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Tag: Pittsburg State Gorillas

COLLEGE BASEBALL: Bats stay hot as Pittsburg State beats Northwest Missouri

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Pittsburg State baseball team exploded for 20 runs on 19 hits Tuesday as the Gorillas rolled to a 20-2 non-conference victory over Northwest Missouri State at Al Ortolani Field.

First baseman Garrett McGowan belted two home runs for the second time in as many games. He went 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two doubles, two HRs and five RBIs in the contest. McGowan went 2-for-3 with two home runs and six RBI in Pittsburg State’s 17-12 win against Missouri Western State University Monday and was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week earlier Tuesday for his efforts.

Dawson Pomeroy added a 2-for-2 batting line with four runs scored, a home run, two walks and three RBI, while Tyler Henry batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Gorillas scored one or more run in each of the first six innings, highlighted by a six-run first inning and a five-run fifth frame.

Peyton Ingalls (1-0) limited the Bearcats (1-2) to four hits and two runs over four innings of work. He allowed one walk and registered five strikeouts. Justin Root and Chandler Ladd held NWMSU to two hits over the final three innings of relief work for the Gorillas.

Pittsburg State will complete a three-game homestand with a 2 p.m. (CST) game Wednesday (Feb. 24) against Minot State University.

MEN’S HOOPS: Big day from perimeter leads MSSU past PSU

Posted on by Lucas Davis

Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team made 16 3-pointers en route to a 93-74 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday on Robert Corn Court inside of the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (12-8) was led by Cam Martin, who scored 25 points and added 10rebounds, going 6-of-11 from long range. Winston Dessesow scored 21 points and had seven assists, while Lawson Jenkins had 16 points on five made 3s. Christian Bundy had nine points, while Yagizhan Selcuk had eight points and nine boards.

Pittsburg State (10-10) was led offensively with 14 points from RJ Lawrence off the bench. Martin Vogts chipped in with 13 points.

The Lions opened the game on a 7-1 run capped by a layup from RJ Smith four minutes in. A jumper from Dessesow at the 14-minute mark made the score 12-4, Lions, but a 3 from Martin with 13:16 on the clock started the Southern barrage from long range. Martin made another 3 with 12:36 left and Jenkins followed up with one of his own with 11 minutes to go to make the score 22-11.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Martin and Dessesow with nine minutes to go put the Lions up 30-15, and a dunk from Smith with 6:49 on the clock put the Lions up 36-19. Jenkins hit a pair of 3s sandwiched between a jumper from Martin with five to go and the Lions went up 20, while a trey from Dessesow the next trip down pushed the lead to 23. Southern led 55-34 at the break.

Southern opened the second half hitting three long-range jumpers and led 64-36 1:10 into action. A dunk from Scott with 16:45 left made the score 71-40, Lions and a layup from Selcuk with 13:53 left put the Lions up 73-46.

A 3-pointer from Dessesow with 11 minutes left made the score 80-57, while a dunk from Bundy off an assist from Jenkins put the Lions up 86-68 with eight to go. A 3-ball from Dessesow with 5:40 to go pushed the lead to 23 as the Lions cruised to the win.

Southern shot 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line. The Lions won the rebound battle 46-34 and had a 36-20 advantage in the paint.

Southern will be back in action this Thursday when the Lions play host to Washburn. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: Lions have four finish in double figures in loss to Gorillas

Posted on by Lucas Davis

The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team had four score in double figures, but the Lions couldn’t overcome a first-half deficit and fell at home to Pittsburg State 78-60 on Saturday.

Southern (7-13) was led in scoring by 14 points from Amaya Johns, who added seven rebounds off the bench. Carley Turnbull scored 13, while Hailey Grant scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Madi Stokes scored 10 and pulled down nine boards with two blocks. The two blocks gives her 43 on the season and puts her in second place all-time on the MSSU single-season block list.

Pittsburg State (13-7) had three in double-figures. Kaylee DaMitz led the way with 17 points, while Sydnee Crain added 16 and Tristan Gegg finished with 15. DaMitz added eight rebounds and three assists.

