PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team begins a four-game road swing in the month of February, with trips to the northwest region of Missouri this weekend.

Pittsburg State and Missouri Western will begin the weekend on Thursday (Feb. 13) at the MWSU Fieldhouse, tipoff against the Griffons is set for 5:30 p.m. (CST). To end the week, the Gorillas will meet the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri at Bearcat Arena on Saturday (Feb. 15) for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Gorillas moved up one spot to No. 5 in the most recent WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll and in team history are 8-0 while being ranked fifth.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 136-60 (.694) 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
Pitt State enters the weekend at 21-2 overall and 13-0 in the MIAA. The Gorillas, ranked fifth in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll (Feb. 11), have won 12 straight and are 7-1 on the road. Last time out for the Gorillas against Newman (Feb. 8) the Gorillas rolled to a 74-49 win behind a game-high 16 points off the bench from Savannah Campbell. Karenna Gerber leads the team with 15.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while shooting .576 from the field and .861 from free throws. Grace Pyle is second on the team with 15.0 points a game, adding in 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while going 59-of-158 from distance (.373). Macie Mays averages 14.7 points and 4.2 rebounds a night while shooting .518 from the field. Harper Schreiner is averaging 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game as well as shooting .481 from three-point attempts. Campbell is the top scorer off the bench at 7.5 points a game and Hannah Nilges leads the second unit with 25 made three's at a .385 clip. As a team the Gorillas average a MIAA leading 81.5 points a game while shooting .742 from free throws, .482 from the field and .383 from distance.

KG Demonstrates Greatness Nightly
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 (32) at Pittsburg State, second in field goal percentage among qualified shooters (.583) and rebounds (824), third in blocks (170) and blocks per game (1.48), fourth in rebounds per game (7.2), sixth in free throws made (361), seventh in free throws attempted (474), eighth in field goals made (592) and ninth in points (1,545).

GP Chasing After Legends
Senior guard Grace Pyle has proven over the past two seasons to be one of the better shooters in the MIAA and figures to be in contention to be recognized as one of the best shooters in the conference this campaign. For her career, the McPherson, Kan., native ranks fourth in team ranks for made three-pointers (226) and three-pointers attempted (635). Pyle is also 13^th in points scored (1,387) and assists provided (260). She became the fifth Gorilla in team history to make 50 or more three-pointers in three seasons on the road against Northeastern State (Jan. 30), joining the exclusive club of Jenni Miller (94-97), Mikaela Burgess (15-18), Shelby Lopez (17-19) and Tristan Gegg (20, 22-23).

Schreiner's Game
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 86 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 374 assists and recorded 128 steals to be sixth in career assists charts and tied for 21^st for steals. She became the fourth player in program history to record 100 assist seasons as a freshman, sophomore and junior joining the exclusive club that consists of Amanda Davied, Kaylee DaMitz & Leslie Dudley. For her career, Schreiner's 2.03 assist-turnover ratio is second in PSU ranks behind Hadyn Herlocker's (13-17) 2.88. Earlier this season she also became the 15^th individual in team history to record a seven steal or better game, on the road against Rogers State (Dec. 7) and the first to do so since Megan Ripperton against New Mexico Highlands (Dec. 4, 2004).

M&M Express
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 grabbing 3.3 rebounds while shooting .534 from the field and .419 from three. This season she is elevating her game with averages of 14.7 points and 4.2 rebounds a game while shooting .518 from the field (133-of-257) and is 50-of-60 from free throws (.833). Mays this season recorded a career-high with 30 points against Northeastern State (Jan. 4) going a school record 10-of-10 from the field, 4-of-4 from three and 6-of-6 from free throws.

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 113 games with 665 points scored, 472 rebounds corralled and 166 assists dished out while shooting .446 from the field.

Savy In The Paint
Junior forward Savannah Campbell gained valuable experience in her sophomore campaign that has helped her lead the charge off the bench this season. The Rolla, Mo., native is averaging a team-best 7.5 points a game off the bench, going 63-of-123 from the field (.512).

Nilges The Marksmen
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. This season she is 25-of-65 from deep (.385) ranking second among team ranks for attempts and tied for second for makes from deep. 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.

