PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will open up the 2024-25 campaign this weekend by competing in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in a pair of top 25 match-ups in St. Joseph, Mo.

Pitt State, the No. 13 team in the WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, will battle No. 15 Ferris State University Saturday (Nov. 2) and No. 22 Southern Nazarene University Sunday (Nov. 3) at the St. Joseph Civic Arena. Saturday's game time against the Bulldogs is set for 1:30 p.m. (CDT), while Sunday's action against the Crimson Storm is slated for 11:30 a.m.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 115-58 (.665) record. During her tenure as head coach, she has guided the Gorillas to the Division II National Tournament three times (2024, 2023 & 2019) with her debut season marking the first coach in program history to guide the Gorillas 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.

A Peek at The Gorillas
The Gorillas head into the 2024-25 season picked to win the MIAA regular season crown according to the conference's coaches poll. Last season the Division II National Tournament participant went 24-8, 15-7 in the MIAA earning an automatic bid to the national tournament with the program's first ever MIAA Tournament championship. The number one scoring offense in the MIAA at 75.0 points a game last season will see five starters return with nine letterwinners and four newcomers to round out the 2024-25 roster. The returners for Pitt State are led by first-team All-MIAA forward Karenna Gerber (Halstead, Kan.) with 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game while shooting .598 percent from the field. All-Region guard Grace Pyle (McPherson, Kan.) averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 made three-pointers a game. Macie Mays (El Dorado Springs, Mo.) was no ordinary freshman as she was a key part of the offense with 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds a game while shooting .534 percent from the field and .419 from three. All-MIAA guard, Harper Schreiner (Eudora, Kan.) stuffed the stat sheet with 7.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals a game. Sydney Holmes (Maize, Kan.) averaged 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds a game while shooting .442 from the field. Alba Lozano (Leganes, Spain) averages 5.5 points a game in 13.6 minutes while shooting .500 percent from the field. Savannah Campbell (Rolla, Mo.) averaged 11.8 minutes off the bench for 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 points a game while shooting .532 percent from the field. Ja'Miya Brown (North Little Rock, Ark.) finished her freshman season averaging 9.4 minutes a game off the bench with 2.0 points and 0.9 rebounds. Destiny Buerge (Carl Junction, Mo.) in her first collegiate season averaged 9.6 minutes off the bench with 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists a game.

She Is Ms. Consistent
Senior forward Karenna Gerber is a consistent presence on both ends of the floor with her effort and talent being on full display over her career. To begin the 2024-25 campaign she ranks tied for first in career double-doubles (22), second in field goal percentage among qualified shooters (.585), third in blocks per game (1.51), fourth for blocks (139), sixth in rebounds (637), eighth in rebounds per game (6.9), 14th for field goals made (455) and free throws attempted (373), tied for 14th in free throws made (274), 15th in points (1,184) and 17th among qualified players in points per game (12.9).

Don't Let Her Get Hot
Senior guard Grace Pyle has proven to be one of the better shooters from deep once again in the MIAA with a conference leading 84 made three's last season. Pyle is now the sixth Gorilla in program history to record back-to-back seasons making at least 50 three's and is sixth on the PSU career list for makes from three with 167 in 77 games. Pyle also ranks 14th in career points per game (13.5) and is 21st in career points scored (1,041).

Its A Game Of Give & Take
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 63 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 266 assists and recorded 99 steals to be 11th in career assists charts and 31st for steals. Last season the Eudora, Kan., native has dished out 139 assists and nabbed 54 steals to lead the team in each category. Against Central Missouri (Feb. 7) she became the fourth player in program history to record 100 assists seasons as a freshman and sophomore (Amanda Davied, Kaylee DaMitz & Leslie Dudley) and the eighth time overall a player had back-to-back 100 assists seasons.

Big-Game Mays
Sophomore guard/forward Macie Mays had one of the better freshman campaigns in Pitt State history last season finishing the season averaging 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting .534 from the field and .419 from three. When the games mattered the most the then freshman played like a seasoned upperclassmen, helping the Gorillas to their first ever MIAA Tournament Championship and being named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 15.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting .630 from the field, .600 from three and made all 10 free throws she attempted.

What's Up Holmes
Senior guard Sydney Holmes successfully completed her first season in the starting lineup last campaign and looks to put together another solid year for the Gorillas as a senior. For her career, Holmes has appeared in 90 games with 521 points scored, 387 rebounds corralled and 110 assists dished out while shooting .446 from the field.