The Gorillas jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the 6:19 mark of the first quarter, but a 3-pointer from Turnbull and a layup from Layne Skiles cut the deficit to 10-7 with 5:35 to go. A pair of free throws from Stokes cut the lead to two with three minutes to go. The Gorillas led 18-16 the next trip down before closing the quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 28-16..

The Pittsburg State run reached 20-2, as the Gorillas led 38-18 halfway through the second quarter. 

PSU pushed its lead to 60-30 midway through the third, but a 10-3 run from the Lions made the score 60-43 and forced a Gorillas’ timeout. A free throw from Pittsburg State as time expired made the score 66-42 after three.

A layup from Megan Jackson off an assist from Turnbull got the Lions within 17 with 5:41 to go on the clock, and a pair of free throws from Johns with two minutes to go brought Southern within 18 of the lead but that would be as close as they would get.

The Lions shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and out rebounded the Gorillas 42-38 in the contest. Points in the paint were even at 28, while the Southern bench out-scored the Gorillas’ 29-19.

Southern will be back in action this Thursday when the Lions play host to Washburn. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30 p.m.

MEN’S HOOPS: Northwest Missouri State holds off Pittsburg State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Trevor Hudgins scored a game-high 30 points to help lead No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri State to an 87-75 victory over the Pittsburg State men’s basketball team on Thursday at Bearcat Arena.

The Gorillas (10-8, 10- MIAA) trailed the MIAA leading Bearcats (16-1, 16-1 MIAA) by just three points, 50-47, with 17:29 to play in the game but Northwest scored the game’s next eight points and outscored Pittsburg State, 19-7, over the next seven minutes to take control.

Ethan Holloway scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor to lead the Gorillas. Ryan Pippins added 11 points and Martin Vogts finished with 10. The Gorillas, who shot 58 percent from the field for the game, played shorthanded with starting frontcourt members Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. and Zach Burch out of the lineup for the game.

Ryan Hawkins (22) and Diego Bernard (12) also scored in double figures for Northwest.

Pittsburg State will travel to St. Joseph, Mo.,  on Saturday to face MIAA rival Missouri Western State University at 3:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: Johnson leads Gorillas past Northwest Missouri State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Julia Johnson scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help lead Pittsburg State women’s basketball to a lopsided 79-50 road win over Northwest Missouri State on Thursday at Bearcat Arena.

Johnson made 10-of-13 shots from the field as the Gorillas shot the ball at a 51.6 percent clip for the game (32-62).

Pittsburg State (12-6, 12-6 MIAA) led 22-18 with 5:50 to play in the second quarter, but the Gorillas outscored Northwest (6-10-, 6-10 MIAA) 12-1 the rest of the period to take a 34-19 advantage into halftime.

Tristan Gegg added 14 points and seven rebounds for Pittsburg State. Kaylee DaMitz contributed nine points and three assists, while Ashton McCorry chipped in with eight points.

The Bearcats got a team-leading 17 points from Molly Hartnett.

Pittsburg State will continue with game two of a three-game road swing with a 1:30 p.m. tip on Saturday at St. Joseph, Mo., against Missouri Western State .

MEN’S HOOPS: Pittsburg State defeats UCM for 4th straight win

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Ryan Pippins scored a season-high 26 points to help pace the Pittsburg State men’s basketball team to a 79-72 victory over the University of Central Missouri Thursday at John Lance Arena.

The Gorillas (9-7, 9-7 MIAA) notched their fourth straight victory with the win against the Mules (6-10, 6-10 MIAA).

Pippins made 8-of-14 shots from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and converted all seven free-throw attempts. He added seven rebounds and three assists as well. Quentin Hardrict Jr. chipped in with 14 points, while Martin Vogts and Cameron Huefner finished with 10 apiece.

Pittsburg State shot 51 percent from the field for the game, converting 26-of-51 shots from the floor.

UCM got a game-high 31 points from Koray Gilbert and 11 more from Gaven Pickley.

The Gorillas will return to action Saturday when they play host to MIAA rival Lincoln University at 3:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: UCM downs PSU women

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Graycen Holden and Nija Collier combined for 41 points and the No. 21-ranked Central Missouri women’s basketball team pulled out in front during the game’s waning minutes to claim a 76-71 victory over Pittsburg State on Thursday at John Lance Arena.

