PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team will conclude its four-game road swing with trips to Kearney, Neb., and Hays, Kan., this weekend.

The Gorillas will face Nebraska-Kearney at the Health & Sports Center on the UNK campus, Thursday (Feb. 20) at 5:30 p.m. and Fort Hays State at Gross Memorial Coliseum at 2 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 22).

The Gorillas held steady at No. 5 in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll (Feb. 18) and are 10-0 all-time when ranked fifth.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 138-60 (.697) 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 23-2 overall and 15-0 in the MIAA, while being ranked fifth in the most recent WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll (Feb. 18). Winners of 14 straight the Gorillas last time out engineered a comeback victory on the road against Northwest Missouri (61-59) on Feb. 15. Leading the charge is Karenna Gerber with 15.4 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting .558 from the field and .821 from free throws. Grace Pyle is averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game while shooting .369 from deep (62-of-168). Macie Mays rounds out the double figure scorers at 14.4 a game, while shooting .516 from the field and .833 from free throws. Harper Schreiner stuffs the stat sheet with 7.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game while shooting .483 from three (28-of-58). Savannah Campbell leads the bench unit with 7.2 points a game with 4.0 rebounds in 15.4 minutes of action. As a team the Gorillas in MIAA action have a +19.4 scoring margin, shooting .479 from the field, .408 from three and .710 from free throws. Opponents in conference play are being out rebounded by 12.5 a game and are committing 11.9 turnovers per game.

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 (.578) and rebounds (823), third in blocks (172) and blocks per game (1.47), fourth in rebounds per game (7.1), sixth in free throws made (370) and field goals made (599), seventh in free throws attempted (490) and eighth in points (1,568).

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 (229) and three-pointers attempted (645). Pyle is also 12th in points scored (1,417) and tied for 12th in assists provided (265). 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 88 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 384 assists and recorded 133 steals to be fifth in career assists charts and tied for 17th 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 15th 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 14.4 points and 4.1 rebounds a game while shooting .516 from the field (143-of-277) 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 is putting together another solid year for the Gorillas as a senior. For her career, Holmes has appeared in 115 games with 676 points scored, 478 rebounds corralled and 167 assists dished out while shooting .445 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 7.2 points a game off the bench, going 66-of-132 from the field (.500).

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 28-of-70 from deep (.400) 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 55 assists, 32 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.

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.

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."
 
5 More Rebounds
With 5 more rebounds for senior forward/center Karenna Gerber she will pass Lizzy Jeronimus (12-15) for the Pittsburg State career rebound record. Gerber is enjoying her best season in the Crimson and Gold, averaging 15.4 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting .558 from the field and .821 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).

Historic Trio Part. 1
The scoring trio of Karenna Gerber (384), Grace Pyle (376) and Macie Mays (360) represent the eighth time in team history to have three scorers with over 350 points in a season. Gerber and Pyle where joined by Tristan Gegg in 2022-23 and serves as the only duo to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons. The PSU Hall of Fame trio of Lisa Cropper, Jenni Miller and Jenny Pracht are the only trio to have accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons (1994-95 & 1995-96).

Historic Trio Part. 2
In Pitt State women's basketball history there have been 22 players to accumulate 500 rebounds in a career and for the first time ever the Gorillas have three active players to have accomplished the feat. Karenna Gerber (834), Harper Schreiner (523) and Grace Pyle (508) represent the historic trio.

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.

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.

Lopers Report
Nebraska-Kearney is 19-5 overall and 12-3 in the MIAA heading into the week and on a four-game winning streak. At home this season the Lopers are 10-0. Jillian Aschoff leads the team with 10.6 points and 5.0 assists a game while adding in 7.0 rebounds. Kia Wilson averages 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds a game while shooting a team-best .588 from the field. Samantha Moore leads the team with 7.2 rebounds a game, adding in 9.2 points. Meg Burns is the sharpshooter going 53-of-166 (.319) from three. Bailee Sobczak leads the bench unit with 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds a game, shooting .526 from the field. In conference action the Lopers are averaging 67.7 points a game and giving up 59.0 to opponents. Opponents in conference action are shooting .737 from free throws while the Lopers are shooting a .667 fro the charity stripe.

UNK Series History
Thursday's contest will mark the 49th meeting all-time, with Pitt State owning a 30-18 advantage in the series. The Gorillas have claimed three straight overall over the Lopers and are 13-11 overall on the road. Last season, PSU claimed an 85-57 victory at the Health & Sports Center on Feb. 24, Alba Lozano led the team with 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench

Tigers Scout
No. 7 Fort Hays State enters the weekend with a 22-2 overall record and 13-2 in the MIAA, at home this season the Tigers are 9-1 with the lone loss coming against Missouri Western (Jan. 16). This season Olivia Hollenbeck leads the team with 17.1 points , 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks a game while adding in 5.9 rebounds and is shooting .631 from the field. Katie Wagner DeGarmo averages 16.1 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds a game. Brooke Loewe is the top assister in the conference with 163 assists (7.1 per game). Talexa Weeter is the bench leader with 12.8 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while shooting .500 from the field in 18.8 minutes. As a team the Tigers in conference action have a +18.4 scoring margin while making 5.0 three's a game at a .314 clip. Opponents this season in conference action have committed 16.4 turnovers per game with the Tigers having a +4.5 turnover margin.

FHSU Series History
Saturday's contest will mark the 67th meeting all-time with Fort Hays State owning the advantage in the series, 37-29. On the road the Gorillas are 11-21 and are 2-8 in the last 10 games at Gross Memorial Coliseum. In the last meeting, the Gorillas claimed the program's first ever MIAA Tournament championship over the Tigers, 63-53 behind Macie Mays 17-point performance.

MIAA Win Leaderborard (Since 1989-90 season) As of Feb. 15
1. Central Missouri *, 445-218 (.671)
2. Washburn *, 443-219 (.669)
3. Emporia State *, 423-207 (.671)
4. Pittsburg State *, 418-243 (.632)
5. Missouri Western *, 388-273 (.587)
6. Missouri Southern *, 334-328 (.505)
7. Northwest Missouri *, 275-386 (.416)
8. Fort Hays State *, 247-128 (.659)
9. Southwest Baptist ^, 229-391 (.369)
10. Nebraska-Kearney *, 151-107 (.585)
11. Truman State &, 141-280 (.335)
12. Central Oklahoma *, 122-134 (.477)
13. Missouri S&T %, 88-180 (.328)
14. Northeastern State *, 77-180 (.300)
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 *, 24-98 (.197)
20. Nebraska-Omaha !, 23-39 (.371)
21. Newman *, 21-102 (.171)
22. Arkansas-Fort Smith *,9-6 (.600)

* - 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