The Pittsburg State University Gorillas make their home in John Lance Arena.
The Gorillas truly have built a decisive home court advantage in John Lance Arena by posting a 175-58 (.751) record on the court during the past 17 seasons. Pittsburg State won a school record 40 straight games in “The Pitt,” before losing a heartbreaker, 76-74, to Truman State University in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament on February 24, 1999.
The Pittsburg State University campus and Pittsburg community have rallied behind the Gorillas to help them rank among the top 30 schools in NCAA Division II for home-court attendance in 12 of the last 14 seasons, including a top 10 national ranking in 2011. The Pitt State men have averaged 1,984 fans in their last 191 home games and 2,373 fans in their 132 MIAA home games (regular season & post season) in the last 14 years.
John Lance Arena is named in honor of legendary head coach John Lance, who won 582 games during his illustrious career at Pittsburg State and 656 games overall.
Lance, a candidate for enshrinement into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, led the Gorillas to an amazing 47 consecutive victories during one stretch of his 40-year tenure that spanned from 1923 until 1963. PSU was 20-0 during the 1929-30 campaign and 21-0 the following year. The streak finally ended in the seventh game of the 1931-32 season when the Gorillas were defeated by Henry Iba’s Northwest Missouri State University squad, 20-18.
Pittsburg State began play at John Lance Arena during the 1971-72 season. The Gorillas posted a 69-67 victory against Missouri Southern State University in the first game played on the John Lance Arena hardwood on Dec. 4, 1971. PSU has compiled a 355-168 (.679) overall record in the facility.
Home floor success has been strong throughout the history of the PSU program. Prior to John Lance Arena, the Gorillas played 49 seasons in College Gymnasium, located between the present site of Yates Hall and the Jack Overman Student Center. During those years (1923-71), PSU posted a 394-130 (.752) record in the facility. Prior to that time, PSU posted a 50-31 (.617) home record between 1909-22. All told, PSU has compiled a 806-336 all-time home record, winning 70.6 percent of its 1,142 home games.
John Lance Arena (Records/Milestones)
Overall Home Record: 355-163 (.679)
Win No. 1: vs. Missouri Southern (69-67), Dec. 4, 1971
Win No. 100: vs. Evangel (86-67), Jan. 12, 1985
Win No. 200: vs. Park (97-89), Jan. 10, 1997
Win No. 250: vs. Missouri Western (84-82), Feb. 2, 2000
Win No. 300: vs. Central Missouri (95-86), Jan. 29, 2005
Decade By Decade
1970s: 67- 32 (.677) 1990s: 100- 34 (.746)
1980s: 72- 57 (.558) 2000s: 92- 27 (.773)
2010s: 24- 17 (.585)
Consecutive Home Wins: 40 (Jan. 10, 1997-Feb. 22, 1999)
Consecutive Home Losses:
5, five times, most recently: Jan. 21, 1987 - Jan. 31, 1987
Most Lopsided Home Win: 110-45, vs. Calvary Bible (Dec. 2, 2003)
Most Lopsided Home Loss: 88-55, vs. Washburn (Jan. 25, 1980)
Best Home Record (season): 16-0, 1998-99