Pittsburg State (10-6, 10-6 MIAA) led by as man as 11 points in the second quarter, but UCM (13-2, 13-2 MIAA) chipped away at the lead in the second half. The game featured seven ties and eight lead changes.

The Jennies took the lead for good, 72-71, on Collier’s 3-pointer with with 1:26 to play. After a Pittsburg State turnover, Holden hit an inside shot with 42 ticks remaining to make it a 74-71 UCM advantage. Olivia Nelson hit two free throws with 15.1 seconds to go for the game’s final margin.

Pittsburg State’s last lead came on a 3-pointer by Tristan Gegg with 2:02 to play. The Gorillas, who led 71-69 at that point, did not score again down the stretch.

Gegg poured in a game-high 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor for the Gorillas. Kaylee DaMitz added 13 points and nine assist, while Sydnee Crain also scored in double figures with 10 points.

Pittsburg State will return to action Saturday when the Gorillas host MIAA rival Lincoln at 1:30 p.m.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Pittsburg State welcomes new wave of Gorillas

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State welcomed a new wave of Gorillas to the football program via live stream to celebrate National Signing Day on Wednesday.

Pittsburg State head coach Brian Wright and his coaching staff touched on each of the 38 high school seniors who signed letters of commitment as well as two college transfers in the presentation.

“The first thing that stands out is the versatility of the players we wanted,” Wright said. “Athletes that come in and have a lot of skill sets that played different positions in high school. We started this thing out a year ago today knowing that we wanted to get bigger as a football team, and faster. We wanted to recruit tough football players, and I felt like we got that accomplished.”

Of the 40 total athletes making their way to Pittsburg State, 10 of them are offensive line recruits. 

“It all starts up front to me, on both sides of the football,” Wright said. “We had to address a depth issue there. We did that. I am excited about not only the depth, but the talent and caliber of player we are getting at the position.”

The Gorillas are also bringing in two quarterbacks, two running backs, four wide receivers, two tight ends on offense. Defensively, Pittsburg State inked four defensive linemen, five linebackers, five cornerbacks and three safeties. PSU also earned commitments from one long snapper, one athlete and one kicker.

“It helped that we were able to be on the road this season while the Division I schools were not,” Wright said of the recruiting process during the COVID pandemic. “I like to think we went out a year ago today and started working really, really hard to develop those relationships with these kids and their parents. That was the biggest difference between this year and last year, just the fact that we had a lot more time to form that relationship and more time to get them here and show them Pittsburg State.”

Locally, Pittsburg State added seven student-athletes to its commitment list—Webb City offensive lineman Grant Goltra, Lamar defensive lineman Rylan Wooldridge, Frontenac cornerback Ty Gates, St. Mary’s Colgan defensive lineman Kannon Keller and kicker Janko Kalan, Paola offensive lineman Carter Stanchfield and Cassville linebacker Zach Coenen.

“I think it is critical to get the good local talent here,” Wright said. “Those kids have been dreaming about Pittsburg State for a long time. They want to become really good football players and good representations of this program and this area. They are going to give you everything they have.”

 

For the full list of Pittsburg State’s recruiting class, click the link below:

https://pittstategorillas.com/news/2021/2/3/pitt-state-football-announces-recruiting-class-of-2021.aspx

MEN’S HOOPS: Pittsburg State notches win against Rogers State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CLAREMORE, Okla. — Cameron Huefner and Antonio Givens II combined for 35 points off the bench to help spark the Pittsburg State men’s basketball team to an 86-75 road victory against Rogers State University on Saturday at the Claremore Expo Center.

Pittsburg State (8-7, 8-7 MIAA) placed four players in double-figure scoring. Huefner led the way with 19, while Givens added 16. Martin Vogts (13) and Ryan Pippins (10) also posted double digits. Huefner made seven of 10 shots from the floor as the Gorillas shot 54.5 percent for the game overall (30-55).

RSU (6-8, 6-8 MIAA) got a game-high 21 points from Darraja Parnell while Devin Pullum chipped in with 18 points.

Pittsburg State will return to action next Thursday when the Gorillas host MIAA rival University of Central Missouri at John Lance Arena at 3:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: Gegg’s career high leads Gorillas past Hillcats

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CLAREMORE, Okla. — Tristan Gegg scored a career-high 32 points, including 20 in the second half, to help lead the Pittsburg State women’s basketball team to a 92-81 road win over Rogers State on Saturday at the Claremore Expo Center.

