PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court Friday (Nov. 23) to play host to Bethany College. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. (CST).

The PSU-BC 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 competition.  The Gorillas claimed a pair of home wins last week, defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 71-56, on Nov. 16 and besting the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, 79-57, on Nov. 17.

Pitt State opened the season by splitting a pair of games at the Central Region Challenge at Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 9-10.

The Gorillas posted a 94-81 victory over Northern State University in their season debut on Nov. 9, before Pitt State dropped a 66-55 decision to Minnesota State University Moorhead the next day.

Bethany brings a 6-2 record into Friday's match-up against the Gorillas. The Swedes have posted four consecutive wins, including an 85-69 home win over Southwestern College in their most recent action Nov. 20.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
Amanda Davied is in her first year as head coach at Pittsburg State after being hired to the position on May 21, 2018. She has a 3-1 record in her short tenure leading the Gorillas.

Davied, who served the previous 14 seasons as the assistant coach for her alma mater, replaced her former mentor, Lane Lord, who accepted the head coach position at NCAA Division I member University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

As the Gorillas top assistant the past 14 years, Davied served as the team's recruiting coordinator and was highly involved in all aspects of the administration of the women's basketball program.

During her tenure on the Pitt State staff (2004-18), the Gorillas have compiled a 283-160 overall record (.639), capturing an MIAA regular season title in 2017 and making five trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) including a pair of Elite Eight appearances (2012, 2016).

Davied began her coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Gorilla women's basketball program in the 2003-04 season, after completing a decorated playing career for Pitt State the previous season. She was hired as a full-time assistant in July 2004 by former head coach Steve High and remained to serve as the top assistant on Lord's staff when he took over the program in April 2007.

Series History
Pitt State and Bethany will meet for the fifth time Friday. The Gorillas hold a 4-0 advantage in the series, including a 91-48 season-opening exhibition game win over the Swedes last year on Oct. 27, 2017.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has three players averaging in double figures on the young season:  freshman guard Kaylee DaMitz, senior guard/forward Shelby Lopez and junior forward Athena Alvarado.

DaMitz is contributing 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game on the young season. The Preston, Mo., native has converted seven of 11 3-point field goals (.636) to date and she's shooting 90.9 percent from the free throw line (10-11).

DaMitz, who scored 15 points and dished out eight assists in the Gorillas win against UAFS on Nov. 17, ranks fifth in the MIAA in assists to date and she currently leads the MIAA in assist/turnover ratio (3.6).

DaMitz averaged 21.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in her senior season at Skyline High School in 2017-18, earning Missouri Class 2A All-State honors. She led the Tigers to the Class 2A state title and claimed Class 2A Player of the Year honors her junior season.

Lopez is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The Wichita native posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Gorillas' win vs. UAFS on Nov. 17.

Lopez averaged 11.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season. She knocked down 55 of 154 3-point field goal attempts on the season, converting 35.7 percent of her long-range shots.

Lopez scored in double figures 13 times on the season, including a season-high 24 points against Colorado Mines on Nov. 25, 2017.

Lopez contributed 9.2 points per game while earning honorable mention All-MIAA honors as a sophomore 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.

Lopez has scored 801 points (8.0 ppg) and made 168 3-point field goals in 100 career games for the Gorillas. She now ranks fourth in Pitt State history in career 3-point field goals (168) and needs 18 more triples to pass Drew Roberts (2010-13, 185) for third place on the list.

Alvarado is contributing 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 67.9 percent from the field on the young season (19-28). She posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. UAFS (Nov. 17).

Alvarado scored 6.7 points and grabbed 3.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2017-18. The Wichita native also blocked 32 shots, ranking eighth in the MIAA in blocked shots (1.1 bpg).

She scored in double figures six times including a career-high 20 points against Central Oklahoma on Jan. 25, 2018.

Alvarado 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.

Additionally, the Gorillas have four players scoring between 6.5 points and 8.5 points per game:  freshman guard Tristan Gegg (8.5 ppg), sophomore  guard Maya Williams (8.0 ppg), junior forward Meghan Maher (7.0 ppg) and junior guard Sydney Tracy (6.5 ppg).

Gegg is averaging 8.5 points per game. The Altamont, Kan., native scored 12 points in Pitt State's win vs. NSU on Nov. 9.

Gegg averaged 27 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Labette County High School. She was a Kansas Class 4A All-State selection for the Grizzlies.

Williams is averaging 8.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game to date.  The Carthage, Mo., native scored a career-high 14 points in the Gorillas' loss to MSU Moorhead on Nov. 10 and she had a team-leading nine rebounds in the season opener vs. NSU.

Williams scored 3.0 points and grabbed 1.2 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman in 2017-18.

Maher is averaging 7.0 points per game. She is shooting .643 from the field to date, knocking down nine of 14 shots overall. The Raymore, Mo., native also has converted seven of nine 3-point field goals (.778).

Maher averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game last season. She shot 43.9 percent from the field, converting 50 of 114 attempts.

Maher scored a career-high 21 points against Washburn on March 1, 2018. She knocked down seven of 11 3-point field goal attempts in the game. For the season she made 37 of 90 trifectas (.411).

Tracy, who is contributing 6.5 points per game, enjoyed a solid debut for the Gorillas against the Wolves on Nov. 9. The St. Michael, Minn., native scored 13 points and dished out three assists in the season opener.

Tracy transferred to Pitt State from South Dakota State University. The St. Michael, Minn., native saw significant action for the Jackrabbits the past two seasons. She was a first-team All-State prep athlete at St. Michael Albertville High School in 2015-16s.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    15    Athena Alvarado, 6-0, Jr., Wichita, Kan.
    F    35    Meghan Maher, 6-0, Jr., Raymore, Mo.
    G    1    Maya Williams, 5-9, So., Carthage, Mo.
    G    2    Kaylee DaMitz, 5-4, Fr., Preston, Mo.  
    G    11    Shelby Lopez, 6-0, Sr., Wichita, Kan.