An International Force
Redshirt junior forward Alba Lozano from Leganes, Spain enjoyed an expanded role last season serving as either the first or second player of the bench to the tune of 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.6 minutes a game. Lozano finished the campaign shooting .500 from the field, .309 from three and .808 from free throws. Against Nebraska-Kearney (Jan. 11) she scored a career-high 18 points helping the Gorillas to a 83-67 victory.

Sav In The Paint
Junior forward Savannah Campbell gained valuable experience in her sophomore campaign that should help her and the team in 2024-25. Last season the Rolla, Mo., native averaged 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 points a game while shooting .532 from the field. Against Newman (Feb. 3) she finished with a career-high 15 points against the Jets and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double.

Career 100 Trifecta
Last season the Gorillas have had some memorable feats accomplished involving the number 100. First, it was Grace Pyle making her 100th career three at No. 23 Missouri Western (Nov. 30) in the Gorillas 65-56 win. Pyle became the 17th Gorilla in program history to accomplish the feat. Not to be outdone, Karenna Gerber notched her 100th career block against Central Oklahoma (Dec. 9) in the 95-76 win at John Lance Arena to become the sixth in program history to accomplish the feat. Amanda Davied joined in on the fun with her 100th win as a head coach coming in dramatic fashion. Engineering a 20-point comeback that began late in the third quarter the Gorillas forced overtime and beat No. 3 Central Missouri (Dec. 16) 101-93 in Warrensburg. Davied who was the quickest to 50 wins as a head coach in program history is now also the quickest to 100 wins needing 151 games compared to her former mentor and previous record holder, Steve High who needed 156 games.

A Grand Feeling
Last season, Junior forward/center Karenna Gerber became the 25th member of the 1,000 career points club at Pittsburg State against Central Oklahoma (Feb. 1). Gerber also became the 13th to do so while grabbing at least 500 career rebounds and the 3rd ever to grab at least 500 career rebounds and block at least 100 career shots. Grace Pyle became the 26th member of the 1,000 point club at PSU and the ninth to have made at least 100 career threes against #18 Missouri Western (Mar. 9) in the MIAA Championships Semifinals. Head coach Amanda Davied has coached or played with 16 (including herself) of those in program history to have scored 1000 career points.

Record Watch For Gerber
With her first double-double of the 2024-25 season, senior Karenna Gerber will set a team record for double-doubles in a career. Currently the Halstead, Kan., native is tied with PSU Hall of Famer LaTonya (McGee) Mekha (1983-86) with 21 career double-doubles.

Trio Named All-MIAA
Last season Pitt State had three named to the All-MIAA teams in Karenna Gerber, Grace Pyle and Harper Schreiner. Gerber and Pyle were first-team representatives and the only duo to be listed in the first, second or third teams among the association. Schreiner was an honorable mention for the second year in a row. 

Another Trip To The Big Dance
In the Gorillas 35 years of competing at the Division II level the women's basketball team has qualified for 13 National Tournament appearances. In those 13 appearances, Pitt State is 9-13 (.409) with two Elite Eight appearances in 2012 and 2016.

A Long Time Coming 
For the first time in program history the Gorillas won the MIAA Tournament in 2024 after finishing as runners up in 2016 and 1992. Pittsburg State is a three-time MIAA regular season champion claiming the title in the 2016-17, 1995-96 and 1991-92 seasons.

Bulldogs Scout
Ferris State posted a 26-6 record in 2023-24, including a 15-3 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals of the Midwest Regional before falling to eventual national runner-up Texas Woman's University in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. FSU returns three starters and nine returners overall from a year ago. First-team All-GLIAC Kadyn Blanchard, who averaged 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, leads the way. Kenzie Bowers leads all returners with 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals a game, while Elle Irwin paces the returners with 0.7 blocks a game.

Series History Against FSU
Saturday's contest against the Bulldogs will be the second ever meeting between the programs. Pitt State beat FSU, 77-50, on Nov. 18, 2016 in Pittsburg behind a 20-point performance from All-American Mikaela Burgess.

Crimson Storm Warning
Southern Nazarene posted a 30-3 record (21-1 Great American Conference) a year ago. The Crimson Storm reached the Central Regional Finals before bowing out to eventual NCAA Division II National Tournament champion Minnesota State. SNU returns two starters and nine letterwinners from last year's squad. The Crimson Storm were picked to finish second in the GAC Preseason Poll with two-time GAC Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Giddey back for her final season after averaging 14.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.5 blocks a game.

Series History Against SNU
Sunday's contest against the Crimson Storm will be the sixth ever meeting between the programs with SNU holding a slim 3-2 advantage. Most recently, Pitt State lost to SNU, 64-51, on Nov. 19, 2022 at Topeka as Harper Schreiner led all players with 20 points.