PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will travel to Melbourne, Fla., to take part in the Florida Tech University Holiday Classic, Dec. 19-20.
The Gorillas will take on the University of Tampa at 1 p.m. (CST) Thursday (Dec. 19) at the Charles & Ruth Clemente Center and then wrap up the two-day, classic-format tournament with an 11 a.m. (CST) game against the host school, Florida Tech, on Friday (Dec. 20).
The Records
Pitt State is 4-3 overall and 2-0 in MIAA action on the season. The Gorillas opened their conference slate by sweeping a pair of games against Missouri Southern State University, 68-49, on Dec. 3 and against Washburn University, 84-63, on Dec. 5.
The Gorillas were slated to host Missouri Valley Collenge in a non-conference game on Dec. 15 but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Pitt State opened the season by hosting the MIAA/GAC Conference Challenge Nov. 8-9. Pitt State defeated Oklahoma Baptist Univeristy, 96-78, in the season opener before falling the next day, 84-83, to No. 20 ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Pitt State dropped an 83-78 road decision to Lindenwood University on Nov. 13, before bouncing back with a 96-51 home win over Central Christian College on Nov. 16. The Gorillas dropped an 83-76 home decision to Tarleton State University on Nov. 27.
Tampa is 5-3 on the season heading into Thursday's match-up against Pitt State. The Spartans have won three straight games, including a 72-66 overtime victory over St. Leo's University the last itme out on Dec. 14.
Florida Tech is 6-4 on the season. The Panthers open the tournament action with a Thursday (Dec. 19) match-up against William Jewell College.
Head Coach Amanda Davied
Amanda Davied is in her second year as head coach at Pittsburg State after being hired to the position on May 21, 2018.
She has a 25-12 (.676) record leading her alma mater.
Davied guided her alma mater to a berth in the 2018-19 NCAA Division II National Tournament in her debut season, becoming the first Pitt State head coach in program history to enjoy a 20-win season in year one of their tenure.
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 previous 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-present), the Gorillas have compiled a 308-172 overall record (.642), capturing an MIAA regular season title in 2017 and making six trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) 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 will meet both Tampa and Florida Tech for the first time in program history at the Holiday Classic.
Pitt State's Last Action
Pitt State opened MIAA play with a 68-49 road win over Missouri Southern on Dec. 3 at Joplin, Mo.
Kaylee DaMitz led four Gorillas in double figures with 18 points in the MIAA opener. Athena Alvarado and Maya Williams posted double doubles in the contest against the Lady Lions. Alvarado scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Williams contributed 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Tristan Gegg also scored in double figures with 12 points. She also dished out a team-leading five assists and grabbed five rebounds.
The Gorillas owned a massive 57-34 rebounding advantage against MSSU.
Tristan Gegg scored a game high 21 points and Maya Williams posted a second straight double double to lead Pitt State to an 84-63 victory over Washburn in Pittsburg on Dec. 5.
Pitt State rushed out to a 25-7 first quarter lead and never looked back against the Ichabods.
Williams scored 18 points and grabbed a game high 16 rebounds to go along with Gegg's 21-point outburst. Gegg connected on five of Pitt State's 10 3-pointers in the contest.
Athena Alvarado chipped in with 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots, while Kaylee DaMitz added 10 points, eight assists and four steals.
Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has four players averaging in double figures on the young season: sophomore guard Tristan Gegg (22.0 ppg), senior forward Athena Alvarado (16.0 ppg), junior guard Maya Williams (15.1 ppg) and and sophomore guard Kaylee DaMitz (10.7 ppg).
Gegg scored a career high 28 points on back-to-back nights against OBU and SWOSU to open the season. The Altamont, Kan., native is shooting 46.1 percent from the field on the season (53-115) including 44.2 percent from 3-point range (23-52). She also is averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game to date.
Gegg leads the MIAA in scoring and 3-point field goals (3.3 pg) and she ranks third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.442) and free throw percentage (25-28, .893).