MJ Is Everywhere
This season the junior guard from Goddard, Kan., Maycee James has showcased multiple impactful performances on both ends of the court. Against Northwestern Oklahoma (Nov. 21) she finished with 10 assists, seven rebounds, six steals and six assists. It marked the third time in the last five years a Gorilla finished a game with 10 assists joining Harper Schreiner (at Lincoln, Dec. 18, 2023) and Kaylee DaMitz (vs. Missouri Western, Dec. 17, 2020). The six steals were also the most since Paige Imhoff collected as many steals vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith (Nov. 18, 2017). This season she is up to 53 assists, 31 steals and six blocks after battling back from a midseason injury.

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. To date, Gerber has 32 career double-doubles.
 
Wayne Cavadi's Favorite Center
Karenna Gerber has been picked by "The Dean of DII", Wayne Cavadi as the NCAA Division II All-Stats starting center for the months of November, December and January. Gerber is the only player to feature as a starter in every month this season. Wayne Cavadi in his January write up of her said, "She leads all centers in double-doubles with 11 and trails just Yiibari Nwidadah in field-goal percentage among centers with a cool 60.1 percent. She has the third-most points (16.1 per game) and rebounds (9.0 per game) among centers as well. She has been the model of consistency at an inconsistent position, not just this season, but for the past three, having averaged at least 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in every season during that span."
 
Karenna Chasing After Double-Double Records
Gerber tied a school record set by Madison Northcutt (2016-17) with five consecutive double-doubles in January. The Halstead Kan., native has recorded 11 double-doubles this season to tie Northcutt for third in single-season ranks at PSU, trailing only Jaimee Bohannon with 12 in 1999-00 and LaTonya McGee who finished with 13 in the 1985-86 season. Gerber in the month of January recorded six double-double performances in eight games and has recorded eight double-doubles in the last 12 games, dating back to Dec. 10^th.
 
15 For The Record
With 15 more rebounds senior forward/center Karenna Gerber will pass Lizzy Jeronimus (11-15) for the Pittsburg State career rebound record. Gerber is enjoying her best season in the Crimson and Gold, averaging 15.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while shooting .576 from the field and .861 from the charity stripe.
 
Back-To-Back MIAA AOW's
Senior forward/center Karenna Gerber was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row (Jan. 13) after helping lead the Gorillas to a 6-0 start to the MIAA slate. Gerber in MIAA action is contributing 17.4 points and 9.9 rebounds a game while shooting .654 from the field and .925 from free throws to rank within the top-four in each category.
 
Pyle's MIAA AOW
Senior guard Grace Pyle was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week (Feb. 3) after averaging 28.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and shot .400 from distance as the Gorillas improved to 11-0 in the conference. Pyle scored a season-high 39 points against Arkansas – Fort Smith (Feb. 1) going 6-of-13 from three and converted on 11 free throws in the overtime win over the Lions. Her scoring tally is tied with Sunny York (Feb. 4, 1978 vs. Fort Hays State) for the second-most points scored in a single game and is two off tying the school record that Pyle set last season against Central Oklahoma (Dec. 9, 2023).
 
What A 20-Win Season Means
At Pittsburg State the women's basketball team has accomplished a 20-win season 15 times since the 1974-75 season. Under the direction of head coach Amanda Davied the Gorillas have recorded 20-win seasons in 2018-19, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, with Davied having a hand as an assistant coach in seven other 20-win seasons. Historically of the Gorillas 13 National Tournament appearances, 11 have featured 20-win season with the lone exceptions being the 1996-97 and 1997-98 campaigns.

Polls And Scrolls
The Gorillas, the preseason No. 1 pick in the 2024-25 MIAA Coaches Poll, posted a 24-8 record (15-7 MIAA) a year ago. Pitt State captured the MIAA Postseason Tournament crown and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. This season the Gorillas were listed 13th in the first three WBCA/NCAA Division II Coaches Poll of the season before being positioned in eighth in the next three poll updates, currently Pitt State is ranked fifth in the latest poll (Feb. 11).

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.