The Gorillas (10-5, 10-5 MIAA) shot 60.6 percent from the field in the first half en route to building a 47-35 halftime advantage against the Hillcats (4-10, 4-10 MIAA). Pittsburg State stretched its margin to as many as 18 points early in the third quarter and held off RSU down the stretch.

Gegg made 10-of-15 shots from the floor, including four of five 3-point field-goal attempts, to lead the way for the Gorillas. She has now scored 967 points in 71 career games (13.6 ppg).

Kaylee DaMitz, who posted a season-high 25 points in Pittsburg State’s 65-50 road win over Northeastern State on Jan. 28, added 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting against the Hillcats on Saturday. She also dished out a game-high seven assists to bring her career total to 367 assists. She needs three more helpers to pass Kelly Krumsick (1980-83) for fifth place on PSU’s all-time charts.

Julia Johnson added 13 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots against the Hillcats.

Julie Luna (18) and Bailey Kliewer (17) paced RSU in scoring in the contest.

Pittsburg State will return to action next Thursday when the Gorillas play host to No. 22-ranked Central Missouri at 5:30 p.m. The Jennies (12-2, 12-2 MIAA) claimed a 55-51 home win over Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.

PSU women win seventh straight

Posted on by Lucas Davis

TOPEKA, Kan. — Pittsburg State and Washburn were tied with less than two and a half minutes to play in overtime before Tristan Gegg knocked down a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to lift the Gorillas to a 69-61 win on Saturday.

The win moves the Gorilla women to 8-3, 8-3 MIAA on the season, with it also being the seventh consecutive victory for PSU.

Gegg’s finished the game with a game-high 24 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from the perimeter. Julia Johnson finished with a double-double for Pittsburg State, scoring 14 points in 6-of-10 shooting and pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds. Carthage product Maya Williams added 10 points and nine rebounds.

Washburn’s Hunter Bentley led the Ichabods with 16 points and five assists, while Abby Oliver finished with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Nuria Barrientos had 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

UP NEXT

Pittsburg State hosts Nebraska-Kearney at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

PSU men fall to Ichabods

Posted on by Lucas Davis

TOPEKA, Kan. — Washburn turned a two-point lead at halftime into an 84-62 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday.

The Ichabods (10-1, 10-1 MIAA) shot 59 percent from the field in the second half, while holding the Gorillas to 32 percent (9-28) from the floor in the final 20 minutes. The Gorillas (5-6, 5-6 MIAA) lost the turnover battle 13-6, while being outscored 16-2 in points off turnovers.

Tyler Geiman led Washburn with 19 points and five assists, while Tyler Nelson added 16 points and five rebounds. Levi Braun finished with 15 points.

Pittsburg State was led in scoring by Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr.’s 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting. He grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Ryan Pippins came off the bench to score 15 points. R.J. Lawrence scored nine, while Antonio Givens II added seven.

UP NEXT

Pittsburg State hosts Nebraska-Kearney at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

MEN’S HOOPS: Pittsburg State wins physical battle over rival Missouri Southern

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State men’s basketball took a 20-17 advantage near the nine-minute mark of the first half and never relinquished it as the Gorillas earned a physical 83-67 win over Missouri Southern in a game that saw 52 total fouls called on Saturday at John Lance Arena.

“This is a game that means a lot to a lot of people,” Pittsburg State’s Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. said. “It’s our rival. They are 35 minutes down the road from us. It’s a game that we definitely want to win, and we want to win not just for ourselves, but for our community.”

Pittsburg State (5-4, 5-4 MIAA) shot 53.6 percent from the field (15-28) and 50 percent from the perimeter (4-8) on the way to a 40-32 cushion by the intermission. The Gorillas finished the game shooting 51.9 from the floor in the win and were 8-of-18 from the perimeter.

“We are a very unselfish group,” PSU’s Martin Vogts said. “We just spread the ball to everyone. Our best (attribute) is we find whoever has the hot hand. That is why we shoot so well, I think.”

