PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will hit the road for a pair of MIAA games Thursday (Jan. 5) and Saturday (Jan. 7) as the Gorillas battle the University of Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State University.

The Gorillas and Lopers will meet at 5:30 p.m. (CST) Thursday at the Health & Sports Center on the UNK campus, while Pitt State and FHSU will battle at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum at Hays, Kan.

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 10-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in MIAA play. The Gorillas posted an 87-79 road win over No. 9 ranked Missouri Southern State University at Joplin, Mo., Monday (Jan. 2). The victory helped Pitt State climb to fifth place in the MIAA standings.

Nebraska-Kearney is 13-3 overall, 6-2 in the MIAA and ranked No. 22 in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Tuesday (Jan. 3). The Lopers dropped a hard fought 55-50 decision to No. 7 ranked University of Central Missouri in their last action Monday (Jan. 2). UNK is currently third in the MIAA standings.

Fort Hays State is 12-4 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play. The Lady Tigers secured an 85-68 road win over Lincoln University the last time out Monday. FHSU is currently alone in second place in the conference standings.

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 78-45 (.634) 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
Thursday's action will mark the 45th all-time meeting between Pitt State and UNK. The Gorillas hold a 28-16 advantage in the series, including a slim 12-10 edge in games played at Kearney, Neb. The Lopers have won the last three match-ups.

Pitt State and FHSU will meet for the 62nd time Saturday. The Lady Tigers hold a 35-26 advantage in the series and have won the last seven match-up against the Gorillas at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has three players scoring in double figures early in the season: senior guard Tristan Gegg (15.2 ppg), sophomore forward/center Karenna Gerber (15.2 ppg) and sophomore guard Grace Pyle (13.4 ppg).

Gegg is averaging 15.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game through the Gorillas first 12 contests. The three-time All-MIAA performer is shooting 44.6 percent from 3-point range, making 41 of 92 attempts so far. She currently ranks eighth 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 1,771 points (14.6 ppg), grabbed 398 rebounds (3.3 rpg) and made 253 3-point field goals in 121 career games. She currently ranks in fifth place on Pitt State's all-time scoring list.

Gerber is contributing 15.2 points and a team-leading 8.0 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the field (70-123). 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 five double-doubles on the season.

She currently ranks ninth in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, leads the league in field goal percentage and ranks fourth in blocked shots (1.4 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 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 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game so far. She also has dished out 2.8 assists a game and made 30 of 77 (.390) 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 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 13games in a Pitt State uniform, averaging 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Schreiner has posted three double-doubles on the season including 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. MSSU (Jan. 2). She currently ranks second 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.

Sophomore guard Sydney Holmes is averaging 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11 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 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists to the Pitt State stat line.

A fifth-year senior, Davis has started 44 of 94 career games played, scoring 521 points (5.5 ppg) and hitting 96 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.

Redshirt sophomore guard Jenna Shipley has averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 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 4.5 points and 4.5 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 2.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in nine games played. 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 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 .447 from the field (366-819), .767 from the free throw line (181-236) and averaging 78.3 points per game.  The Gorillas rank third in the MIAA in scoring, lead the league in free throw percentage and rank second in the conference in rebounding margin (+10.2 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.