PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will make its 2023-24 season debut Friday (Nov. 10) when the Gorillas travel to Shawnee, Okla., to compete in the MIAA/GAC Challenge hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University.

Gorillas Ready To Begin '23-24 Campaign
Coming off a 23-8 (17-5 MIAA) campaign a year ago, the Pitt State Gorillas are looking forward to attempting a repeat trip to the Division II National Tournament along with competing for the MIAA regular season and tournament crowns. Eight returners (five with starting experience) and four freshmen round out the roster for Amanda Davied's sixth year in charge. Jacob Roark joins the staff for his first season, while Luke Huddleston returns for year two on the PSU staff. An'Nyah Pettus is in her first season as a graduate assistant after she was a member of the 2022-23 team at PSU.

MIAA/GAC Conference Challenge Outlook
To begin the season, Pittsburg State will travel to Shawnee, Okla., to participate in the MIAA/GAC Conference Challenge hosted at Oklahoma Baptist. PSU will take on the host Bisons Nov. 10th at 6 p.m. (CDT) at the Noble Complex before wrapping up the tournament against Southwestern Oklahoma on Nov. 11th at 1 p.m. OBU was picked to finish third in the Great American Conference (GAC) Preseason Coaches Poll after a 17-13 (12-10 GAC) campaign. All-GAC honoree Maddison Chambers and GAC Freshman of the Year Jaedyn Getman are back to lead the program. SWOSU was picked to finish 11thin the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll after an 8-19 (8-14 GAC) mark a year ago. All-GAC performer Averi Zinn is back to lead the Lady Bulldogs alongside her sister Layni Zinn.

Amanda Davied
In her sixth year as head coach of her alma mater after being hired to the role on May 21, 2018, Davied owns a 91-50 (.645) record. During her tenure as head coach, she has guided the Gorillas to the Division II National Tournament twice (2022-23 & 2018-19) with her debut season marking the first coach in program history to guide the program to a 20-win season. Davied has deep ties to the program first as a player (1999-03), graduate assistant (2003-04) and assistant coach (2004-18) while serving as the lead assistant from 2007-18 for current Division I, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), head coach Lane Lord.

MIAA Preseason Polls Rank Gorillas Third
The 2023-24 MIAA Coaches and Media Polls listed Pittsburg State third in the conference field, behind Central Missouri and Missouri Western to round out the top three. UCM and PSU made it to the NCAA Regional Tournament last season along with MSSU (5/7) and UNK (6/5) after the Jennies were crowned reagular season champs and the Lions claimed the MIAA Tournament crown.

Trio Of All-MIAA Returners
Following the graduation of four-time All-MIAA guard Tristan Gegg (Altamont, Kan.) the mantel has been passed to lead the program to junior forward Karenna Gerber, junior guard Grace Pyle and sophomore guard Harper Schreiner. Gerber, a third-team All-MIAA selection last season, averaged 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game while shooting 57.6 percent from the field. Pyle received All-MIAA honorable mention honors a year ago, averaging 14.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 made threes and 0.9 steals a game and shooting 42.9 percent from the field (82.8 percent from the free throw line). Schreiner was the MIAA Freshman of the Year and an All-MIAA honorable mention performer after averaging 10.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals a game. She shot 49.5 percent from the floor and 86.8 percent from the charity stripe.

Pyle Paces Gorillas in Exhibition Opener
Junior guard Grace Pyle scored a game high 27 points to pace Pitt State in its exhibition opener against Kansas State on Nov. 3. The Gorillas dropped a competitive 79-65 decision to the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. Pyle made eight of 17 shots from the floor in the contest, including four 3-point field goals, in 31 minutes of action. She also hit seven of 10 free throw attempts and added three rebounds and three assists to her stat line. Junior forward/center Karenna Gerber added 16 points on six of eight shooting despite limited action on the hardwood due to foul trouble. Freshman Macie Mays added 11 points in her Pitt State debut. Sophomore guard Harper Schreiner contributed three points, four rebounds and a team-leading five assists. As a team, the Gorillas shot 41.1 percent from the field (23-56). K-State placed three players in double figure scoring led by Ayoka Lee's team-leading 20 points.