PITTSBURG - The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will begin 2026 with a pair of MIAA road games in Arkansas and Oklahoma this weekend.

Tip off against Arkansas - Fort Smith on Thursday (Jan. 1) is set for 1:30 p.m. (CST), at Gayle Kaundart Arena. Pittsburg State will close the weekend with a Saturday (Jan. 3) bout against Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla., at the NSU Event Center beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her eighth year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 157-64 (.710) record. During her tenure as head coach, she has guided the Gorillas to the Division II National Tournament four times (2025-23 & 2019) with her debut season marking the first coach in program history to guide the Gorillas to a 20-win season. Last season, Davied was named the MIAA and KBCA Four Year College Coach of the Year after helping lead the Gorillas to a 33-4 overall record and a NCAA Division II Final Four appearance after claiming the MIAA regular season, MIAA Tournament and Central Region Tournament championships. 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.

WBCA Poll Update
Released on Tuesday (Dec. 23), the Gorillas are No. 13 in the Division II Poll and are 9-2 overall, 2-0 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State when ranked No. 13, is 11-2 with wins coming in the 2010-11, 2014-15, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. As a Top 25 ranked team in the WBCA Poll, the Gorillas all-time are 150-52 (.743) while being ranked for 108 weeks. Pittsburg State has featured in the Top 25 in 23 straight editions of the WBCA Coaches Poll dating back to last season's opening poll.

A Peek at the Gorillas
Pittsburg State is 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA heading into the second semester and first action of 2026. Picked to finish first in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll and third in the Coaches Poll, the Gorillas have made it to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in three straight seasons. Leading the charge after a career-high 36 points is Ja'Miya Brown with 14.3 points a game. Brown, leads the team with 18 made three pointers and a .367 clip from behind the arc. Marin Adams (12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists) and Harper Schreiner (11.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals) are do it all guards. Kaycee McCumber leads the team and MIAA with 9.5 rebounds a game, adding in 7.9 points. Clara Swearingen is averaging 7.0 points a game while making 12 three pointers so far this season. Hannah Miller leads the bench unit with 5.8 points a game with Amanda Byrnes (5.5) and Cambrie Phillips (4.8) capable of scoring in abundance off the bench. As a team the Gorillas are scoring 71.3 points a game with opponents putting up 64.0. On the glass, Pittsburg State is +9.3 with 44.2 rebounds (13.9 offensive) per game.

Career Highs Set In 2025-26
Ja'Miya Brown: 36 points vs. Western Colorado (Dec. 20). 11 rebounds at Northwestern Oklahoma (Nov. 20). 3 assists at No. 8 Fort Hays State (Dec. 13) and vs. St. Mary (Kan.) (Dec. 15). 6 steals at Cameron (Dec. 19). 2 blocks vs. Central Oklahoma (Dec. 4). 13 field goals made and 7 three pointers made vs. Western Colorado. 6 free throws made at FHSU. Amanda Byrnes: 8 rebounds vs. Central Oklahoma (Dec. 4). 5 blocks at Northwestern Oklahoma (Nov. 20). 7 field goals made vs. St. Mary (Kan.) (Dec. 15). Hannah Miller: 20 points vs. Northern State (Nov. 14). 6 rebounds vs. St. Mary (Kan.) (Dec. 15). 3 assists vs. Northern State & St. Mary (Kan.). 2 steals vs. Northern State. 8 field goals made and 4 free throws made vs. Northern State. 1 three pointer made at Cameron (Dec. 19). Clara Swearingen: 20 points vs. Angelo State (Nov. 30). 5 rebounds at No. 8 Fort Hays State (Dec. 13), vs. ASU & No. 8 Texas Woman's (Nov. 25). 5 assists vs. Minnesota Crookston (Nov. 15). 7 field goals made and 4 three pointers made vs. ASU. 8 free throws made vs. Rogers State (Dec. 6).

