PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will return home to John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court to host MIAA rival Missouri Western State University Thursday (Dec. 17). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. (CST).

The Pitt State action 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 Gorillas match-up with Northwest Missouri State University originally scheduled for Saturday (Dec. 19) has been postponed until Jan. 2 due to Covid-19 protocols within the NWMSU program.

The Records
Pitt State is 3-3 on the season. The Gorillas dropped a 76-55 road decision to Lincoln University in their only game of the week last Saturday (Dec. 10).

Missouri Western is 4-0 on the year and ranked No. 19 in the most recent NABC/Division II Top 25 poll released Tuesday (Dec. 15). The Griffons scored a 103-82 road win over Northeastern State University in their last action on Dec. 8.

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his fourth season leading the Gorillas. He has compiled a pair of 49-47 record in his first three seasons at Pitt State.

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. [for complete biography, see page 3]

He has a 350-209 (.626) record in 20 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
Thursday's action will mark the 79th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Griffons.  MWSU holds a slim, 41-37, advantage in the series, but Pitt State has won six of the last seven games played at John Lance Arena.

Last year, the Griffons swept the Gorillas, claiming a 95-79 win in Pittsburg on Feb. 12 and a 94-76 victory at St. Joseph eight days later.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have two players averaging in double figures early in the season – junior forward Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. (13.2 ppg) and junior guard Martin Vogts (12.2 ppg) – and two players contributing 8.0 or more points per game – Quentin Hardrict Jr. (8.8 ppg) and senior forward Zach Burch (8.0 ppg).

Arthur-Williams (6-7, 225) is shooting 47.3 percent from the field (26-55) on the season and averaging a team-leading 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He ranks seventh in the MIAA in rebounding.

Arthur-Williams transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He redshirted at MKE in 2019-20, after averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.

Arthur-Williams averaged 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Redlands Community College. The Potomac, Md., native played his freshman season at Louisburg (N.C.) College.

Vogts is averaging 12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game on the season. He has made a team-leading 17 3-point field goals (17-38, .447). Vogts scored a season high 17 points vs. RSU (Dec. 3). He ranks sixth in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (2.8 pg) and seventh in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.447, 17-38).

Vogts came to Pitt State after two seasons at Barton Community College. The Manhattan, Kan., native averaged 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds an 2.0 assist per game as a sophomore in 2019-20. He scored nine points in the Gorillas season opener against UCO.

Vogts (6-1, 175) contributed 8.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Cougars.

Hardrict is averaging 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He also has blocked six shots (1.0 bpg) and snared eight steals (1.3 spg). Hardrict scored a season high 23 points in the season opener vs. UCO (Nov. 21).

Hardrict came to Pitt State from North Iowa Area Community College.

The Minneapolis, Minn., native was a two-time All-Iowa Community College Athletic Conference selection. Hardrict (5-10, 160) averaged 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore in 2019-20. Hardrict scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed five rebounds in his Pitt State debut against the Bronchos.

He contributed 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game during his freshman season.

Burch is averaging 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 66.7 percent from the field to date (20-30). He also has blocked a team-leading six shots (1.0 bpg).

Burch (6-6, 225) transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division II member Rockhurst University. The Butler, Mo., native contributed 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per  game during the 2018-19 season for the Hawks. He scored a season high 14 points vs. NSU (Dec. 5).

Three more players – junior guard Ike Moore, senior guard Ryan Pippins and senior forward Antonio Givens II – are scoring between 6.8 and 7.3 points per game.

Moore is averaging 7.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and a team-leading 2.3 assists per game and shooting 55.2 percent from the field (16-29). He has converted nine of 18 3-point field goals (.500).

Moore transferred to Pitt State after two seasons at Arkansas State University Mid South.

Moore (6-3, 175) averaged 16.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore for the Greyhounds in 2019-20. He scored a season high 16 points the last time out vs. NSU.

The Fort Smith, Ark., native averaged 9.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during his freshman campaign.

Pippins is contributing 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He's 12-for-13 (.923) from the free throw line on the season.

Pippins joined the Gorillas after four seasons at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Pippins (6-0, 240) redshirted during the 2019-20 while he battled back from an off season injury. He scored 15 points in his Pitt State debut against the Bronchos.

The Little Rock, Ark., native avearged 5.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.

Givens is chipping in with 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game on the year. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the field (15-30). Givens scored a season-best 16 points vs. NSU (Dec. 5).

Givens averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last year, after transferring to Pitt State from NCAA Division I Kent State University, where he redshirted in 2018-19.

Givens (6-9, 260) shot 53.6 percent from the field last year, converting 89 of 166 shots from the floor.

He averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in 2017-18.

Redshirt sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence also is averaging 4.7 points and 1.5 assists per game on the season.

Lawrence averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists per game last year, before an injury cut short his sophomore campaign and forced him to exercise a medical redshirt.

The Blue Springs, Mo., native contributed 3.5 points per game as a freshman in 2018-19.

Other Pitt State veterans in the lineup include sophomore guard Drew Roelfs and sophomore forward Ethan Holloway. 

Roelfs (6-1, 180), a Pittsburg native, started three games in 2019-20, averaging 2.3 points per game.

Holloway (6-8, 200), from Iola, Kan., saw action in eight games in a reserve role for the Gorillas last year.

Freshman guard R.J. Forney Jr. and freshman forward Cameron Huefner also will look to contribute for the Gorillas.

Forney has averaged 2.3 points per game to date.

Forney (6-3, 175) signed with Pitt State out of Tulsa's Union High School.  He averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior helping Union to a 21-5 record.

Huefner (6-7, 210) came to Pitt State from his native Australia. He averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game for the under 18 Norwood Flames. He also competed for the Norwood Men's Premier League team.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   2  Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr., 6-7, 225, Gr., Potomac, Md.
  F  15  Antonio Givens II, 6-9, 260, Gr., Columbus, Ohio
  G   5  Quentin Hardrict Jr., 5-10, 160, Jr., Minneapolis, Minn.
  G  11  Martin Vogts, 6-1, 175, Jr., Manhattan, Kan.
  G  22  Ryan Pippins, 6-0, 240, Gr., Little Rock, Ark.