PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to open play in the 2023 MIAA Postseason Tournament Friday (Mar. 3) at historic Municipal Auditorium.

The Gorillas, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, will face No. 5 seed Missouri Southern State University at 6 p.m. (CST).

Friday's MIAA Tournament quarterfinals game 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.

Single Session Tickets for the MIAA Tournament are $20 for adults, $10 for students (college students must show I.D.). All-session passes for all games played at Kansas City are $75 and can be purchased at the Municipal Auditorium box office or through ticketmaster.com.

The Records
The Gorillas enter the MIAA Postseason Tournament with a 22-6 overall record and a 17-5 mark in MIAA play. Pitt State finished the regular season alone in fourth place in the conference standings. Missouri Southern completed regular season play 24-6 overall and 16-6 in MIAA play. 

The winner of the Pitt State-MSSU match-up will advance to the MIAA Tournament semifinals Saturday (Mar. 4) at 6 p.m. The 2023 MIAA Postseason Tournament Championship game is set for 3:30 p.m. (CST) Sunday (Mar. 5).

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 90-48 (.652) 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
Friday's action will mark the 102nd all-time meeting between Pitt State and MSSU. The Gorillas hold a 57-44 advantage in the series, including a season sweep of the Lady Lions this year.

Pitt State defeated MSSU, 87-79, at Joplin, Mo., on Jan. 2. Karenna Gerber posted 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in the game, while Harper Schreiner chipped in with 11 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

The Gorillas added a 74-64 victory against the Lady Lions in Pittsburg on Feb. 11. Tristan Gegg led five Pitt State players in double figures with 14 points in that game. Gerber (13 pts, 10 reb.) and Harper Schreiner (12 pts., 11 reb.) each posted double-doubles for the Gorillas.

This will be the third match-up between Pitt State and MSSU in the MIAA Tournament. The Lady Lions beat the Gorillas, 87-67, in Topeka on Mar. 12, 1993, and Pitt State defeated MSSU, 61-67, at Municipal Auditorium on Mar. 4, 2011.

Gorillas in the MIAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its 31st appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Gorillas have compiled a 12-30 (.286) record in 42 MIAA Tournament games and reached the Finals of the tournament twice, in 1992 and 2016.

Pitt State has compiled a 6-17 (.261) record in MIAA Tournament games played at Municipal Auditorium.

All-MIAA Lineup
Four members of the Pitt State starting lineup garnered All-MIAA honors Tuesday (Feb. 28):  fifth-year guard Tristan Gegg, sophomore forward Karenna Gerber, sophomore guard Grace Pyle and freshman guard Harper Schreiner.

Gegg was selected to the second-team All-MIAA squad, while Gerber was tabbed third-team All-MIAA. Pyle and Schreiner received honorable mention All-MIAA recognition. Schreiner also was voted the 2023 MIAA Freshman of the Year.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has four players scoring in double figures:  Gegg (15.0 ppg), Gerber (14.4), Pyle (14.1 ppg) and Schreiner (10.5).

Gegg is averaging 15.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on the season. The four-time All-MIAA performer is shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range, making 85 of 201 attempts so far. She currently ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring, leads the conference in 3-point field goals (3.0 pg) and ranks second 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 1,992 points (14.6 ppg), grabbed 431 rebounds (3.2 rpg) and made 289 3-point field goals in 136 career games. She is bidding to become just the third player in program history to reach 2,000 career points.

Gerber is contributing 14.4 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the field (144-253). 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 eight double-doubles on the season, including 31 points and 14 rebounds vs. LU on Feb. 4.

She currently ranks eighth in the league in scoring, eighth in rebounding, leads the league in field goal percentage and ranks fourth in blocked shots (1.6 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 14.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She also has dished out 2.6 assists a game and made 54 of 165 (.327) 3-point field goal attempts. Pyle ranks 10th in the MIAA in scoring and sixth in the conference in 3-point field goals (1.9 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.

Schreiner is contributing 10.511 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Schreiner has posted three double-doubles on the season and she scored a season best 30 points vs. LU (Feb. 4). She currently ranks second in the MIAA in assists and third in the conference in free throw percentage (.853, 87-102).

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 7.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists to the Pitt State stat line.

A fifth-year senior, Davis has started 58 of 109 career games played, scoring 649 points (5.9 ppg) and hitting 120 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 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 26 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 6.3 points and 4.1 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 3.5 points and 3.0 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 contributed 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 21 games played. Campbell has made 56.3 percent of her field goal attempts (18-32) 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 .451 from the field (791-1752), .776 from the free throw line (392-505) and averaging 77.8 points per game.  The Gorillas lead the MIAA in scoring and free throw percentage, rank second in the conference in rebounding margin (+8.3 pg) and third in the league in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage (.344).

The Gorillas generate 14.0 points per game from the foul line. Pitt State had made more free throws (392) than its opponents have attempted (359).

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.