Equally as important, the Gorillas’ effort on defense limited the Lions (4-4, 4-4) to a 40.7 percent shooting clip from the field (11-27) in both halves, with MSSU shooting 33 percent from deep (3-9) through the first 20 minutes before shooting 1-for-11 from the perimeter in the second half.

“I thought our defense was the key,” Pittsburg State coach Kim Anderson said. “They only scored 67 points, and our defense hasn’t been that good this year to hold a team down to that number. I was really proud of the way we guarded.”

Southern, which was without Winston Dessesow and Christian Bundy, held a 17-13 lead with 11:54 following a Cam Martin 3-pointer. Pittsburg State scored the next seven points behind a mid-range jumper from Zach Burch and a 3-pointer from Quentin Hardrict Jr., who finished with 10 points and a team-high five assists, to give the Gorillas a 20-17 advantage.

Pittsburg State pushed the lead as much as nine, 33-24, in the first half when Cameron Huefner scored inside at the 4:27 mark. PSU ultimately took an eight-point cushion into the half and quickly turned the lead into double digits less than a minute into the second half on a four-point play by Martin Vogts.

The Gorillas extended the lead to a game-high 16 points on a 3-pointer from RJ Forney Jr. with 13:45 to play to make the score 54-38. 

Back-to-back scores in the paint by Martin with eight minutes left trimmed the Gorillas’ lead to 10, with the Lions cutting the deficit to single digits, 65-57, on a pair of makes from the charity stripe moments later.

“Missed free throws, and I thought there were some opportunities where we had wide-open looks and weren’t able to convert, and we were turning the basketball over,” Southern coach Jeff Boschee said about his team’s inability to make a bigger run at the lead. “We switched to the zone and weren’t getting out or understanding our principles on where we are supposed to be when the ball goes to certain spots on the floor.”

That would be as close as Southern would get, with Vogts knocking down a 3-pointer with less than seven minutes left to push the lead back to 11. Pittsburg State eventually pushed the lead back to 16 on two free throws from Vogts with 3:27 left in regulation, ending any bid for a Lions’ rally.

“I thought it was big,” Anderson said of his team responding when Southern cut the lead to eight. “I thought we were struggling. We were trying to find combinations. … I don’t know how long we went without a bucket or how many possessions we went without a bucket, but it was a few. They took advantage of it. Fortunately, we got a shot down and were able to continue to hold them.”

STAT LEADERS

Vogts led Pittsburg State with 26 points, 20 coming in the second half, on 8-of-14 shooting from the field with five makes coming from beyond the arc. Arthur-Williams Jr., who scored 15 points in the first half, finished with 22 points. Both players closed with a team-high eight rebounds and combined for seven assists and three steals.

“I thought Bobby came out and played really well,” Anderson said. “We did some things to get him some shots and he made them. Martin was very consistent throughout the game. He made 3-point shots and handled the ball pretty well.”

Martin led Southern with 33 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and 12-of-21 scoring from the free-throw line. It was his third consecutive game with 30 or more points scored, and it moved him into sixth place (1,672 points) on the MSSU all-time scoring list, surpassing Skyler Bowlin and Marquis Addison. He added a game-high 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double. 

Keryn Collins, making his first start of the season, scored a career-high 14 points for the Lions.

UP NEXT

Pittsburg State travels to Emporia State for a 7:30 p.m. tip on Jan. 14.

Missouri Southern travels to Washburn for a 7:30 p.m. tip on Jan. 14.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: Pittsburg State rallies in the second half to beat Missouri Southern

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State trailed by as many as eight twice in the first half and 12 in the second half before rallying back for a 70-67 win over Missouri Southern on Saturday at John Lance Arena. 

The Gorillas have won five straight games and improve to 6-3, 6-3 MIAA. The loss snaps the Lions’ four-game winning streak, dropping Southern to 4-4, 4-4 MIAA.

“I was just really proud of our girls’ resiliency,” Pittsburg State coach Amanda Davied said. “There’s been games in the past where we’ve caved a little bit. Winning gives you confidence, so I think right now we are a confident team. It showed in the second half that we have been in those situations before, and we toughed it out.”

STAT LEADERS

Kaylee DaMitz led PSU with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go along with a team-high six assists and four rebounds. Tristan Gegg finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Carthage product Maya Williams finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while Julia Johnson scored eight and had six rebounds with two steals. 

