Lopers, Tigers Up Next on Gorillas Road Slate

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will close out a pivotal four-game road swing with a pair of match-ups Thursday (Feb. 20) against the University of Nebraska-Kearney and Saturday (Feb. 22) against Fort Hays State University.

The Gorillas and Lopers will meet at 7:30 p.m. (CST) Thursday at the Health & Sports Center on the UNK campus at Kearney, Neb. On Saturday, Pitt State and FHSU will take the court at 4 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum at Hays, Kan.

The Gorillas action can be heard on ESPN 100.7 FM radio, online at espn1007.com/ or through the ESPN 100.7 or KSHQ app for phones or mobile devices.

The Record
The Gorillas are 15-9 overall and 11-4 in MIAA play. Pitt State has won five straight games after posting convincing road wins over Missouri Western State University (71-61) last Thursday (Feb. 13) and Northwest Missouri State University (89-77) last Saturday. The Gorillas are currently alone in second place in the MIAA standings, two games behind first-place Washburn University (22-2, 13-2 MIAA).

Kearney will bring a 10-13 mark (8-7 MIAA) into Thursday's action. The Lopers enter the game on a three-game winning streak. UNK currently sits in a four-way tie for fifth place (with UCM, UCO and NSU) in the MIAA standings.

Fort Hays State is 16-8 overall and 9-6 in MIAA play heading into a Thursday home match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The Tigers, who have won three of their last four games, are alone in fourth place in the MIAA standings.

Head Coach Jeff Boschee
Jeff Boschee is in his third year as head basketball coach at Pittsburg State. He guided the Gorillas to a 21-11 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament a year ago. Pitt State posted a 15-7 mark in MIAA play and the squad reached the finals of the 2023-24 MIAA Postseason Tournament.

Prior to accepting the Pitt State position, Boschee served as head coach at MIAA rival Missouri Southern State University for eight seasons. He compiled a 151-86 (.637) overall record leading the Lions.

He has a 195-126 (.607) career record as a head coach.

Boschee directed MSSU to four 20-win seasons and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament between the 2017-18 and the 2019-20 campaigns. He was selected the 2017-18 MIAA Coach of the Year and his 2018-19 squad reached the NCAA Sweet 16 while posting a 25-8 record.

As a collegiate player, Boschee was a four-year starter at the University of Kansas under former KU coach Roy Williams from the 1998-99 to 2001-02 seasons. While at KU he helped the Jayhawks win a Big 12 Conference Championship and a Big 12 Conference Tournament title, and he played in the 2002 NCAA Final Four.

Series History
Pitt State and Kearney will meet for the 50th time in program history Thursday. The Lopers hold a 35-14 advantage in the series, including a 20-3 edge in games played at Kearney. The Gorillas have won the last three head-to-head battles.

Saturday's action will mark the 170th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Tigers. FHSU holds a 91-78 advantage in the series, including a 56-26 margin in games played at Hays. Pitt State has won the last three match-ups between the two schools.

Scouting the Gorillas
The Gorillas have three players scoring in double figures to date: sophomore guard Jordan Frison, graduate guard Avery Taggart and redshirt senior guard R.J. Forney Jr.

Frison (6-0, 170) is contributing a team-leading 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. He currently ranks second in the MIAA in scoring and he leads the MIAA and ranks 11th in NCAA Division II in assists.

Frison was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Feb. 10 after averaging 33.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in a pair of win for the Gorillas the previous week. He is averaging 21.9 points in Pitt State's last eight outings including a pair of career best 34-point outputs vs. MSSU on Jan. 25 and Newman on Feb. 8.

Frison (Memphis, Tenn.) returned for his second season in the program following an All-MIAA campaign in which he was selected the 2023-24 MIAA Freshman of the Year. He started all 31 games played a year ago, averaging 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Frison finished the season ranked second in the MIAA in assists and 12th in the league in steals.

Frison set the all-time Pitt State single game assist record with 13 helpers against Henderson State on Dec. 19.

He averaged 28 points, six assists and four rebounds per game as a senior at Overton High School. Frison helped OHS to the 2023 Tennessee Class 4A state championship, while garnering Class 4A MVP honors.

He has scored 761 points (13.8 ppg) and dished out 298 assists (5.4 apg) in 55 career games for the Gorillas. Frison is one of just eight Pitt State players to post 100-assists seasons in back-to-back years.

Taggart is averaging 15.2 points and 5.2 rebounds as well as 3.3 assists per game. He has made a team-leading 76 3-point field goals (76-178, .427). Taggart ranks 10th in the MIAA in scoring and second in the conference in 3-point field goals (3.2 pg) and 3-point field goal percentage.

