PITTSBURG — The 2024-25 NCAA Division II Central Regional will get underway at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court beginning Friday (Mar. 14) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

The MIAA regular season and postseason tournament champion Gorillas are serving as hosts for the eight-team regional. Pitt State (29-3), the region's No. 1 seed, will open play Friday at 5 p.m. (CST) against No. 8 seed Harding University in the third of four games scheduled that day.

Joining the Gorillas and the Bisons in the regional field are: No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul (29-2), No. 3 Fort Hays State (27-4), No. 4 Missouri Western (20-9), No. 5 Minnesota State (24-7), No. 6 Southern Nazarene (23-7) and No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State (26-4).
 
At Noon, Fort Hays State will take on Southern Nazarene with a 2:30 p.m. match-up between Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State to follow. Pitt State and Harding will tip off the evening action at 5 p.m. followed by Missouri Western and Minnesota State, the defending NCAA-II national champion, taking the court at 7:30 p.m.

Semifinal match-ups are set for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Mar. 15) with the Central Region Championship Game scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday (Mar. 17).

Pitt State is making its 14th all-time trip to the NCAA-II Tournament – the program's eighth berth in the last 12 seasons and the fourth appearance under head coach Amanda Davied, the 2024-25 MIAA Coach of the Year.
 
All tickets and seating are general admission. Cost is $10 for an adult single-session ticket and $3 for a student single-session ticket. The John Lance Arena box office will open 60 minutes prior to the start of the first game each day.

Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 144-61 (.702) record. Davied was crowned the MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to the 2024-25 regular season title. During her tenure as head coach, she has guided the Gorillas to the Division II National Tournament four times (2025, 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 NCAA Division II Central Regional with a 29-3 overall record, tied for the most wins in a season in team history. The Gorillas claimed the MIAA Postseason Tournament for the second year in a row to automatically qualify for the national tournament, and won the MIAA regular season crown after posting an 18-1 record in conference action. In the latest WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll (Mar. 11), Pittsburg State was listed at seventh. In program history the Gorillas are 8-3 when ranked seventh in the WBCA poll. Senior guard Grace Pyle leads the team with 16.0 points a game while shooting 83-of-218 (.381) from behind the arc while also providing 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game. Karenna Gerber is averaging 16.0 points a game while having a team-high .587 field goal percentage and grabbing 8.1 rebounds a game. Macie Mays averages 13.9 points and 4.0 rebounds a game while shooting .853 from free throws. Harper Schreiner is averaging 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 4.5 assists a game while shooting .425 from behind the arc. Sydney Holmes is averaging 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds a game while shooting .813 from free throws. Maycee James averages 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals a game while shooting .451 from the field. Hannah Nilges is the top shooter off the bench averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 made three-pointer a game, going 39-of-95 (.411) from three-point territory. As a team the Gorillas average 80.0 points a game while holding opponents to 62.8. Pittsburg State leads all of Division II in field goal percentage at .480 and is second in three-point percentage at .379.

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) and rebounds (885) at Pittsburg State, third in blocks (181) and blocks per game (1.5), fourth in rebounds per game (7.1), fifth in free throws made (384) and field goals made (655) while being sixth in points scored (1,695).

GP Chasing After Legends
Senior guard Grace Pyle has proven over the last two seasons to be one of the better shooters in the MIAA, and in her final campaign she delivered another stellar regular season. For the season the McPherson, Kan., native lead the team in three's made and points scored, second on the team for assists, while being third for rebounds and blocks. 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). For her career wearing the Crimson and Gold, Pyle ranks fourth in three-pointers made (249) and attempted (695), 10th for points scored (1,553) and in assists (286).

Schreiner's Game
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 95 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 409 assists and recorded 147 steals to be fourth in career assists charts and 13th 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. 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). This season she is second in all of Division II as of March 10th with a 2.98 assist-turnover ratio and for her career, Schreiner's 2.07 assist-turnover ratio is second in PSU ranks behind Hadyn Herlocker's (13-17) 2.88.

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 13.9 points and 4.0 rebounds a game while shooting .501 from the field (170-of-339) and is 64-of-75 from free throws (.853). 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 has put together another solid year for the Gorillas as a senior. For her career, Holmes has appeared in 122 games with 714 points scored, 513 rebounds corralled and 180 assists dished out while shooting .438 from the field. She became the 23th player in team history to accumulate over 500 rebounds in her career on Mar. 8th against Washburn in the MIAA Postseason Tournament Semifinals.

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 6.6 points a game off the bench, going 72-of-148 from the field (.486).

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 39-of-95 from deep (.411) ranking second among team ranks for attempts and makes from behind the arc. 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 70 assists, 41 steals and seven blocks after battling back from a mid season 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."
 
The Rebound Queen of Pittsburg
Karenna Gerber at Nebraska - Kearney (Feb. 20) set a program record for career rebounds, passing Lizzy Jeronimus (2012-15). With 885 rebounds and counting, Gerber for her career is averaging 7.1 rebounds a game the fourth most among school ranks. In the midst of her best season for the Gorillas, she is averaging 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds a game while shooting .587 from the field.
 
