PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team received an at-large berth into the 64-team NCAA Division II National Tournament Sunday. The Gorillas earned the No. 7 seed in the Central Regional that will take place Mar. 10, 11 and 13 at University of Minnesota Duluth at Duluth, Minn.

Pitt State will face No. 2 seed UNK, the MIAA regular season champion, in the regional quarterfinals Friday at 2:30 p.m. (CST) at Romano Gymnasium on the UMD campus.

The regional quarterfinal 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.

All-Session passes for the Central Regional are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors, $12 for children and $10 for PSU students. Individual session tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for children and $5 for PSU students.

The Records
The Gorillas enter the Central Regional with a 22-7 overall record. Pitt State dropped a 75-61 decision to Missouri Southern State University in the quarterfinals of the 2023 MIAA Postseason Tournament last Friday (Mar. 3).

UNK brings a 28-4 record into the regional. The Lopers fell, 63-51, to MSSU in the MIAA Tournament semifinals on Mar. 4. UNK is ranked No. 14 in the most recent USA Today/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll.

The winner of the Pitt State-UNK match-up will advance to the Central Region semifinals Saturday (Mar. 11) at 5 p.m. The 2023 NCAA-II Central Region Championship game is set for 7 p.m. (CST) Monday (Mar. 13).

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 90-49 (.647) 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.

Gorillas in the NCAA Tournament
Pitt State is making its 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament.  The Gorillas are 8-11 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.

Pitt State has twice captured regional crowns, advancing to the Elite Eight during the 2011-12 and 2015-16 campaigns.

The Gorillas last appearance came in 2018-19 with Pitt State falling to Fort Hays State, 74-65, in the regional quarterfinals at Hays, Kan., on Mar. 15, 2019.

Series History
Friday's action will mark the 47th all-time meeting between Pitt State and UNK. The Lopers hold a 30-16 advantage in the series, including five consecutive victories.

UNK posted a 70-55 win over Pitt State on Jan. 5 at Kearney, Neb., and a 70-67 victory on Feb. 18 in Pittsburg to sweep the season series.

Elisa Backes led five UNK players in double figures in the first meeting. The Gorillas made just four of 32 3-point field goal attempts with Karenna Gerber pacing Pitt State with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Sarah Schmitt made four free throws in the game's final seven seconds to help the Lopers hold off the Gorillas in Pittsburg. Schmitt led all scorers with 20 points, while Harper Schreiner had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Pitt State.

This will be the first neutral site match-up in the series between the Gorillas and the Lopers.

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 (14.7 ppg), Gerber (14.7), Pyle (13.8 ppg) and Schreiner (10.7).

Gegg is averaging 14.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game on the season. The four-time All-MIAA performer is shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range, making 86 of 210 attempts so far. She currently ranks tied for seventh 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 1,999 points (14.6 ppg), grabbed 436 rebounds (3.2 rpg) and made 290 3-point field goals in 137 career games. She is bidding to become just the third player in program history to reach 2,000 career points.

Gerber is contributing 14.7 points and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent from the field (154-271). 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 nine double-doubles on the season, including 31 points and 14 rebounds vs. LU on Feb. 4 and 23 points and 11 rebounds the last time out vs. MSSU (Mar. 3).

She currently ranks tied for seventh in the league in scoring, eighth in rebounding, leads the league in field goal percentage and ranks tied for third 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 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She also has dished out 2.6 assists a game and made 54 of 170 (.318) 3-point field goal attempts. Pyle ranks 11th in the MIAA in scoring and seventh 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 10.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 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 free throw percentage (.861, 93-108).

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 59 of 110 career games played, scoring 658 points (6.0 ppg) and hitting 122 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 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 27 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 4.7 points and 3.6 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 3.3 points and 2.9 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 .448 from the field (815-1821), .778 from the free throw line (402-517) and averaging 77.2 points per game.  The Gorillas lead the MIAA in scoring and free throw percentage, rank second in the conference in rebounding margin (+7.9 pg) and third in the league in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage (.336).

The Gorillas generate 13.9 points per game from the foul line. Pitt State had made more free throws (402) than its opponents have attempted (365).

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.