Head Coach Amanda Davied
In her seventh year as head coach of her alma mater, Davied owns a 147-61 (.707) 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 Elite Eight with a 32-3 overall record. The Gorillas on Monday (Mar. 17) beat Southwest Minnesota State 85-82 in another instant classic at John Lance Arena to claim the Central Region crown and advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the third time in team history. Pittsburg State earlier in March claimed the programs second consecutive MIAA Postseason Tournament title and won the MIAA regular season for the fourth time in team history. In the latest WBCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll (Mar. 11) Pittsburg State was ranked seventh, in program history the Gorillas are 11-3 when listed seventh in the WBCA Top 25 Poll. Senior guard Grace Pyle was named an All-American by the WBCA on Thursday (Mar. 20) after being a second-team All-Central region honoree by the D2CCA. Pyle this season is averaging 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game while shooting .358 from behind the arc (88-of-246). Senior forward/center Karenna Gerber the Central Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player and second-team All-Region performer is averaging a team-high 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting .605 from the field and .786 from free throws. The Gorillas will be without third-team All-MIAA guard Macie Mays after a knee injury suffered in the Central Region Semifinals against Minnesota State - Mankato, the second year guard averaged 13.7 points and 3.8 rebounds a game while shooting .513 from the field and .846 from free throws this season. Do it all All-MIAA junior guard Harper Schreiner is averaging 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals a game while shooting .410 from three. Sydney Holmes averages 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game while shooting .421 from the field. Maycee James is another do it all guard who averages 6.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals a game while shooting .794 from free throws. Savannah Campbell leads the bench unit with 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds a game while shooting .503 from the field. Hannah Nilges is the sharpshooter off the bench, averaging 5.1 points a game while going 42-of-105 (.400) from behind the arc. As a team the Gorillas average 80.8 points a game (7th in DII), shooting .741 from free throws, .485 from the field (1st in DII) and .366 from three (8th in DII). Opponents are averaging 64.5 points a game while shooting .740 from free throws, .393 from the field and .302 from behind the arc.

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 (35) and rebounds (916) at Pittsburg State, third in blocks (186) and blocks per game (1.5), fourth in rebounds per game (7.2), free throws made (406) and field goals made (689) while being sixth in points scored (1,785).

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 leads the team in three's made, is second on the team for points scored and 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 (255) and attempted (723), eighth for points scored (1,603) and 10th in assists (296).

Schreiner's Game
Junior guard Harper Schreiner has specialized in assists and steals through 98 career games for the Gorillas. Schreiner so far has dished out 422 assists and recorded 149 steals to be third in career assists charts and 12th 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 17th with a 3.00 assist-turnover ratio and for her career, Schreiner's 2.09 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 elevated her game with averages of 13.7 points and 3.8 rebounds a game while shooting .513 from the field (180-of-351) and is 66-of-78 from free throws (.846). 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 125 games with 834 points scored, 524 rebounds corralled and 186 assists dished out while shooting .439 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 82-of-163 from the field (.503).

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 42-of-105 from deep (.400) 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 79 assists, 45 steals and nine 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 35 career double-doubles.

Karenna Setting 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 14 double-doubles this season to break the single-season record previously held by LaTonya McGee (1985-86). Gerber in the month of January recorded six double-double performances in eight games. In three NCAA Division II National Tournament games she has recorded three double-doubles.

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 916 rebounds and counting, Gerber for her career is averaging 7.2 rebounds a game the fourth most among school ranks. In the midst of her best season for the Gorillas, she is averaging 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while shooting .605 from the field. The Halstead, Kan., set the single-season rebound record at Pittsburg State in the NCAA Division II Central Region Semifinal against Minnesota State - Mankato, passing Jaimee Bohannan (99-00) with 289 rebounds and counting.

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."

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 Karenna Gerber (601), Grace Pyle (562) and Macie Mays (453) 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 and have scored the most points in a single-season in program history between two active teammates. This season the Gorillas have scored a program record 2,827 points, the trio of Pyle, Gerber and Mays has accounted for 1,616 or .572 of the scoring this season.

Single-Season Scoring Chart Update
Karenna Gerber became the second player in program history to score 600 points in a season with her final made basket in the Central Region Championship against Southwest Minnesota State (Mar. 17). Currently Gerber has 601 points, trailing only Lizzy Jeronimus (2014-15) who finished with 626 points. Grace Pyle with 562 points on the season ranks sixth, trailing Jeronimus (14-15), Gerber, Leslie Dudley (1997-98) with 597, Mikaela Burgess (15-16) with 589 and Jeronimus (13-14) with 580.