Double-Doubles in 2025-26
This season three Gorillas have recorded double-doubles, with all five instances being points-rebounds performances. Kaycee McCumber: 11 points, 18 rebounds vs. No. 8 Texas Woman's (Nov. 25) and 15 points, 15 rebounds vs. Central Oklahoma (Dec. 4). Harper Schreiner: 19 points, 12 rebounds vs. Minnesota Crookston (Nov. 15) and 12 points, 11 rebounds vs. St. Mary (Kan.) (Dec. 15). Ja'Miya Brown: 20 points, 11 rebounds at Northwestern Oklahoma (Nov. 20).

Schreiner The Stat Sheet Stuffer
Harper Schreiner notched her 10th career double-double against St. Mary(Kan.)  (Dec. 15), finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Spires. In 111 career games wearing the Crimson and Gold, Schreiner has accumulated 938 points, 671 rebounds, 447 assists and 164 steals. Among Pitt State career ranks, Schreiner is third in assists, fourth in rebounds and sixth in steals.

Consistent Mays
Macie Mays in two years with the Pittsburg State program, has scored 799 points (12.5) in 64 games. The El Dorado Springs, Mo., native is tied for the school record field goal percentage record after going 10-of-10 from the field against Northeastern State (Jan. 4, 2025) for a career-high 30 points at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

From Denver, Colo. to Pittsburg, Kan.
Senior Ashlyn Yow and junior Amanda Byrnes will be teammates at the collegiate level for the third season in a row after transferring into Pittsburg State from fellow Division II program, Metropolitan State University - Denver (MSU - Denver). Yow appeared in 77 games for MSU - Denver where she finished with 411 points (5.3), 140 rebounds (1.8) and 92 assists (1.2) while shooting .333 from distance. Byrnes played in 51 games as a Roadrunner, finishing with 153 points, 143 rebounds and 23 blocks in 12.9 minutes a game.

International Rillas
Marie Wembadjonga (Libreville, Gabon) and Karolina Kiraga (Wistka, Poland) have taken unique paths to end up being teammates this season at Pittsburg State. Wembadjonga played at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) last season where she averaged 7.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game, the Gabonese national began her collegiate career in 2023-24 at Chipola College where in 27 games she averaged 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 points a game. Wembadjonga played at the Lycee Joseph Ambouroue Avaro Secondary School in Gabon prior to playing collegiately. Kiraga will begin her collegiate career with the Gorillas after wrapping up a prep career at Providence Classical Christian Academy in Rogers, Ark. Karolina (Lola) averaged 17.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game during her time at PCCA, being named an All-State performer three-times.

Five Gems
Pittsburg State features five players who played high school basketball in the state of Arkansas. Junior Ja'Miya Brown (North Little Rock | North Little Rock High School), Freshmen Marin Adams (Farmington | Farmington High School), Karolina Kiraga (Wistka, Poland | Providence Classical Christian Academy), Kaycee McCumber (Farmington | Farmington High School) and Cambrie Phillips (Cave Springs | Bentonville High School). Brown in her first season as a starter is leading the team with 14.3 points a game and has converted on .367 of her three point attempts (18-of-49). Adams and McCumber are coming off three straight Arkansas State Championships (4A in 2023 & 24, 5A in 2025). This season, Adams is averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game with McCumber corralling a team leading 9.5 rebounds to supplement 7.9 points. Coming off the bench, Phillips is averaging 4.8 points and Kiraga, 1.5.

