PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will travel to Kansas City, Mo., open play in the 2020 MIAA Postseason Tournament Wednesday (Mar. 4) at historic Municipal Auditorium.

The Gorillas, the No. 10 seed in the tournament, will face No. 7 seed University of Nebraska-Kearney Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. (CST).

Wednesday's MIAA Tournament first-round 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. All MIAA Tournament games also will be live streamed at themiaanetwork.com.

Gorilla fans can purchase tickets at the Pitt State Ticket Office or by calling (620) 235-4796. Advance tickets for all-session passes for all 18 men's and women's games to be played at Kansas City are $50. The price increases to $75 if purchased in Kansas City or through ticketmaster.com. Single session tickets also are available for $20 for adults and $5 for PSU students with a valid ID. Local sales will run through Noon, Tuesday (Mar. 3).

The Records
Pitt State wrapped up the regular season with an 11-17 overall record and a 7-12 mark in MIAA play.  The Gorillas posted home wins over Lincoln University (73-56) and the University of Central Missouri (80-73) last week to secure the No. 10 seed in the MIAA Tournament.

Nebraska-Kearney is 16-12 overall and 10-9 in the MIAA. The Lopers enter the MIAA Tournament having lost four of their last six games.

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his third season leading the Gorillas. He compiled a pair of 17-13 records in his first two seasons at Pitt State and he has a 45-43 (.511) overall record 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. [for complete biography, see page 3]

He has a 346-205 (.628) record in 19 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 UNK will meet for the 43rd time in program history Wednesday.  The Lopers hold a 32-10 advantage in the series.

Morgan Soucie made a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining in overtime to lift UNK to an 81-80 victory over Pitt State on Jan. 4 at Kearney, Neb.

The Gorillas rallied from a nine-point deficit with 4:11 to play in regulation to force overtime on A.J. Walker's driving basket.

Marcel Cherry hit a 3-pointer with 1:02 to play in overtime that gave Pitt State an 80-78 lead, but Soucie made one of two free throws with 49 ticks left. After Antonio Givens II missed an inside shot with 25 seconds to go the Lopers worked the ball into Soucie in the waning seconds and he was fouled to set up his go-ahead charity shots.

Soucie led all scorers with 35 points in the game, making 14 of 23 shots from the floor. A.J. Jackson and Jake Walker added 10 points apiece for the Lopers.

Givens scored a season high 22 points and added eight rebounds to lead the Gorillas. Walker chipped in with 18 points and Christian Edmondson finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Gorillas in the MIAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its 23rd appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Gorillas have compiled a 19-21 (.475) record in 40 MIAA Tournament games and reached the Finals of the tournament four times, including winning the the tournament title in 2015.

Pitt State has compiled an 9-11 (.450) record in MIAA Tournament games played at Municipal Auditorium.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have two players scoring in double figures on the season:  senior guards A.J. Walker (16.5 ppg) and Jah-Kobe Womack (14.0 ppg).

Walker (6-0, 165) made his season debut for the Gorillas vs. Henderson State on Dec. 18. In 21 games played, he is averaging 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He scored a career high 27 points in the Gorillas last outing against MSSU on Jan. 25.

Walker ranks fifth in the MIAA in assists, sixth in scoring and third in the league in steals (1.7 spg).

Walker started all 30 games during his junior campaign, averaging 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

The Kansas City, Mo., native transferred to Pitt State from State Fair Community College where he averaged 13.7 points and 7.0 assists per game during his sophomore campaign and earned honorable mention NJCAA All-America honors.

Womack is averaging 14.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game to date. He has made a team-leading 58 3-point field goals (2.1 pg). Womack (6-3, 175) scored a season high 27 points vs. Drury on Dec. 22.

 Womack transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division II member Quincy University for his senior campaign. The St. Louis, Mo., native averaged 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during his junior campaign at Quincy, after redshirting in 2017-18. He made a team-leading 41 3-point field goals.

Womack averaged 10.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Allen County Community College in 2016-17. He averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Conference honors as a senior in 2014-15 at Cardinal Ritter College Prep.

Senior guard Marcel Cherry is averaging 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 24 games played. The Merrillville, Ind., native is shooting 45.2 percent from the field (75-166). He scored a career high 30 points on 12 of 17 shooting vs. MSSU on Dec. 3.

