PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will welcome in the New Year with a pair of MIAA road contests. The Gorillas will travel to St. Joseph, Mo., Saturday (Jan. 1) to face Missouri Western State University at 7 p.m. (CST) and Pitt State will continue on to Maryville, Mo., Monday (Jan. 3) to battle No. 2 ranked Northwest Missouri State University at 7:30 p.m.

The Gorillas action can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com/ or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.

The Records
Pitt State is 3-9 overall and 2-4 in MIAA play. The Gorillas split a pair of home games in their most recent action. Pitt State defeated Lincoln University, 86-75, on Dec. 15, before the Gorillas dropped a 66-58 decision to the University of Central Missouri on Dec. 18.

Missouri Western enters Saturday's action 8-5 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play. The Griffons dropped a 101-63 road decision against Northwest Missouri the last time out on Dec. 18. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Griffons.

NWMSU is 12-1 overall and 5-0 in MIAA play heading into a Saturday (Jan. 1) home match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The Bearcats, the No. 2 ranked team in NCAA Division II, cruised to a xx-xx victory over the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Wednesday (Dec. 29).

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his fifth season leading the Gorillas. He has compiled a 60-66 record 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 361-228 (.613) overall record 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
Saturday's action will mark the 81st all-time meeting between Pitt State and MWSU. The Griffons hold a slight 42-38 edge in the series, including a 26-14 advantage in games played at St. Joseph, Mo.

The Gorillas and the Bearcats will meet for the 137th time Monday. The series is tied 68-68, but NWMSU holds a decided 45-19 advantage in games played at Maryville, Mo., including 14 straight wins on its home floor. The Bearcats are 22-1 against the Gorillas at Bearcat Arena since the 1997 season.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State graduate guard Iziah James has led the Gorillas in scoring through the first semester of action.

James has contributed a team-leading 12.9 points per game so far. He is shooting 50.4 percent from the field (60-119), including 44.6 percent from 3-point range (25-56). James scored a season high 30 points against Lincoln on Dec. 15.

James (6-0, 180) transferred to Pitt State from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for the Cougars during the 2020-21 season.

Additionally, the Gorillas have seven players scoring 6.4 or more points per game:  junior guard Quentin Hardrict Jr. (9.7 ppg), freshman forward Cameron Huefner (9.2 ppg), junior guard Tyler Hawkins (8.1 pg), graduate guard Ryan Pippins (7.6 pg), graduate forward Antonio Givens II (7.1 ppg), senior forward Zach Burch (6.6 ppg) and graduate guard Dejon Waters Jr. (6.4 ppg).

Hardrict has played in four games and averaged 9.7 points, 4.0 rebound and 4.0 assists per game. He is shooting 52.4 percent from the field and he posted 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in his last action against Lincoln on Dec. 15.

Hardrict contributed 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 2020-21. He shot 45.0 percent from the field (85-189) and garnered honorable mention All-MIAA honors. 

Hardrict (5-10, 160) 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 averaged 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore in 2019-20. 

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

Huefner is averaging 9.2 points and a team-leading 5.7 rebounds per game in his second season in the Pitt State program. He is shooting 48.7 percent from the field (38-78) to date.

Huefner contributed 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 2020-21. He shot 51.1 percent from the floor (45-88), including 50.0 percent from 3-point range (14-28).

Huefner, an international player, signed with Pitt State from his native Australia. He averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game for the Under 18 Norwood Flames.

Hawkins has contributed 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Hawkins (6-3, 175) joined the Gorillas from from Brookdale Community College, where he averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Jersey Blues during the 2019-20 season.

Pippins is averaging 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He scored a season high 21 points vs. Henderson State (Nov. 24).

Pippins chipped in with 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. He shot a team-leading 87.8 percent from the free throw line (43-49).

Pippins (6-0, 240) joined the Gorillas after four seasons at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Pippins redshirted in 2019-20 while he battled back from an off season injury. The Little Rock, Ark., native averaged 5.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a junior in 2018-19.

Givens is contributing 7.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. He posted a double double with 22 points and 10 rebounds on Nov. 27 against Baker.

Givens averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last year, starting eight of 20 games played. He shot 52.8 percent from the floor (57-108).

Givens (6-9, 260) averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20, shooting 53.6 percent from the field (89-166). The Columbus, Ohio, native transferred to Pitt State from NCAA Division I Kent State University where he redshirted in 2018-19.

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

Givens averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in Pitt State's two exhibition games this season.

Burch is averaging 6.6 points and shooting 59.0 percent (23-39) from the field so far. He also has a team-leading 10 blocked shots (1.1 bpg) and looks to return to the lineup after missing three games due to injury.

Burch contributed 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last year, while shooting a team best 61.5 percent from the field (56-91). He also blocked a team-leading 13 shots.

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. 

Waters has averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Waters (6-4, 220) returned after exercising a medical redshirt season in 2020-21. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20. Waters shot 47.3 percent from 3-point range, making 44 of 93 long range shots. The Atlanta, Ga., native transferred to Pitt State from Central Georgia Tech.

Redshirt sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence, sophomore guard Magic Reliford and junior guard Ike Moore  are contributing between 2.6 and 3.8 points per game.

Lawrence has contributed 3.8 points in five games played this season.

Lawrence (5-11, 145) averaged 4.8 points per game in 2020-21. The Blue Springs, Mo., native contributed 9.3 points for the Gorillas in 2019-20, before an injury cut short his season.

Reliford is contributing 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10 games played. He posted a season high 10 points vs. Lincoln on Dec. 15.

Reliford (6-2, 185) came to Pitt State from Neosho Community College. The Parsons, Kan., native averaged 17.7 points per game and earned first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Conference honors in 2020-21. He scored 30 or more points three times on the season and ranked eighth in the Jayhawk Conference in scoring.

Moore has averaged 2.6 points in seven games played for the Gorillas.

Moore averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent (42-82) from the field last year.

Moore (6-3, 175) transferred to Pitt State from Arkansas State University Mid-South. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore for the Greyhounds.

The Gorillas also will look for graduate forward Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. to be a key contributer. He has missed Pitt State's first 12 games due to injury but he's hopeful to return to the lineup.

Arthur-Williams (6-7, 225) averaged a team-leading 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds a year ago, while starting 19 games for the Gorillas. He shot 45.8 percent from the field (70-153) and went to the foul line a team-leading 121 times on the season.

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.