PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will make its 2024-25 season home debut Thursday (Nov. 21) against Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The Gorillas and Rangers will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. (CST) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

The Gorillas, the No. 13 ranked team in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Monday (Nov. 18), bring a 4-1 record into Thursday's match-up. Pitt State has posted four straight wins after dropping its season opener to No. 15Ferris State University.
 
Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 119-59 (.669) 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 were picked to win the 2024-25 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. This season the Gorillas are 4-1 after the first three weekends of action, falling to No. 15 Ferris State to begin the season before securing a 75-57 win over No. 22 Southern Nazarene at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Mo., at Civic Arena. The next week the Gorillas claimed victories over Northern State (85-55) and Minnesota Crookston (93-79) during the MIAA/NSIC Conference Challenge in Aberdeen, S.D. Last week, PSU beat Rockhurst 75-56 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., as part of the Bearcat/Gorilla Classic. Karenna Gerber leads the team with 14.4 points and 7.8 rebounds a game while shooting a team-best .577 from the field. Macie Mays at 13.6 points a game and .553 percent from the field ranks second among team ranks. Grace Pyle has gone 11-of-35 from three-point attempts this season for .314 while averaging 11.2 points a game and hauling in 4.0 rebounds. Harper Schreiner has dished out a team-best 18 assists for 3.6 a game while shooting .536 from the field and averages 8.6 points a game. Maycee James leads the team with 12 steals (2.4) while averaging 5.2 points and rebounds a game. Savannah Campbell is the top scoring option in the early going from the bench, averaging 6.0 points a game while shooting .524 from the field.
 
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. She ranks first in career double-doubles (23), second in field goal percentage among qualified shooters (.584), third in blocks per game (1.50) and blocks (145), fifth in rebounds (666), sixth in rebounds per game (6.9), 11th for free throws attempted (387), 13th in points (1,256), 14th for field goals made (485) and free throws made (286),and 20th 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 178 in 82 games. Pyle also ranks 18th in career points per game (13.4) and is 19th in career points scored (1,097).
 
Its A Game Of Give & Take
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 68 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 284 assists and recorded 102 steals to be 10th 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 95 games with 548 points scored, 408 rebounds corralled and 119 assists dished out while shooting .442 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.
 
Nilges For 3
Senior guard Hannah Nilges introduced herself to the Pitt State faithful with a career-day against the Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm (Nov. 3), going 6-of-8 from three for a career-high 20 points. The Jefferson City, Mo., native spent her first three collegiate seasons at Division I Drake University where she appeared in 44 games as a Bulldog.
 
Maycee On The Scene
Junior guard Maycee James finished the first week of the regular season with two dominating performances on defense. Against Ferris State (Nov. .2) the 5' 7" Goddard, Kan., native came away with five steals and nine rebounds (seven defensive). As an encore performance James against SNU (Nov. 3) blocked two shots and recorded one steal with seven rebounds (six defensive). So far this season, James has 12 steals (2.4 per game) and four blocks (0.8 per game).
 
Clara From Three
Freshman guard Clara Swearingen against SNU (Nov. 3) went 2-of-2 from three-point range for her first collegiate points. This season she is 5-of-12 from three-point attempts (.417). The Nevada, Mo., native averaged 23 points a game on her way to Conference Player of the Year honors last school year at Nevada H.S.
 
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.
 
Gerber Becomes Double-Double Queen
With her first double-double of the 2024-25 season against Ferris State, senior Karenna Gerber set a team record for double-doubles in a career. The Halstead, Kan., native passed PSU Hall of Famer LaTonya (McGee) Mekha (1983-86) with her 22nd career double-double against the Bulldogs. To date, Gerber has 23 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.
 
Rangers Scout
Northwestern Oklahoma is 2-1 on the early season, the Rangers were picked to finish seventh in the Great American Conference preseason coaches' poll after going 24-7 overall and 16-6 in the GAC. Payton Jones leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points a game shooting .500 from the field and .938 from free throws. Kennedy Hight is close behind at 16.7 points a game with a team-leading 5.7 assists a game, Hight is shooting .500 from three-point attempts and .436 from the field. Camille Thomas has hauled in a squad leading 6.0 points a game in 22.7 minutes as a starter.
 
Series History Against NWOSU
Thursday's contest against the Rangers will be the third ever meeting between the programs, with Pitt State owning a 2-0 advantage. The Gorillas beat Northwestern Oklahoma in their last meeting Jan. 2, 2017 in Alva, Okla., 94-62 behind 20-point performances from Shelby Lopez and Madison Northcutt.