Career Scoring Chart Update
Karenna Gerber for her career has 1,785 points, ranking sixth in Pittsburg State history. Gerber with 25 more points will surpass Jenni Miller (1994-97). Grace Pyle with 1,603 career points is eighth in program ranks, needing 85 more points to pass Dani Fronabarger (90-93).

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 (916), Harper Schreiner (573) is 14th, Grace Pyle (544) is 16th and Sydney Holmes (524) is tied for 21st 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.

 30-Win Season Is Rare Air
The Pittsburg State women's basketball team had never accomplished a 30-win season until the 2024-25 campaign, doing so with an 87-75 win over Harding in the Central Region Quarterfinals.

Defended John Lance Arena Flawlessly
Pittsburg State went 15-0 inside the friendly confides of John Lance Arena this season, notching the second perfect season at home in team history with the 1992-93 season going 11-0. The 15 wins also sets a program record for most wins at home in a season, besting the 14 accumulated in the 2015-16 campaign. The Gorillas were one of nine program across Division II to go undefeated at home this season, with three other Elite Eight schools in Grand Valley, Coker and Lubbock Christian listed.

Regional Roundup
In the final games at John Lance Arena for the 2024-25 season the Pittsburg State University Gorillas didn't disappoint the home crowd with three thrilling victories, advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the third time in school history. Senior Karenna Gerber was voted as the tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 30.0 points and 10.3 rebounds a game, shooting .739 from the field (34-of-46) and converted on 22-of-27 free throw attempts (.815). Joining Gerber on the All-Tournament team was Grace Pyle with 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game. Macie Mays averaged 11.0 points going 10-of-12 from the field before an injury in the semifinal game sidelined her for the rest of the tournament. Maycee James moved into a starting role in the championship game against Southwest Minnesota State and for the week averaged 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game while shooting .895 from the charity stripe (17-of-19). Sydney Holmes averaged 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, Savannah Campbell recorded 6.7 points and 6.0 rebounds a game off the bench with a .667 field goal percentage (10-of-15). Hannah Nilges added 6.3 points a game and Harper Schreiner produced 4.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds a game.

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%).

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.

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.

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 12-13 (.480) with three Elite Eight appearances in 2012, 2016 and 2025.

Brief PSU NCAA Tournament History
Pittsburg State is 12-13 all-time in the NCAA Division II National Tournament with three trips to the Elite Eight. The Gorillas have hosted a regional in the 2025, 2016, 1995 and 1992 seasons. The lone team that PSU has played in the past that is in the Elite Eight is Grand Valley State, losing to the Lakers at the 2016 Elite Eight inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Lady Chaps Scout
Lubbock Christian enters the NCAA Division II Elite Eight with a 32-4 overall record, going 21-1 in the Lone Star Conference. The Lady Chaps claimed a share of the LSC crown in the regular season before falling to co-regular season champions Texas Woman's 73-66 in overtime of the LSC Postseason Tournament championship game. LCU got their revenge over the Pioneers with a 62-54 win over TWU in the South Central championship game. Leading the charge on the court is the WBCA first-team All-American forward Grace Foster. This season she racked up the South Central D2CCA Most Outstanding Player, LSC Player of the Year, LSC Academic Player of the Year and was named onto the LSC All-Defensive team. Foster is averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a game while shooting .489 from the field, .426 from behind the arc and .894 from the charity stripe. Maci Maddox was also named an All-American by the WBCA after picking up second-team All-South Central honors by the D2CCA and being a first-team All-LSC guard. This season Maddox is averaging 12.7 points, 4.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds a game while shooting .406 from three-point attempts, .436 from the field and .810 from free throws. Audrey Robertson rounds out the top scorers at 11.6 points a game while shooting .433 from behind the arc, .497 from the field and .780 from free throws on her way to second-team All-LSC laurels. As a team the Lady Chaps average 67.4 points a game while shooting .787 from free throws (11th in DII), .444 from the field (22nd in DII) and .374 from three-point attempts (3rd in DII). Opponents are averaging 53.6 points a game (9th in DII) while shooting .673 from the charity stripe, .359 from the field (30th in DII) and .280 from behind the arc.