Gorillas Close Out Regular Season Against Ichabods, Mules

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will close out the regular season schedule with a pair of home games this week.

The Gorillas will entertain No. 4 ranked Washburn University Wednesday (Feb. 26) at 7:30 p.m. (CST) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court. On Saturday, Pitt State will play host to the University of Central Missouri for Senior Day with tip-off slated for 3:30 p.m.

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 16-10 overall and 12-5 in MIAA play. Pitt State split a pair of road games last week, posting a 100-93 victory over the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 20 before dropping a hard-fought 62-58 decision to Fort Hays State University last Saturday (Feb. 22). The Gorillas remain alone in second place in the MIAA standings, trailing league leader Washburn by three games.

WU is 24-2 overall and 15-2 in MIAA play. The Ichabods clinched the 2024-25 MIAA regular season title Saturday with their 90-60 home win over Rogers State University Saturday.

UCM is 13-3 overall and 8-9 in MIAA play heading into a Thursday road match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The Mules, who have dropped their last two games, sit in a three-way tie for seventh place in the MIAA standings (with MWSU and NSU).

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 196-127 (.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 WU will meet for the 192nd time in program history Wednesday. The Ichabods hold a 110-81 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas are 56-32 against WU in games played in Pittsburg. The Ichabods picked up an 89-71 non-conference home win over Pitt State earlier this season on Nov. 19.

Saturday's action will mark the 129th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Mules. UCM holds a 77-51 advantage in the series, but Pitt State has posted wins in five of the last seven match-ups in John Lance Arena.

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 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He currently ranks second in the MIAA in scoring and he leads the MIAA and ranks eighth in NCAA Division II in assists.

Frison was named the MIAA Player of the Week for the second time this season Monday (Feb. 24) after averaging 28.0 points, 11.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds in a pair of games last week.

Frison broke the school record and posted the second highest single game assist total in MIAA history last Thursday (Feb. 20) when he dished out 18 helpers against UNK. He also moved into second place on Pitt State's single season chart with 161 assists, needing 21 more to break Oscar Gonzalez's record of 181 from 1999.

Frison, who also was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Feb. 10, has posted four 30-point scoring games in Pitt State's last nine outings, including a pair of career-best 34 point efforts vs. MSSU on Jan. 25 and vs. NU 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.

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 817 points (14.3 ppg) and dished out 320 assists (5.6 apg) in 57 career games for the Gorillas.

Taggart is averaging 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds as well as 3.3 assists per game. He has made a team-leading 81 3-point field goals (81-188, .431). Taggart ranks 12th in the MIAA in scoring and second in the conference in 3-point field goals (3.1 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 .478 from the field (96-201), including .458 from 3-point range (70-153). 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 third 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 88 of 123 games played, scoring 858 points (7.0 ppg) and converting 230 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 (123) 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 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 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.

Redshirt freshman guard/forward Evan Jackson is averaging 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22 games played. Jackson is shooting a team-leading .670 from the field (61-91). 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 center Tane Prictor is averaging 7.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 24 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.

Junior guard Johannes Kirsipuu is contributing 5.5 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 (1.7 ppg) also has seen action in 19 games for the Gorillas, while freshman David Cobin Jr. (1.4 ppg) has played in 19 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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