PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will travel to Weatherford, Okla., this weekend to take part in the four-team GAC/MIAA Challenge.

The Gorillas will face Oklahoma Baptist University at 4 p.m. Friday (Nov. 12) at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center; and Pitt State will face the host school, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Saturday (Nov. 13) at 3 p.m.

The Pitt State action can be heard throughout the Four States on 107.9 FM and 1340 AM. Click Here to listen to the games by live stream.

The Records
Pitt State enters its fourth season under head coach Amanda Davied. The Gorillas posted a 14-9 overall record during the Covid-19 abbreviated 2020-21 season.

The Gorillas return three starters and nine squad members from last year's squad including senior guard Tristan Gegg who averaged 15.8 points per game and earned third-team All-MIAA honors.

Pitt State opened its 2021-22 campaign with a 101-54 exhibition game loss to Kansas State University on Nov. 5 at Manhattan, Kan.

Okla. Baptist posted a 4-17 overall record during the 2020-21 season. The Bison posted a 1-2 record in exhibition games this month. OBU lost to Texas A&M (89-38) on Nov. 3 and Texas (77-44) on Nov. 4. The Bison defeated Southwestern Christian University (64-57) Monday (Nov. 8).

SWOSU is 1-2 on the season after competing in the D2CCA Tipoff Challenge, Oct. 29-31, at Canyon, Texas. The Bulldogs sandwiched an 86-80 victory over Central Missouri in between losses to Drury (92-79) and West Texas A&M (81-68).

SWOSU will face Washburn University Friday (Nov. 12) at 6 p.m. before taking on the Gorillas Saturday.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
Amanda Davied enters her fourth year as head coach at Pittsburg State after being hired to the position on May 21, 2018.

She has a 52-29 (.642) 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. The Gorillas posted a 17-11 record in 2019-20 and a 14-9 mark during the Covid-19 abbreviated 2020-21 campaign.

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-pres.), the Gorillas have compiled a 315-189 overall record (.639), 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
This will be the third meeting between Pitt State and OBU. The two squads last met on Nov. 8, 2019, in Pittsburg with the Gorillas claiming a 96-78 victory over the Bison.

The Gorillas and Bulldogs will meet for the fifth time Saturday. The series is tied, 2-2. SWOSU scored an 84-83 win over Pitt State at John Lance Arena in the last meeting on Nov. 9, 2019.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State returns three starters, including a pair of All-MIAA performers, and nine squad members from its 2020-21 squad. 

Senior guard Tristan Gegg returns for a fourth year in the Pitt State program. She is a two-time All-MIAA performer.

Gegg started all 23 games last year, averaging 15.8 points and 4.3 rebounds and earning second-team All-MIAA honors. She made a team-leading 43 3-point field goals and shot 90.2 percent (83-92) from the free throw line for the season.

Gegg averaged 17.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2019-20, earning third-team All-MIAA honors. She scored 20 or more points 10 times on the year. The Altamont, Kan., native led the MIAA in scoring and free throw percentage (.881, 74-84) and ranked fifth in the conference in 3-point field goals (2.5 pg).

Gegg averaged averaged 8.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2018-19.

She has scored 1,071 points (14.26 ppg), grabbed 272 rebounds (3.1 rpg) and made 147 3-point field goals in 79 career games.

Gegg scored 13 points in the Gorillas' exhibition loss to K-State on Nov. 5.

Senior guard Sydnee Crain also is back for her fourth year in the program.

Crain started 18 of 23 games last year, averaging 6.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She also dished out 44 assists and made 31 steals.

Crain started nine games for the Gorillas in 2019-20, contributing 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

The Girard, Kan., native chipped in with 3.4 points and 1.4 assists per game during her rookie season in 2018-19.

She has scored 408 points (5.0 ppg) and dished out 146 assists (1.8 apg) in 81 career games for the Gorillas.

Senior forward Julia Johnson contributed 7.3 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game in 2020-21, her second season in the Pitt State program. She shot 56.2 percent (68-121) from the field and recorded 20 blocked shots on the year.

Johnson averaged 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 25 games played in 2019-20.

The DeSoto, Kan., native joined the Gorillas from Johnson County Community College, where she averaged 5.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers as a redshirt freshman in 2018-19.

Senior guard Erin Davis started four games a year ago. She averaged 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

The Independence, Mo., native contributed 3.1 points in 17 games played in 2019-20.

Sophomore guard Jayme Jackson saw action in 20 games during her debut season, including one start, in 2020-21. The Liberty, Mo., native averaged 5.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Jackson was an All-District performer and a two-time All-Conference prep selection at Liberty North High School.

Jackson shared the team scoring lead with Gegg against K-State on Nov. 5, contributing 13 points against the Wildcats.

Sophomore guard Jenna Shipley also saw action in 10 games last year. She averaged 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

The Adrian, Mo., native earned Missouri Class 2A All-State honors in each of her final two prep seasons. She averaged 28.5 points and 14 rebounds per game as a senior.

Redshirt sophomore center Shayla Kohler and sophomore guard Emma Martin also saw limited action for the Gorillas in 2020-21.

Kohler, who played in four games for the Gorillas in 2020-21, averaged six points, seven rebounds and two assists per game as a senior at Platte County (Mo.) High School.

Martin, who played in six games for the Gorillas a year ago, joined the squad from Mountain Home (Ark.) High School. A two-time All-Conference selection, she averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds and five assists per game for the Bombers.

The Gorillas also welcome key newcomers to the squad in junior guard Aliyah Myers, freshman forward/center Karenna Gerber, freshman guards Sydney Holmes and Grace Pyle and freshman forwards Alba Lozano Davila and Jazzy Klinge.

Myers signed with the Gorillas from Kansas City Kansas Community College, where she earned first-team NJCAA Division II All-America honors as a sophomore.

She averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.3 steals per game while helping the Blue Devils to a 21-4 record last year. A two-time All-Jayhawk Conference performer, Myers was named the 2021 Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

The Derby, Kan., native earned Kansas Class 6A All-State honors three times at Derby High School.

Gerber was a two-time Kansas Class 3A All-State performer at Halstead High School. She earned All-League honors all four seasons.

Gerby scored 11 points in her Pitt State debut against K-State.

Holmes earned Kansas Class 5A All-State recognition in each of her final two prep years at Maize High School.

Pyle was named the Kansas Class 5A Player of the Year as a junior in 2019-20 at McPherson High School and she was a first-team Class4A All-State selection her senior season.

An international player, Lozano Davila joins the Gorillas from her native Spain where she averaged 16.3 points and 13.8 rebounds for Campus Promete during the 2020-21 season.

Klinge earned first-team Kansas Class 6A All-State honors at Blue Valley High School last year. A finalist for the Class 6A Player of the Year, Klinge averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game.