PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will hit the road for a pair of games this week against No. 3 ranked Northwest Missouri State University Thursday (Feb. 11) and Missouri Western State University Saturday (Feb. 13).

Thursday's action against the Bearcats will tip off at 7:30 p.m. (CST) at Maryville, Mo., while Saturday's match-up at St. Joseph, Mo., against the Griffons gets started at 3:30 p.m.

The Pitt State 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 10-7 on the season and riding a five-game winning streak. The Gorillas have won five straight MIAA games for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign. Pitt State claimed home wins over the University of Central Missouri (79-72) and Lincoln University (85-77 in OT) last week.

Northwest Missouri is 14-1 overall, alone atop the MIAA standings and ranked No. 3 in the most recent NABC/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll heading into a Tuesday road match-up against Missouri Western. The Bearcats, winners of nine straight games, claimed a 70-64 win over MWSU Saturday (Feb. 6) at Maryville, Mo.

MWSU is 8-6 on the season and seeking to halt a five-game losing streak Tuesday when the Griffons host NWMSU. MWSU opened the season 8-1.

Head Coach Kim Anderson
Pittsburg State's Kim Anderson is in his fourth season leading the Gorillas. He has compiled a pair of 56-51 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 357-213 (.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
Pitt State and NWMSU will meet for the 136th time Thursday. The Gorillas hold a slight 68-67 edge in the series, but the Bearcats have won the last 11 head-to-head battles dating back to the 2016 season. NWMSU claimed an 84-69 win over Pitt State on Jan. 2 at John Lance Arena. Quentinc Hardrict Jr. paced the Gorillas with a game high 27 points in that contest.

Saturday's action will mark the 80th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Griffons. MWSU holds a slim, 41-38, advantage in the series, including a 25-14 edge in games played at St. Joseph, Mo. Pitt State handed the Griffons their first loss of the season with an 87-84 decision at John Lance Arena on Dec. 17. Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. paced the Gorillas with 23 points and nine rebounds in the win.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have three players averaging in double figures on the season – junior forward Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. (12.5 ppg) and junior guards Martin Vogts (11.8 ppg) and Quentin Hardrict Jr. (10.7 ppg) – and four players contributing 6.5 or more points per game – senior guard Ryan Pippins (8.6 ppg) and senior forwards Zach Burch (7.5 ppg) and Antonio Givens II (7.2 ppg) and freshman forward Cameron Huefner (6.5 ppg).

Arthur-Williams (6-7, 225) is shooting 47.5 percent from the field (67-141) on the season and averaging a team-leading 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He ranks ninth in the MIAA in reboundin.

Arthur-Williams was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Dec. 21 after  contributing 23 points and nine rebounds against MWSU on Dec. 17.

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 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-leading 2.0 steals per game on the season. He has made a team-leading 37 3-point field goals (37-97, .381). Vogts scored a season high 26 points vs. MSSU (Jan. 9). He ranks 11th in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (2.2 pg).

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.

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

Hardrict is averaging 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and a team-leading 2.7 assists per game. Hardrict scored a season best 27 points vs. NWMSU (Jan. 2).

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. 

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

Pippins is contributing 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He's 32-for-36 (.889) from the free throw line on the season. Pippins scored a season high 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds vs. UCM (Feb. 4).

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.

Burch is averaging 7.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 66.3 percent from the field to date (53-80). He also has blocked 13 shots thus far (0.8 bpg). He scored a season high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. NSU (Jan. 28).

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. 

Givens is chipping in with 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds on the year. He is shooting 55.9 percent from the field (38-68). Givens scored a season-best 20 points vs. LU (Feb. 6).

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.

Huefner (6-7, 210) is contributing 6.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. The native of Adelaide, Australia is shoting 54.2 percent from the field (32-59) and has made 11 of 18 3-point field goals (.611). He scored a season best 19 points vs. RSU (Jan. 30).

Two more players – junior guard Ike Moore and redshirt sophomore guard R.J. Lawrence and – are scoring between 4.5 and 5.8 points per game.

Moore is averaging 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and shooting 52.9 percent from the field (36-68). He has converted 15 of 33 3-point field goals (.455). He scored a season high 16 points vs. NSU (Dec. 5).

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. 

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

Lawrence is averaging 4.5 points and 1.0 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.

Freshman guard R.J. Forney Jr. (6-3, 175) has started five games and averaged 3.2 points per game.

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.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   2  Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr., 6-7, 225, Gr., Potomac, Md.
  F  34  Zach Burch, 6-6, 225, Sr., Butler, Mo.
  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.