Taggart (Eureka, Mo.) transferred to Pitt State from MIAA rival Missouri Southern. A two-time honorable mention All-MIAA performer, Taggart started in 71 of 107 career games for the Lions, scoring 1,050 points (9.8 ppg) and making 184 3-point field goals.

He scored a career best 27 points vs. MSSU on Jan. 7.

Forney is averaging 11.3 points per game thus far. He is shooting .473 from the field (88-186), including .453 from 3-point range (63-139). Forney also is contributing 3.9 rebounds per game. He scored a career best 25 points in the Gorillas win vs. St. Cloud State on Nov. 10.

Forney leads the MIAA in 3-point field goal percentage and he ranks fourth in the conference in 3-point field goals (2.7 pg).

Forney (Broken Arrow, Okla.) averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last year and hit a team-leading 63 3-point field goals. He averaged 2.0 3-point field goals per game, shooting .426 from behind the arc (63-148). Forney was selected to the five-man 2023-24 MIAA All-Defensive Team.

He contributed 8.9 points per game and knocked down 70 3-pointers (2.5 per game) during the 2022-23 campaign. Forney (6-3, 180) scored a career high 19 points against Emporia State on Feb. 23, 2023.

For his career, Forney has started 86 of 121 games played, scoring 835 points (6.9 ppg) and converting 223 3-point field goals. He ranks in third place in program history in 3-point field goals made and he has played in more games (121) than any player in school history.

Forney came to Pitt State from Tulsa's Union High School, where he averaged 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists his senior year.

Junior center Darrell Washington has chipped in with 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in seven games played. Washington, who has been sidelined the past 17 games, is shooting .538 from the field (28-52).

Washington (Lake Charles, La.) joined the Gorillas last January, after playing his sophomore season at Lee College in 2022-23. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 21 games played for the Navigators.

Junior guard Tanner Mans has contributed 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game thus far. He scored a career high 18 points in Pitt State's home opening win against Arkansas Tech on Nov. 24.

Mans (6-6, 200) started 14 games in 2023-24 and averaged 8.0 points per game. The Wichita native converted 46 of 102 3-point field goals, shooting .451 from 3-point range. He also shot .900 from the free throw line, making 36 of 40 attempts.

Mans came to Pitt State from Virginia Military Institute, where he averaged 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during the 2021-22 season. He was a Kansas Class 5A All-State performer as a senior at Bishop Carroll High School.

Junior center Tane Prictor is averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 22 games played. He posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds vs. MSSU on Jan. 25.

Prictor (Bend, Ore.) started in four of 23 games played in 2023-24, averaging 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also blocked 34 shots on the season.

Prictor (6-11, 275) posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. MSSU on Feb. 11, 2023. He scored a career best 13 points vs. William Jewell last year (Nov. 25) and he recorded six blocked shots vs. Nebraska-Kearney (Jan. 11).

Prictor signed with Pitt State out of Mountain View (Ore.) High School where he was an honorable mention Oregon Class 6A All-State performer as a senior for the Cougars. He averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game, leading the state of Oregon in blocked shots.

Redshirt freshman guard/forward Evan Jackson is averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20 games played. Jackson is shooting a team-leading .638 from the field (51-80). He has posted two double-doubles, including 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. RSU on Jan. 15.

Jackson (Chicago, Ill.) saw action in six games in 2023-24 before an injury cut short his rookie campaign. He was a McDonald's All-America nominee as a senior at the De La Salle Institute, where he averaged 14.6 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots per game.

Junior guard Johannes Kirsipuu is contributing 5.8 points per game. He fired in a career high 21 points in the Gorillas' road loss to NSU on Jan. 30.
Kirsipuu (Sulu, Estonia) came to Pitt State after two seasons at NCAA Division I Central Arkansas. Kirsipuu (6-2, 185) started 26 of 55 career games for the Bears. He averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 assists per game last year.

Sophomore forward Miles Branch also is averaging 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 19 games played.

Branch (Lawrence, Kan.) transferred to Pitt State after two seasons at the University of South Dakota. Branch (6-9, 225) redshirted in 2023-24, after seeing action in 16 games for the Coyotes as a freshman in 2022-23.

Redshirt sophomore Hayden Shanks (1.8 ppg) also has seen action in 18 games for the Gorillas, while freshman David Cobin Jr. (1.5 ppg) has played in 18 games in his debut season.

Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) competed in 20 games in a reserve role for the Gorillas last year. He garnered Arkansas Class 6A All-State honors as a senior at Bentonville High School, averaging 12 points and five rebounds a game his senior season.

Cobin (De Soto, Kan.) was a first-team All-State selection as a senior at De Soto High School in 2023-24, averaging 19.6 points , 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 4.2 steals per game for the Wildcats.

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