MIAA A.O.W's Came In Fours
This season the Gorillas earned four MIAA Athlete of the Week awards, split between two seniors in Karenna Gerber and Grace Pyle. Gerber earned her A.O.W's in back-to-back weeks in January (6th & 13th). Pyle earned her weekly awards on February 3rd and March 3rd. Both finish their careers with four MIAA A.O.W. awards.

Historic Scoring Trio
The scoring trio of Grace Pyle (512), Karenna Gerber (511) and Macie Mays (431) represent the third time in program history to have three players score 400 points in a season. Gerber (466) and Pyle (433) were joined by Tristan Gegg (445) in 2022-23, and the trio of Mikaela Burgess (589), Kylie Gafford (462) and Cathy Brugman (460) in 2015-16 make up the other instances. Pyle and Gerber are the first duo to score 500 points in the same season as teammates in program history. This season the Gorillas have scored a program record 2,561 points, the trio of Pyle, Gerber and Mays has accounted for 1,454 or .568 of the scoring this season.

Four Historic Rebounders
In Pitt State women's basketball history there have been 23 players to accumulate 500 rebounds in a career and for the first time ever the Gorillas have four active players to have accomplished the feat. Leading the group is the program leader Karenna Gerber (885), Harper Schreiner (562) is 15th, Grace Pyle (534) is tied for 17th and Sydney Holmes (513) is 22nd in career ranks.

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 14 National Tournament appearances, 12 have now 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 delivered on that prediction going 18-1 in conference play to secure the fourth regular season title in program history. Last season PSU captured the programs first MIAA Postseason Tournament crown and this season repeated as champions. Historically in the 43 year history of the MIAA Postseason Tournament there have been 20 instances were the defending champion made it back to the championship game the following year, 16 times they have gone on to repeat as champions following this latest addition of the MIAA Postseason Tournament.

MIAA Postseason Tournament Review
Not only did the Gorillas repeat as MIAA Postseason Tournament champions, the trio of Karenna Gerber, Grace Pyle and Macie Mays were voted onto the All-Tournament team for the second year in a row. Taking home MVP honors for the tournament this year, Gerber averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals a game while shooting .667 from the field and converting on her first career three-pointer. Pyle averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game while shooting .381 from behind the arc. Mays for the weekend averaged 13.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game while shooting .500 from the field and converted on all of her free throw attempts. Other impact performers over the weekend were Maycee James (7.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg), Sydney Holmes (7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.000 FT%), Alba Lozano Davila (5.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Harper Schreiner (4.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg) and Hannah Nilges (4.3 ppg, 1.0 spg, .333 3P%).

Another Trip To The Big Dance
In the Gorillas 36 years of competing at the Division II level the women's basketball team has qualified for 14 National Tournament appearances. In those 14 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 Postseason Tournament in 2024, and repeated as champions in 2025. Previously the Gorillas had finished as runners up in the MIAA Postseason Tournament in 2016 and 1992. Pittsburg State is a four-time MIAA regular season champion claiming the title in the 2024-25, 2016-17, 1995-96 and 1991-92 seasons.

Brief PSU NCAA Tournament History
Pittsburg State is 9-13 all-time in the NCAA Division II National Tournament with two trips to the Elite Eight. The Gorillas have hosted a regional in the 2025, 2016, 1995 and 1992 seasons. Against Harding in the national tournament the Gorillas lost 82-74 in overtime last season in Bethany, Okla. The other team that PSU has played against in the national tournament that is in this years regional is Fort Hays State, losing to the host Tigers 74-65 in 2019.

Lady Bisons Scout
Harding enters the NCAA Division II National Tournament with a 25-6 overall record and qualified by winning the Great American Conference Postseason Tournament championship. The Lady Bisons went 18-4 in the GAC during the regular season and were 9-5 on the road. Sage Hawley the MVP of the GAC Postseason Tournament and first-team All-GAC forward leads the team with 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds a game while shooting .478 from the field and .793 from free throws. Aubrey Isbell was a first-team All-GAC selection and is averaging 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds a game while shooting .885 from free throws. Rory Geer rounds out the first-team All-GAC honorees with 12.2 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while shooting .490 from the field and .754 from free throws. Josie Williams was named honorable mention All-GAC with a team leading 3.0 assists and 1.5 made three-pointers a game, going 46-of-11 from behind the arc for 9.7 points a game. Maddie Holt rounds out the starting lineup with 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game while shooting .819 from free throws. As a team Harding averages 70.7 points a game while surrendering 59.2 points to opponents. The Lady Bisons lead all of Division II in free throws made per game at 17.6, fourth in free throw percentage .798 and free throws attempted per game with 22.1. Harding also leads the nation in fewest turnovers committed per game at 10.6 and 13th in three-point percentage defense at .250.