PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will travel to Kearney, Neb., to face the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the quarterfinals of The 2021 MIAA Basketball Championship Tournament, presented by Citizens Bank & Trust.

The No. 6 seed Gorillas and the No. 3 seed Lopers will tip-off at 6 p.m. (CST) at the Health & Sports Center on the UNK campus.

Tickets for the game are available online only through UNK's Ticket Office. There will be no in-person ticket sales on game night. All tickets are general admission and $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for children 10 and under. Tickets purchased will be sent to fans as an E-Ticket through email. Tickets will remain available until the arena is sold out. The Health & Sports Center will operate at 50% maximum capacity.

Fans unable to attend the game in person can watch online on themiaanetwork.com, listen to Pitt State's radio broadcast on the Gorilla Sports Network (100.7 FM or online) or follow live stats of the contest.

The Records
Pitt State wrapped up the regular season with a 14-8 overall record and earned the No. 6 seed for the MIAA Tournament. The Gorillas split a pair of games last week, dropping a 65-58 decision to Emporia State University and defeating Newman University, 69-61.

UNK finished the regular season 19-3 overall, tied for second in the MIAA standings and ranked No. 14 in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Lopers, the tournament's No. 3 seed, won a pair of tightly-contested road games over Northwest Missouri State University (53-50) and Missouri Western State University (66-62) last week.

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

She has a 52-28 (.650) 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 last year.

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 (2004-20), the Gorillas have compiled a 335-188 overall record (.641), 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
Wednesday's match-up will be the 43rd meeting between the Gorillas and the Lopers. Pitt State holds a 28-14 advantage in the series including a 12-8 edge in games at Kearney. The Gorillas have won six of the last seven road match-ups.

The two squads met earlier this season in Pittsburg on Jan. 21, with UNK prevailing, 57-53. The Lopers got 43 points from their reserves in the game, including a game high 20 points and 11 rebounds from Elisa Backes.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has two players averaging in double figures on the season:  junior guards Kaylee DaMitz (16.6 ppg) and Tristan Gegg (16.3 ppg).

DaMitz is contributing a team-leading 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She currently ranks second in the MIAA in assists, fourth in the league in scoring and ranks fifth in the conference in free throw percentage (.846, 90-106).

DaMitz flirted with a triple-double against MWSU on Dec. 17, scoring 20 points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing eight rebounds. She scored a season high 26 points vs. RSU (Jan. 30) and earned MIAA Co-Player of the Week Monday (Feb. 1).  DaMitz became the 24th player in Pitt State history to eclipse 1,000 career points in the Gorillas last game vs. Newman (Feb. 27).

DaMitz garnered first-team All-MIAA honors last season. The Skyline, Mo., native averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. She led the MIAA in assists and ranked 13th in the conference in scoring. 

DaMitz, a two-time All-MIAA performer, was the 2018-19 MIAA Freshman of the Year after contributing 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during her rookie campaign.

For her career, DaMitz has scored 1,004 points (12.7 ppg), grabbed 285 rebounds (3.6 rpg) and dished out 401 assists (5.1 apg) in 79 career games.

Gegg is averaging 16.3 points as well as 4.4 rebounds per game thus far. She scored a career high 32 points on Jan. 30 against Rogers State. She was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Dec. 14 after scoring 31 points in a road win against Lincoln on Dec. 9.

On Feb. 6, she became the 23rd player in Pitt State history to eclipse 1,000 career points. She has scored 1,066 points (13.7 ppg), grabbed 269 rebounds (3.4 rpg) and made 145 3-point field goals in 78 career games.

Gegg ranks fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (1.9 pg). She leads the conference in free throw percentage (.902, 83-92) to date.

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

Additionally, six players are scoring between 3.2 and 9.6 points per game:  senior forward Maya Williams (9.6 ppg), junior forward Julia Johnson (7.6 ppg), junior guard Sydnee Crain (6.5 ppg), junior guard Erin Davis (4.0 ppg), freshman guard Jayme Jackson (5.2 ppg) and junior forward Dana Johnson (3.2 ppg).

Williams is chipping in with 9.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season. She scored a season high 19 points vs. NSU (Dec. 5).

Williams averaged 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. She posted six double doubles and shot 47.8 percent from the field (96-201) on the year. Williams scored nine points in the season opener against UCO.

The Carthage, Mo., native earned third-team All-MIAA honors as a sophomore in 2018-19 when she averaged a team-leading 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Williams has scored 897 points (8.9 ppg) and grabbed 484 rebounds (4.8 rpg) in 101 career games for the Gorillas.

Julia Johnson has contributed 7.6 points and a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per game to date. She scored a career best 25 points vs. NWMSU on Feb. 11 and she had a career high 16 rebounds vs. MWSU (Feb. 13). Johnson currently ranks 10th in the MIAA in rebounding.

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

Johnson joined the Gorillas from Johnson County Community College. The DeSoto, Kan., native, averaged 5.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while starting 29 of 32 games for the Cavaliers as a redshirt freshman in 2018-19.

Crain is averaging 6.5 points and 2.0 assists per game on the season. She scored a career high 17 points vs. MWSU (Dec. 17).

Crain started nine games for the Gorillas last year, 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 398 points (5.0 ppg) and dished out 146 assists (1.8 apg) in 80 career games for the Gorillas.

Jackson has averaged 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game on the year. She posted 12 points and eight rebounds vs. LU on Dec. 10.

Jackson came to Pitt State from Liberty (Mo.) North High School. She was a two-time All-Conference performer and she averaged nine points, three rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game last year. Jackson scored three points and grabbed four rebounds vs. UCO.

Davis, who has started four games for the Gorillas, is averaging 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. She scored a season high 12 points vs. MWSU (Feb. 13).

Davis averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 17 contests a year ago.

Dana Johnson is contributing 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and shooting 58.5 percent from the field on the year (31-53). She contributed 10 points and seven rebounds against LU on Dec. 10.

Johnson transferred to Pitt State from Butler Community College. She helped the Grizzlies to a pair of Kansas Jayhawk Conference titles and regional crowns. Johnson averaged 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during her sophomore campaign.

Sophomore guard/forward Ashton McCorry (1.9 ppg) and freshman forward Abby Dietsche(1.7 ppg) also have contributed to the Gorillas' offensive output.

McCorry averaged 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last year.

Dietsche averaged 18.0 points, 12 rebounds and six assists per game at Highland (Ark.) High School.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   1  Maya Williams, 5-10, Sr., Carthage, Mo. 
  F  21  Julia Johnson, 6-1, Jr., DeSoto, Kan.
  G   2  Kaylee DaMitz, 5-5, Jr., Preston, Mo.
  G  10  Tristan Gegg, 5-7, Jr., Altamont, Kan.  
  G  23  Sydnee Crain, 5-8, Jr., Girard, Kan.