Cherry (6-1, 185) averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 assists per game in his first season in the Pitt State program in 2018-19.

Cherry averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in 2017-18. He posted 9.1 points per game as a freshman at Howard College, earning honorable mention All-Conference honors.

Junior forward Dejon Waters Jr. is contributing 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as well after joining the Gorillas from Central Georgia Technical College. He scored a season-high 21 points vs. Henderson State (Dec. 18) and he's shooting 47.2 percent from 3-point range (42-89).

Waters (6-4, 220) averaged 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game as a sophomore at Central Georgia Tech. The Atlanta, Ga., native scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds a game as a senior at Shiloh High School.

Junior forward Antonio Givens II has averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game to date, while shooting 52.9 percent from the field (83-157). He transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I Kent State University. Givens posted 22 points and eight rebounds against UNK on Jan. 4.

Givens (6-9, 260) redshirted in his only season at Kent State after playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at Wabash Valley College. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Warriors in 2017-18, shooting 62.5 percent from the field on the season.

Senior forward Christian Edmondson has averaged 7.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting a team-best 64.8 percent from the field, making 79 of 122 shots from the floor. Edmondson also has blocked 33 shots in 25 gamed played (1.2 bpg), ranking fifth in the MIAA in blocked shots. He also ranks 12th in the league in rebounding.

Edmondson (6-6, 215) posted career highs with 19 points and 18 rebounds in the Gorillas' season opener vs. Upper Iowa on Nov. 8.

Edmondson averaged 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during his junior campaign. He saw action in 25 games, including eight starts, in the Pitt State frontcourt. The Flower Mound, Texas, native shot 64.9 percent from the field, making 74 of 114 shots from the field. He also grabbed a team-leading 54 offensive rebounds and recorded 32 blocked shots (1.3 bpg) on the season.

Edmondson has scored 504 points (5.4 ppg) and grabbed 399 rebounds (4.2 rpg) in 94 career games for the Gorillas.

Sophomore guard Ray Elliott is contributing 6.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The Tulsa, Okla., native posted career highs of 20 points and nine rebounds in the Gorillas victory over Avila on Nov. 30.

Elliott (6-4, 165) saw action in all 30 games in a reserve role for the Gorillas in 2018-19, averaging 4.8 points per game. He made 27 3-point field goals on the year (27-83, .325).

Elliott led the state of Oklahoma in scoring as a senior at Tulsa's Nathan Hale High School in 2017-18, averaging 36 points per game.

Junior forward Xavier Womack is averaging 4.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 23 contests for the Gorillas. The Johnson County Community College transfer posted a double-double in his season debut on Nov. 23 against BBC with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Womack (6-6, 180) started 10 of 35 games played for the Cavaliers in 2018-19, helping JCCC to a 31-4 record and the NJCAA Division II National Runner-Up finish.

The St. Louis, Mo., native averaged 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field on the season.

Womack was selected the NJCAA Kansas Jayhawk Community College Division II Freshman of the Year in 2017-18 when he averaged 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds and garnered second-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors.

Redshirt freshman guard Drew Roelfs has averaged 2.3 points in 15 games played. Roelfs (6-1, 180) scored a career high 18 points in the Gorillas' win against Baptist Bible College. The Pittsburg native has made eight 3-pointers on the season (8-22, .364).

Roelfs redshirted in his initial season in the Pitt State program in 2018-19. He earned All-League honors as a senior at Pittsburg High School.

Junior guard Grant Harding is averaging 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22 games played. He posted 17 points and five rebounds vs. BBC.

Harding (6-3, 219) transferred to Pitt State from Hesston College. The Louisburg, Kan., native started 60 games in the backcourt at Hesston. He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds a game as a senior at Louisburg High School.

Sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in seven games played, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

Lawrence (5-11, 145) played in 17 contests during his freshman campaign, averaging 3.5 points per game. The Blue Springs, Mo., native shot 46.7 percent from the field (21-45) in limited action (7.6 minutes per game).

Lawrence was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-District performer at Blue Springs High School.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   0  Xavier Womack, 6-6, 180, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.
  F  12  Dejon Waters Jr., 6-4, 220, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.
  F  33  Christian Edmondson, 6-6, 215, Sr., Flower Mound, Texas
  G   1  A.J. Walker, 6-0, 165, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.
  G   3  Jah-Kobe Womack, 6-3, 175, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.