Gorillas Set to Host Hornets, Jets in MIAA Match-ups

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will return to John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court for a pair of MIAA games this week against Emporia State University and Newman University.

The Gorillas and Hornets will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 6) while Pitt State and Newman will take the court at 3:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 8).

The Pitt State 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 11-9 overall and 7-4 in MIAA play. Pitt State split a pair of road games last week, dropping a 71-66 decision to Northeastern State University last Thursday (Jan. 30) and posting a 76-71 win over the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday (Feb. 1). The Gorillas are currently tied with Northeastern State for second place in the MIAA standings.

ESU will bring a 7-14 mark (4-8 MIAA) into Thursday's action. The Hornets have won three of their last four games, including a 74-65 victory over the University of Central Oklahoma at Emporia last Saturday.

Newman is 13-8 overall and 6-6 in MIAA play heading into a Thursday road match-up against Missouri Southern. The Jets also have won three of their last four contest, including an 85-79 home win over Rogers State University last Saturday.

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 191-126 (.603) 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 ESU will meet for the 205th time in program history Thursday. The Hornets hold a slight 104-100 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas are 58-38 against ESU in Pittsburg.

Saturday's action will mark the 39th all-time meeting between the Gorillas and the Jets. Pitt State holds a 24-14 advantage in the series, including a 16-45 edge in games played in Pittsburg. The Gorillas, who have won four straight match-ups in the series, scored an 86-76 road win over Newman on Jan. 9.

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

Taggart is averaging a team-leading 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds as well as 3.2 assists per game. He has made a team-leading 67 3-point field goals (67-155, .432). Taggart ranks sixth in the MIAA in scoring, second in the conference in 3-point field goals (3.4 pg) and third in the league in 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.

Frison (6-0, 170) is contributing 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He currently ranks seventh in the MIAA in scoring and he leads the MIAA and ranks ninth in NCAA Division II in assists. Frison scored a career best 34 points on 16-for-26 shooting in Pitt State's road win over MSSU on Jan. 25.

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 665 points (13.0 ppg) and dished out 277 assists (5.4 apg) in 51 career games for the Gorillas. Frison is one of just eight Pitt State players to post 100-assists seasons in back-to-back years.

Forney is averaging 11.5 points per game thus far. He is shooting .472 from the field (75-159), including .445 from 3-point range (53-119). 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 (2.8 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 82 of 117 games played, scoring 794 points (6.8 ppg) and converting 213 3-point field goals. He ranks in fourth place in program history in 3-point field goals made.

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 13 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, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 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. He currently leads the MIAA in free throw percentage (.881, 52-59).
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 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots in 18 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 5.9 points per game. He fired in a career high 21 points in the Gorillas' road loss to NSU last Thursday (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.

Redshirt freshman guard/forward Evan Jackson is averaging 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16 games played. Jackson is shooting a team-leading .589 from the field (33-56). 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.

Sophomore forward Miles Branch also is averaging 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

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 (2.0 ppg) also has seen action in 16 games for the Gorillas, while freshman David Cobin Jr. (1.8 ppg) has played in 14 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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