PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will close out the regular season with a pair of MIAA games this week – a road game against Missouri Southern State University Tuesday (Feb. 20) and a home contest against the University of Central Missouri Saturday (Feb. 24).
The Gorillas will meet the Lions at 7:30 p.m. (CST) Tuesday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center before returning home to take on the Mules at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Records
The Gorillas enter Tuesday's action with a 15-11 overall record and an 8-9 mark in MIAA play. Pitt State currently sits in ninth place in the MIAA standings.
Pitt State 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. The Gorillas added a 90-50 home victory over NAIA member Haskell on Nov. 15, before dropping a 104-95 road decision to Arkansas Fort Smith on Nov. 18. Pitt State rebounded with a decisive 88-69 win over Newman on Nov. 21 in the MIAA Challenge at Kansas City, Mo.
The Gorillas posted a 5-2 record before opening their conference slate with a pair of tightly-contested road losses to Nebraska-Kearney (101-89 in OT) on Nov. 30 and to Fort Hays State (77-74) on Dec. 2. The Gorillas also dropped a 90-85 home decision to Lindenwood on Dec. 7.
The Gorillas started a four-game streak with a 77-66 home win over Lincoln on Dec. 9. Pitt State added a record-breaking 120-31 victory over Baptist Bible College prior to Christmas Break on Dec. 16 as well as a 112-53 win over Central Christian College of the Bible on Dec. 30.
The Gorillas have posted an 8-7 record in 15 games since returning to MIAA play on Jan. 3. Pitt State downed Missouri Western, 93-80, in its last outing Feb. 17.
MSSU is 18-8 overall, 13-4 in MIAA play and tied for second place in the conference standings. The Lions, winners of six straight games, claimed a 73-70 road win over Northwest Missouri last Saturday (Feb. 17) at Maryville, Mo.
UCM is 19-7 overall,11-6 in MIAA play and ranked fourth in conference standings. The Mules will seek to snap a three-game losing streak when they host MSSU Thursday (Feb. 22) at Warrensburg, Mo.
Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his first season leading the Gorillas. He has a 15-11 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 316-173 (.646) 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
Pitt State and MSSU will meet for the 101st time Tuesday. The Lions hold a 54-46 advantage in the series. MSSU is 35-14 against the Gorillas in games played at Joplin, Mo. Pitt State and UCM will meet for the 119th time Saturday. The Mules hold a 74-44 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas have a 28-23 edge in games played in Pittsburg.
All-Time Victories
Pitt State has compiled a 1422-1175 (.547) all-time record in 109 seasons of intercollegiate play. The Gorillas rank 15th on the NCAA Division II wins list (1420).
Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State enters Tuesday's match-up averaging 85.7 points per game and shooting 49.7 percent from the field. The Gorillas lead the MIAA in scoring.
Pitt State has five players averaging in double figures on the season: senior guard/forward Xavier Adams (17.6 ppg), junior guard Donovan Franklin (16.3 ppg), junior guard Grant Lozoya (13.1 ppg), junior forward Demetrius Levarity (11.1 ppg) and junior guard Jabari Antwine (10.1 ppg).
Adams is averaging 17.6 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game. He also is shooting 53.4 percent from the floor (155-290). Adams (6-6, 215) ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring, seventh in the league in rebounding and third in the conference in field goal percentage (.534).
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 has posted six double doubles on the season, most recently with 24 points and 13 rebounds against Lincoln on Jan. 11.
Adams 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 (6-5, 205) scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in his Pitt State debut against MSU on Nov. 10. He scored a game-high 28 points in the Gorillas road win against NSU on Jan. 27.
Franklin also scored a season-best 31 points in the Gorillas' 93-80 road win over MWSU last Saturday (Feb. 17).
The St. Louis, Mo., native is shooting 49.3 percent from the field (107-217) and 86.0 percent from the free throw line (101-129). Franklin ranks 8th in the MIAA in scoring and sixth in the conference in free throw percentage (.860).
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 scored a season-high 24 points against Central Oklahoma on Jan. 25 and he has dished out 70 assists (3.1 apg). He ranks 17th in the MIAA in assists and 12th in the conference in steals (1.2 spg).
Lozoya scored 12 of his game-high 23 points against SBU on Feb. 10 in the game's final 2:05 as Pitt State held off the Bearcats late.
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 from 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 is contributing 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He averaged 19.5 points in a pair of games last week including a season-high 22 points against MWSU last Saturday (Feb. 17). The New Orleans, La., native also scored 19 points in a road game against FHSU on Dec. 2.
He has made 34 of 73 3-point field goals on the season (.466).
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.
Antwine posted the first triple double in Pitt State program history on Dec. 30 when he scored 12 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists against CCCB.
He also scored 18 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left against Washburn on Jan. 20.
For the season, the Chicago native is averaging 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 22 games played. He ranks eighth in the MIAA in assists and sixth in the conference in steals (1.5 spg).
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 Gorillas have four additional players scoring between 4.8 and 7.5 points a game: senior guard Jaxon Holden (7.5 ppg), junior center Deitrich Cole, Jr. (6.1 ppg), junior guard Dakota Jones (5.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Brandon Clifford (4.8 ppg).
Holden is contributing 7.5 points per game and shooting 53.5 percent from the field (46-86). The Flower Mound, Texas, native has knocked down 27 of 63 3-point field goal attempts (.429) in 19 games played.
Holden (6-1, 180) scored a season-high 18 points against UAFS on Nov. 18. He missed five games due to illness, but returned to the lineup on Jan. 17 vs. ESU.
Holden started 13 games for the Gorillas a year ago, averaging 10.5 points per game. He missed 14 games due to injury. He has started 37 of 55 career games for the Gorillas, after transferring to Pitt State following his freshman season from Stephen F. Austin University.
Cole is shooting 64.8 percent from the floor (57-88) and averaging 3.9 rebounds in 22 games played. He scored a season-high 15 points vs. ESU (Jan. 17) and he contributed eight points and eight rebounds vs. WU (Jan. 20).
Cole (6-10, 240), 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.
Jones, a Warrensburg, Mo., native, is contributing 5.1 points per game on the year. He has started the last 14 games, averaging 8.0 points per game in those contests. Jones has scored 789 points in 95 career games for the Gorillas (8.3 ppg).
Clifford has averaged 4.8 points in 11 games played. The Paragould, Ark., native scored a season-high 18 points against CCCB on Dec. 30. He has converted 13 of 26 (.500) 3-pointers on the year.
Pitt State Probable Starters
F 5 Demetrius Levarity, 6-7, 210, Jr., New Orleans, La.
F 21 Xavier Adams, 6-6, 215, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas
G 2 Grant Lozoya, 6-3, 180, Jr., Agoura Hills, Calif.
G 3 Donovan Franklin, 6-5, 205, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
G 32 Dakota Jones, 5-11, 175, Sr., Warrensburg, Mo.