Magic Number 18
Early in her collegiate career, Kaycee McCumber has already left her mark in the Pittsburg State record books with a freshman record 18 rebounds against Texas Woman's (Nov. 25). Against Western Colorado (Dec. 20) she eclipsed 100 rebounds for the season, becoming the 18th Gorilla since the 1990-91 season to accomplish the feat. Lizzy Jeronimus (2011-12) came away with 225 rebounds to lead all freshman with Harper Schreiner (2022-23) the only other freshman to eclipse 200 boards with 205. Janelle Klein (2003-04, 165), Karenna Gerber (2021-22, 164), Bethany Turnbull (1999-00, 158), Madison Northcutt (2015-16, 140), Amber Sanborn (1993-94, 138), Leslie Dudley (1996-97, 137), Dani Fronabarger (1989-90, 135), Sydney Holmes (2021-22, 132), Kami Scrivner (2001-02, 127), Lisa Cropper (1992-93, 122), Laura Glenn (2007-08, 117), Tracy Patry (2004-05, 114), Megan Scott (2018-19, 108), Kaylee DaMitz (2018-19, 104) and Macie Mays (2023-24, 101) round out the other freshman to accomplish the feat.

MIAA Preseason Poll
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association on October 6th announced the Preseason Coaches and Media Polls for Women's Basketball. In the coaches poll, Fort Hays State, Washburn, Pittsburg State and Central Missouri were picked to finish first-fourth. Nebraska - Kearney, Missouri Western, Missouri Southern , Northwest Missouri, Northeastern State and Arkansas - Fort Smith rounded out the top ten teams. Emporia State, Central Oklahoma, Rogers State and Newman completed the poll in 11-14. In the media poll, Pittsburg State was picked first and was followed by Fort Hays State, Washburn and Central Missouri in the top four. Rounding out the top ten in the media poll were Nebraska - Kearney, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri, Arkansas - Fort Smith, Missouri Southern and Emporia State. Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma, Rogers State and Newman were picked to finish 11-14.

UAFS Report
Arkansas - Fort Smith is 1-10 on the season and 0-2 in the early going against MIAA opposition. Telisha Brown made her return to the floor in the teams last game against Drury (Dec. 20) after starting the first five games of the season for the Lions and is the leading scorer this season, averaging 13.5 a game. Haleigh Jackson is the only player on the team to start in all 11 games so far this season while averaging 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Marie Rose Priscilla Wemba leads the team with 5.9 rebounds a game while mostly coming off the bench and playing in 20.7 minutes a game. As a team, UAFS is scoring 63.0 points a game with opponents putting up 71.6. On the glass the Lions are -2.8 on average with 36.8 rebounds (10.6 offensive) per game.

RiverHawks Scout
Northeastern State at time of writing is 9-2 on the season and 2-1 in the MIAA. The RiverHawks will play against the University of Texas - Dallas on Dec. 31 in Richardson, Texas before hosting the Gorillas on Saturday. McKenzie Smith, a transfer from the University of Kansas leads the team with 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds a game while being on of seven members on the team to attempt at least 10 free throws this season and are shooting at or above .800 on the season. Annaston Brown in 19.7 minutes off the bench is scoring 10.8 points a game while converting on a team-high 23 three pointers at a .343 clip. Reese Shirey who was a teammate of Adams and McCumber at Farmington High School, is averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game while shooting .422 from distance (19-of-45). Deyanna Douglas rounds out the members of the team averaging in double figures for points per game at 10.6 in 17.0 minutes as a starter, going 43-of-53 (.811) from the charity stripe. As a team, NSU is scoring 71.9 points a game and giving up 59.0 points to opponents. From the free throw line, the RiverHawks are 193-of-237 for a .814 clip and making 17.5 free throws per game. On the glass, NSU is +5.1 on average with 40.9 rebounds (12.5 offensive) per game.

Series Histories
Pittsburg State and Arkansas - Fort Smith have met nine previous times with the Gorillas owning a 6-3 advantage in the series. In Fort Smith, the Lions are 3-1 with the lone win for Pitt State in the series coming last season in a 92-87 overtime battle. Against Northeastern State, the two teams have played 40 previous times with the Gorillas having a 29-11 advantage. Currently on a 19-game winning streak that began on Feb. 16, 2013 in Pittsburg, the Gorillas are 9-6 in Tahlequah  overall. Northeastern State's last win over Pitt State was the first meeting between the two teams as MIAA foes on Jan. 23, 2013, 65-50 in Tahlequah.