Griffons Scout
Missouri Western is 15-6 overall and 10-3 in the MIAA heading into the week off the heels of a four game winning streak. This season the Griffons are 6-1 at the MWSU Fieldhouse, with the lone loss coming against Central Missouri (Jan. 22). Alyssa Bonilla leads the team with 17.3 points, 6.0 assists and 2.9 steals a game while hauling in 5.0 rebounds nightly to rank second among team ranks. Marie Sepp averages 12.6 points and 4.0 rebounds a game while shooting a team-high .538 from the field. Matilda Soderlund is the top shooter on the team going 53-of-128 (.414) from distance to average 9.9 points a game mostly coming off the bench. Kassandra Caron leads the team with 5.1 rebounds a game and off the bench is averaging 8.3 points. As a team, MWSU is 212-of-647 (.328) from three to lead the MIAA in makes, three-pointers attempted and converted per game.  Missouri Western is getting outrebounded by 4.4 per game on the season and are forcing opponents to 18.2 turnovers per game.

MWSU Series History
Thursday's contest will mark the 91^st meeting all-time, with Missouri Western owning a 54-36 advantage. In St. Joseph, Mo., the Gorillas have won 3 of the last 5 games but trail the series 13-31 on the road. In the last matchup, Pitt State claimed a 75-55 victory to progress to the MIAA Tournament championship game following a 20-point, 8-rebound performance from Karenna Gerber.

Bearcat Reports
Northwest Missouri enters the weekend at 11-12 overall and 4-9 in the MIAA after beginning the season 7-3, 0-2 MIAA. NWMSU is 2-4 at the Bearcat Arena this season with wins over Baptist Bible (Nov. 30) and Central Missouri (Jan. 25). The Bearcats are led in scoring by sharpshooter Caely Keston with 14.4 points nightly as she is 58-of-124 (.468) from distance. Molly Hartnett is the other Bearcat to average double figures in scoring at 11.2 while leading the team with 3.3 assists a game. Kelsey Fields averages 9.8 points and team best 7.0 rebounds a game while shooting .524 from the field. As a team, NWMSU averages 62.7 points a game with opponents scoring 62.2 on the season but it lowers down to 61.3 points in MIAA action while opponents are scoring 65.8.

NWMSU Series History
Saturday's contest will mark the 66^th meeting all-time, with Pitt State owning a 43-22 advantage. Historically the Gorillas are 17-14 in Maryville, Mo., with wins in 8 of the last 10 matchups. Last season the Bearcats claimed the lone meeting with a 69-59 decision over the Gorillas (Dec. 2, 2023), Grace Pyle led the team with an 18-point, 9-rebound performance.

MIAA Win Leaderborard (Since 1989-90 season) As of Feb. 9
1. Central Missouri *, 444-217 (.672)
2. Washburn *, 442-218 (.670)
3. Emporia State *, 423-205 (.674)
4. Pittsburg State *, 416-243 (.631)
5. Missouri Western *, 387-272 (.587)
6. Missouri Southern *, 334-326 (.506)
7. Northwest Missouri *, 274-385 (.416)
8. Fort Hays State *, 245-128 (.657)
9. Southwest Baptist ^, 229-391 (.369)
10. Nebraska-Kearney *, 147-107 (.579)
11. Truman State &, 141-280 (.335)
12. Central Oklahoma *, 121-134 (.475)
13. Missouri S&T %, 88-180 (.328)
14. Northeastern State *, 77-178 (.302)
15. Lincoln (Mo.) @#, 56-373 (.131)
16. Lindenwood ^, 47-88 (.348)
17. Southeast Missouri ?, 40-6 (.870)
18. Missouri-St. Louis +, 31-81 (.277)
19. Rogers State *, 24-97 (.198)
20. Nebraska-Omaha !, 23-39 (.371)
21. Newman *, 21-100 (.174)
22. Arkansas-Fort Smith *,7-6 (.538)

* - Current Member Institution
# - Left conference in 2024
^ - Left conference in 2019
& - Left conference in 2013
! - Left conference in 2011
% - Left conference in 2005
@ - Left conference in 1999
+ - Left conference in 1996
? - Left conference in 1991