PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will hit the road for a pair of MIAA match-ups against the University of Central Missouri and Lincoln University this week.

The Gorillas and the Jennies will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 2) at UCM's Multipurpose Building, while Pitt State and the Blue Tigers will battle at 1 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 4) at Jason Gymnasium on the LU campus.

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 has compiled a 17-4 overall record and a 12-3 mark in MIAA play. The Gorillas have won seven straight games after sweeping home match-ups against the University of Central Oklahoma (83-75) and Newman University (101-78) last week.

Pitt State has averaged 85 points per game in its current five-game winning streak and averaged a 21-point victory in those contests.

Central Missouri is 17-1 overall, 13-1 in the MIAA and ranked No. 7 in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. The Jennies rolled to an 82-49 road win over Lincoln the last time out last Saturday (Jan. 28).

Lincoln is 5-15 overall and 3-11 in MIAA play heading into a Thursday (Jan. 26) road game against Missouri Southern State University. The Blue Tigers are seeking to halt a four-game losing streak.

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 an 85-46 (.649) 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 65th all-time meeting between Pitt State and UCM. The Jennies hold a 38-26 advantage in the series, including a 23-9 edge in games played at Warrensburg, Mo. UCM posted an 82-75 win over the Gorillas in Pittsburg on Dec. 17.

Saturday's action will mark the 43rd all-time match-up between Pitt State and Lincoln. The Gorillas hold a lopsided 40-2 advantage in the series, including a 19-0 record against the Blue Tigers at Jefferson City, Mo. Pitt State beat LU, 78-54, in the MIAA opener on Nov. 28.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures early in the season: senior guard Tristan Gegg (15.7 ppg), sophomore forward/center Karenna Gerber (14.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Grace Pyle (14.4 ppg).

Gegg is averaging 15.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game on the season. The three-time All-MIAA performer is shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range, making 68 of 152 attempts so far. She currently ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring, leads the conference in 3-point field goals (3.2 pg) and ranks third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage.

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 1,902 points (14.7 ppg), grabbed 409 rebounds (3.2 rpg) and made 272 3-point field goals in 129 career games. She is bidding to become just the third player in program history to reach 2,000 career points.

Gerber is contributing 14.8 points and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds while shooting 56.5 percent from the field (108-191). She posted a double double with 20 points and a career high 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots vs. MWSU on Dec. 1. Gerber has posted six double-doubles on the season.

She currently ranks eighth in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, leads the league in field goal percentage and ranks third in blocked shots (1.8 bpg).

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 fourth 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 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She also has dished out 2.7 assists a game and made 48 of 131 (.366) 3-point field goal attempts. Pyle ranks third in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (2.3 pg).

Pyle contributed 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14 games played last year before suffering a season ending injury. She has converted 26 of 69 (.377) 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.

Freshman guard Harper Schreiner has made a big splash in her first year in a Pitt State uniform, averaging 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Schreiner has posted three double-doubles on the season including 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. MSSU (Jan. 2). She currently ranks third in the MIAA in assists.

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.

Senior guard Erin Davis has added 7.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists to the Pitt State stat line.

A fifth-year senior, Davis has started 51 of 102 career games played, scoring 591 points (5.8 ppg) and hitting 109 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.

Sophomore guard Sydney Holmes is averaging 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19 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.

Redshirt sophomore guard Jenna Shipley has averaged 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She scored 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.

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 4.2 points and 3.3 rebounds so far, including a career high 14 points vs. UCO (Dec. 11).

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. 

Freshman forward Savannah Campbell has enjoyed a solid start to her Pitt State career, contributing 2.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15 games played. Campbell has made 54.8 percent of her field goal attempts (17-31) 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 her senior 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.

As a team, Pitt State is shooting .453 from the field (606-1337), .772 from the free throw line (291-377) and averaging 79.5 points per game.  The Gorillas lead the MIAA in scoring, free throw percentage and rebounding margin (+10.0 pg).

Pitt State Probable Starters
  F   5  Karenna Gerber, 6-0, So., Halstead, Kan.
  F  24  Grace Pyle, 5-11, So., McPherson, Kan.
  G  10  Tristan Gegg, 5-7, Sr., Altamont, Kan.
  G  13  Erin Davis, 5-8, Gr., Independence, Mo.
  G  15  Harper Schreiner, 5-8, Fr., Eudora, Kan.