PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will look to wrap up its four-game homestand by hosting MIAA rivals Missouri Western State University Thursday (Dec. 1) and Northwest Missouri State University Saturday (Dec. 3).

The Gorillas and Griffons will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. (CST) Thursday at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court, while the Pitt State - NWMSU match-up will start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

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 5-1 and 1-0 in MIAA play. The Gorillas opened their conference slate Monday (Nov. 28) with a 78-54 home win over Lincoln University. Pitt State also posted a 95-63 home win over the University of Saint Mary prior to Thansgiving break on Nov. 23.

Western is 5-2 overall. Thursday's action will be the MIAA debut for the Griffs. Western has won three straight games, including a 94-36 win over Avila University the last time out on Nov. 26.

Northwest is 4-1 overall heading into a Thursday road game against Missouri Southern State University. The Bearcats beat NAIA member Peru State, 75-61, in their last action Sunday (Nov. 27).

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

She has a 73-43 (.629) 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. She led the Gorillas to a 17-11 overall record in 2019-20, a 14-9 mark in the Covid-19 abbreviated 2020-21 campaign and a 16-13 record last year (2021-22).

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.

Series History
This will be the 86nd all-time meeting between Pitt State and MWSU. The Griffons hold a 53-32 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas are 22-19 against Western in games played at John Lance Arena. The two teams split a pair of lopsided decisions last year with the Griffons taking an 81-55 win at St. Joseph on Jan. 1 and the Gorillas posting a 79-53 win in Pittsburg on Feb. 12.

Pitt State and Northwest will meet for the 64th time Saturday. The Gorillas lead the series 42-21 with a 24-5 margin in games played in Pittsburg. Pitt State has won the last 10 times in John Lance Arena and the Gorillas have won 18 of the last 19 meetings overall.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has four players scoring in double figures early in the season: senior guard Tristan Gegg (16.0 ppg), sophomore forward/center Karenna Gerber (15.2 ppg), sophomore guard Grace Pyle (12.7 ppg) and freshman guard Harper Schreiner (10.8 ppg).

Gegg is averaging 16.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game through the Gorillas first six contests. The three-time All-MIAA performer is shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range, making 20 of 46 attempts so far. She currently ranks ninth in the MIAA in scoring and second in the conference in 3-point field goals (3.3 pg).

The Altamont, Kan., native started all 29 games last year, averaging 17.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and earning second-team All-MIAA honors for a second straight season. She made an MIAA leading 65 3-point field goals.

Gegg started all 23 games in 2020-21, 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 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.

Gegg has scored 1,669 points (14.6 ppg), grabbed 378 rebounds (3.3 rpg) and made 232 3-point field goals in 114 career games. She needs 19 points to pass Dani Fronabarger (1687 pts, 1990-93) for fifth place on Pitt State's all-time scoring list.

Gerber is contributing 15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 58.6 percent from the field (34-58). She posted a double double with 23 points and 10 rebounds vs. USM on Nov. 23.

Gerber returned for a second year in the program after a highly productive freshman campaign in 2021-22 in which she averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game while shooting a team-best .570 from the field (81-142).

The Halstead, Kan., native ranked sixth in the MIAA in blocked shots and 14th in the conference in rebounding during her rookie campaign. She posted a pair of double doubles on the season.

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

Pyle has chipped in with 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game so far. She also has dished out 3.0 assists a game and made 15 of 35 (.429) 3-point field goal attempts.

Pyle contributed 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14 games played last year before suffering a season ending injury. She has converted 22 of 47 (.468) 3-point field goal attempts on the season. Pyle scored 18 points and converted four of five 3-point field goal attempts. vs. USM (Nov. 23).

Pyle was named the Kansas Class 5A Player of the Year as a junior in 2019-20 at McPherson High School and she also was a first-team Class 4A All-State selection her senior season.

Schreiner has made a big splash in her first six games in a Pitt State uniform, averaging 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She also has snared a team-leading 2.0 steals per game. Schreiner has posted a pair of double-doubles on the season including 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. LU (Nov. 28).

Schreiner signed with the Gorillas out of Eudora High School where she was a three-time Kansas Class 4A All-State performer (2020-22). Schreiner also was selected the 2022 Kansas Class 4A Player of the Year by Sports in Kansas after averaging 18.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.8 steals per game for the Cardinals during her senior campaign.

Redshirt sophomore guard Jenna Shipley has averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She has averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in Pitt State's last two contests, scoring a career high 20 points vs. USM (Nov. 23).

Shipley contributed 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game last year. The Adrian, Mo., native finished the season third on the team in offensive rebounds (28) and blocked shots (10).

Shipley earned Missouri Class 2A All-State honors in each of her final two prep seasons at Adrian High School. She averaged 28.5 points and 14 rebounds per game as a senior.

Sophomore guard Sydney Holmes is averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in four games played. She missed two games due to injury.

Holmes also is back for her second year in the Pitt State program. The Maize, Kan., native averaged 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2021-22.

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

Senior guard Erin Davis has added 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists to the Pitt State stat line.

A fifth-year senior, Davis has started 37 of 87 career games played, scoring 464 points (5.3 ppg) and hitting 87 3-pointers.

The Independence, Mo., native averaged 9.4 points and shot .459 from the field (101-220) while making 49 3-point field goal attempts on the season.

She averaged 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 2020-21 and she contributed 3.1 points in 17 games played in 2019-20.

Freshman forward Savannah Campbell has enjoyed a solid start to her Pitt State career, contributing 2.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Campbell has made 57.1 percent of her field goal attempts (8-14) so far.

Campbell was a two-time Missouri Class 5A All-State performer at Rolla (Mo.) High School. She earned All-District honors three times and All-Conference accolades all four seasons.

Campbell averaged 13.5 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game while helping the Bulldogs to a 22-7 record and a state quarterfinalist finish her senior season.

Redshirt freshman forward Alba Lozano Davila is back for her second season in the Pitt State program after redshirting a year ago. She has averaged 1.2 points and 3.2 rebounds so far.

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

Redshirt junior center Shayla Kohler and redshirt sophomore guard Emma Martin also continue to be role players as Pitt State reserves.

Kohler, who played in 12 games for the Gorillas in 2021-22, averaged six points, seven rebounds and two assists per game as a senior at Platte County (Mo.) High School.

Martin, who played in 11 games for the Gorillas a year ago, averaged 2.3 points per game on the season and made six of 10 3-point field goal attempts.

She joined the squad from Mountain Home (Ark.) High School. A two-time All-Conference selection, Martin averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds and five assists per game for the Bombers.

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   5  Karenna Gerber, 6-0, So., Halstead, Kan.
  F  24  Grace Pyle, 5-11, So., McPherson, Kan.
  G   1  Sydney Holmes, 5-9, So., Maize, Kan.
  G  10  Tristan Gegg, 5-7, Sr., Altamont, Kan.
  G  15  Harper Schreiner, 5-8, Fr., Eudora, Kan.