Gegg averaged 8.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game during her freshman campaign in 2018-19. She knocked down 40 of 107 3-point field goal attempts on the year (.374).
Gegg has scored 395 points in 37 career games for the Gorillas (10.7 ppg).
Alvarado is averaging 16.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game to date. For the season, Alvarado is shooting 59.5 percent from the field (47-79).
She leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, ranks fourth in the league in blocked shots, fifth in rebounding and sixth in scoring.
Alvarado was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Nov. 12 for her efforts in the Gorillas' season opening action when she averaged 19.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game in Pitt State's first two games of the year.
The Wichita, Kan., native enjoyed a monster season debut with career highs of 31 points and 20 rebounds in the Gorillas' 96-78 win over Oklahoma Baptist.
She battled foul trouble in the Gorillas' last second loss to No. 20 SWOSU. Alvarado scored the go-ahead basket with 4.4 seconds remaining in the contest only to see the Lady Bulldogs win the game on a pair of free throws two seconds later. She finished the game with eight points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Alvarado contributed 10.6 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game last year, earning honorable mention All-MIAA honors. She shot a team-leading 56.3 percent from the field a year ago, making 129 of 229 attempts. Alvarado also paced the team with 60 offensive rebounds and she blocked 40 shots on the season.
Alvarado has scored 803 points (8.4 ppg), grabbed 442 rebounds (4.6 rpg) and posted 111 blocked shots (1.2 bpg) in 96 career games for the Gorillas. Her 111 blocked shots rank fourth in school history.
Williams is averaging 15.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game to date. The Carthage, Mo., native is shooting 51.3 percent from the field (39-76).
Williams was named the MIAA Co-Player of the Week Monday (Dec. 10) after averaging 14.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game in a pair of wins vs. MSSU and WU. She scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds against the Ichabods.
She also posted back-to-back double doubles against Lindenwood and Central Christian College, including a 20-point, 11-rebound effort vs. CCC.
Williams averaged a team-leading 11.9 points as well as 6.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2018-19. She earned third-team All-MIAA honors last year.
Williams shot 43.0 percent from the field (119-277) and made 21 3-point field goals on the year. She also shot 76.0 percent from the free throw line, making 98 of 129 charity shots.
Williams has scored 544 points (8.4 ppg) and grabbed 283 rebounds (4.4 rpg) in 65 career games for the Gorillas.
DaMitz is contributing 10.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. The Skyline, Mo., native ranks second in the MIAA in assists.
DaMitz earned MIAA Freshman of the Year honors in her rookie campaign for the Gorillas last year. The Skyline, Mo., native averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while also earning honorable mention All-MIAA recognition. She ranked second in the MIAA in assists last year.
Senior forward Meghan Maher is averaging 6.0 points per game. She enjoyed a 20-point outburst vs. Central Christian College on Nov. 16. The Raymore, Mo., native averaged 5.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game for the Gorillas last year. She converted 42 of 101 3-point field goals (.416) on the season.
Maher has scored 506 points (5.6 ppg) and grabbed 130 rebounds (1.4 rpg) in 90 career games.
Among Pitt State's reserves, sophomore guard Sydnee Crain is averaging 5.3 points per game, while senior forward Marina Bauza Rubert is scoring 3.3 points per game to date. Junior center Julia Johnson also is chipping in with 1.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Crain, from Girard, Kan., contributed 3.4 points and 1.4 assists per game in 12.9 minutes of action in 2018-19.
Pitt State Probable Starters
F 15 Athena Alvarado, 6-0, Sr., Wichita, Kan.
F 35 Meghan Maher, 6-0, Sr., Raymore, Mo.
G 1 Maya Williams, 5-9, Jr., Carthage, Mo.
G 2 Kaylee DaMitz, 5-4, So., Preston, Mo.
G 10 Tristan Gegg, 5-7, So., Altamont, Kan.
