8-5 advantage in the series, but the Tigers claimed a 72-63 win against the Gorillas in the last meeting on Dec. 13, 1957, at Ada, Okla.
All-Time Victories
Pitt State has compiled a 1426-1182 (.547) all-time record in 110 seasons of intercollegiate play. The Gorillas rank 15th on the NCAA Division II wins list (1426).
Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures – senior guard Donovan Franklin (24.3 ppg), senior guard Grant Lozoya (20.8 ppg) and senior forward/center Trenton Clayton (10.3 ppg) – while four more players – senior forward Demetrius Levarity (8.3 ppg), junior guard A.J. Walker (7.5 ppg), junior guard Marcel Cherry (5.3 ppg) and freshman guard Ray Elliott (5.3 ppg) – are scoring 8.5 or more points a game.
Franklin leads the Gorillas in scoring (24.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and assists (3.5 apg) after four games played. The St. Louis, Mo., native is shooting 50.0 percent from the field (15-29) and 88.9 percent from the free throw line (32-361). He's currently second in the MIAA in scoring.
Franklin (6-5, 205) scored the game's final nine points as the Gorillas rallied from down 66-62 to claim a 71-66 win over Maryville Monday. He posted a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Saints.
Franklin earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors in his initial season with the Gorillas, averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26 games played. He shot 49.2 percent from the field, converting 130 of 264 shots on the season. Franklin shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range (41-102). He also made 87.2 percent of his free throw attempts, sinking 129 of 148 charity tries.
Franklin scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his Pitt State debut against Minnesota State on Nov. 10, 2017. He scored 20 or more points eight times, including a season-high 31 points against Missouri Western on Feb. 17, 2018. He scored in double figures in 22 of 29 games and averaged 18.7 points per game over the final seven games of the 2017-18 campaign.
Franklin 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. He averaged 14.9 points a game as a freshman at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla.
Lozoya is averaging 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to date. The Agoura Hills, Calif., native scored a game-high 28 points in the Gorillas' win against Harding on Nov. 10.
Lozoya (6-3, 180) earned MIAA Player of the Week honors Monday (Nov. 9) after scoring 25 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists in Pitt State's 79-71 win over UAFS on Nov. 17. He posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. Maryville.
Lozoya is shooting 59.3 percent from the field (32-54), 35.7 percent from 3-point range (5-14) and 1.000 percent from the free throw line (14-14).
He averaged 13.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while making 29 starts for the Gorillas a year ago. Lozoya made a team-leading 44 3-point field goals (44-114, .386) and he shot 48.0 percent from the field overall (129-169).
Lozoya came to Pitt State after three years at Stetson University. He averaged 9.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Hatters in 2014-15, earning All-Freshman honors from the Atlantic Sun Conference. Lozoya contributed 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds as a sophomore in 2015-16, before exercising a medical redshirt in 2016-17.
Clayton is averaging 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. The Montgomery, Ala., native is shooting 63.6 percent from the field (14-22).
Clayton (6-9, 230) transferred to Pitt State from the University of North Alabama. He averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Lions last season. Clayton averaged 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds a game as a sophomore at Shelton State Community College.
Levarity is averaging 8.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The New Orleans, La., native also is averaging a team-leading 1.8 steals per game.
Levarity (6-7, 210) contributed 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season. He shot 50.2 percent from the field (105-209) and he converted 37 of 90 3-point attempts (.411).
Levarity scored in double figures in 17 of 27 games played. He posted three double-doubles, including a 19-point, 11-rebound effort against Fort Hays State on Dec. 2, 2017. Levarity scored a season-high 22 points against Missouri Western on Feb. 17, 2018.
Levarity 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.
Walker is contributing 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game to date.
Walker (6-0, 165) transferred to Pitt State from State Fair Community College. The Kansas City, Mo., native averaged 13.7 points and 7.0 assists per game for the Roadrunners in 2017-18, earning honorable mention NJCAA All-America honors.
Cherry is averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
Cherry (6-1, 185) joined the Gorillas from Wabash Valley College where he averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game in 2017-18. The Merrillville, Ind., native averaged 9.1 points per game and earned honorabl mention All-Conference honors as a freshman at Howard College.
Elliott has added 5.3 points per game in his first four collegiate contests.
Elliott (6-4, 165) averaged 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game as a senior at Tulsa's Nathan Hale High School last year. He earned first-team Oklahoma Class 5A All-State honors after leading the state in scoring his senior prep season.
Pitt State Probable Starters
   F   0   Trenton Clayton, 6-9, 230, Sr., Montgomery, Ala.
   F   5   Demetrius Levarity, 6-7, 210, Sr., New Orleans, La.
   G   1   A.J. Walker, 6-0, 165, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
   G   2   Grant Lozoya, 6-3, 180, Sr., Agoura Hills, Calif.
   G   3   Donovan Franklin, 6-5, 205, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
