PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team is set to participate in the MIAA/NSIC Conference Challenge this weekend in a pair of games at Aberdeen, S.D.

Pitt State, the No. 13 team in the WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, is scheduled to play the host school, Northern State University, Friday (Nov. 8) and the University of Minnesota Crookston Saturday (Nov. 9). Friday's game Is set for a Noon tip and Saturday's action is set for 2 p.m. (CT) from Wachs Arena.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 116-59 (.663) 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 1-1 after the first weekend 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 Kansas City, Mo., at Municipal Auditorium. Karenna Gerber leads the team with 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds a game while shooting .524 percent from the field (11-of-21). Hannah Nilges leads the bench effort with 11.5 points a game going 7-of-9 from three (.778) to lead the team in makes from distance. Maycee James leads the team with 3.0 assists and steals 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 169 in 79 games. Pyle also ranks 15th in career points per game (13.4) and is 19th in career points scored (1,056).

Its A Game Of Give & Take
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 65 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 271 assists and recorded 101 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 92 games with 533 points scored, 393 rebounds corralled and 115 assists dished out while shooting .445 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).

Clara Can't Miss
Freshman guard Clara Swearingen against SNU (Nov. 3) went 2-of-2 from three-point range for her first collegiate points. 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 Haltstead, Kan., native passed PSU Hall of Famer LaTonya (McGee) Mekha (1983-86) with her 22nd career double-double against the Bulldogs.

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.

Wolves Briefing
Northern State last season went 20-9 overall and 16-6 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). This season the Wolves were picked to finish second in the conference preseason poll with Madelyn Bragg tabbed as the Preseason NSIC Player of the Year. Bragg is coming off a season where she averaged 17.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game while shooting .515 from the field. Rianna Fillipi wrote her name into the NSU record books setting the career assist record for the Wolves last season after dishing out 144 assists (5.0 per game), the graduate guard also added 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds a game.

Series History Against NSU
Friday's contest against the Wolves will be the third ever meeting between the programs. Pitt State beat NSU, 94-81, on Nov. 9, 2018 in Kansas City, Mo. behind the Gorillas shooting 51.6 percent from three (16-of-31) in Amanda Davied's first ever game as a head coach. The three-point barrage ranks as the third-highest three-point field goal tally in program history.  

Golden Eagles Sighting
Minnesota Crookston last season went 9-19, 6-16 in the NSIC. Picked to finish 12th in the preseason poll, junior guard Emma Miller is the top returner for the Golden Eagles averaging 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game while standing 5' 1". Redshirt sophomore guard Hope Dudycha is also back after averaging 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists a season ago, and is the top three-point shooter going 32-of-93 (.344) last campaign.