Southern was led in scoring by Carley Turnbull’s 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting. She finished with seven rebounds. Kaitlin Hunnicut came off the bench to score 15 points to go along with four rebounds, a block and a steal. Zoe Campbell scored eight and led the Lions with eight rebounds.

GAME SCRIPT

Southern jumped out early on Pittsburg State, building an eight-point lead, 20-12, through six minutes of action. The Lions’ strong work on the glass was a big proponent to taking the momentum early, outrebounding the Gorillas 12-8 in the first quarter, which led to a 7-2 MSSU advantage in second-chance scoring.

The Gorillas, who trailed by five after the first, found themselves down eight again early in the second period. Pittsburg State battled back and whittled the lead down to one, 27-26, on a DaMitz 3-pointer at the six-minute mark.

Southern closed the first half in a big way, using an 11-2 run to go into the intermission with a 38-28 lead. Turnbull knocked down a 3-ball to kick off the run before Biance Stocks and PSU’s Johnson traded buckets , with Hunnicutt draining her third 3-pointer of the first half to make the score 35-28 with 3:01 left. A Hailey Grant score on the drive and a free throw from Anna Hall wrapped the run and the first-half scoring.

“The game of basketball is about runs,” MSSU coach Ronnie Ressel said of his team’s ability to stave off PSU’s early comeback bids. “It’s just a matter of how big of a run it is going to be and if you can subside it and get back under control and into your favor. Really through the first three quarters, for the most part, I thought we did a really good job of doing that.”

Perimeter shooting was an advantage for the Lions in the first half, as MSSU was 5-of-10 shooting from deep in the first two quarters. PSU was limited to 1-for-7 shooting from the perimeter in the first half.

“It was good for us to be able to make those shots,” Ressel said. “It was good to see our kids step up. We had some good looks and we made them. In the first half, we did a really good job of executing our offense.”

Southern pushed the lead to 12 early in the first quarter before an 11-0 run by Pittsburg State trimmed the margin to 40-39 with 2:51 to play. The Lions briefly pushed the lead back to nine before the Gorillas cut the lead to one possession on the back of back-to-back 3-pointers by Jayme Jackson to end the quarter.

“When Jayme hit those two 3s, I think that was really the turning point,” DaMitz said. “It really just got us going. … From there, we were just rolling. Everybody was rolling.”

“That definitely was the turning point of the game,” Gegg added. “Jayme coming in (and making those shots) just was insane. I almost lost my voice screaming so loudly.”

The Gorilla women carried that momentum into the final quarter of play when Julia Johnson tied the game with an inside score 30 seconds into the fourth. After a Southern turnover, Gegg drilled a 3-ball from the right wing to give Pittsburg State its first lead of the game, 55-52, with 9:05 left in regulation. Williams made it 14 unanswered points for PSU spanning back to the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the corner at 7:25 to push the lead to 58-52.

“Momentum was huge,” Davied said. “I felt like at the end of the third, just being in that position really helped us continue to have some confidence and feel like we’re going to push through. … We closed that gap, and we closed it quickly. That is where our energy changed. … I thought our girls really had some answers and solutions to their situations.”

“We got on each other’s energy bus, and that is what you have to do every game,” Gegg added.

From there, Pittsburg State never surrendered the lead en route to victory.

UP NEXT

Pittsburg State travels to Emporia State for a 5:30 p.m. tip on Jan. 14.

Missouri Southern travels to Washburn for a 5:30 p.m. tip on Jan. 14.

WOMEN’S HOOPS: PSU’s Gegg named MIAA Player of the Week

Posted on by Lucas Davis

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pittsburg State University junior guard Tristan Gegg was named the MIAA Player of the Week for women’s basketball on Monday.

Gegg matched her career high in scoring with 31 points in The Gorillas’ 83-76 road win over Lincoln on Dec. 10. Gegg finished the win with four 3-pointers and 10 total field goals, knocking down all seven free-throw attempts against the Blue Tigers. She added three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the victory.

Gegg leads the MIAA in free-throw percentage (.966, 28-29) and ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (17.8 points per game).

COLLEGE HOOPS: Williams leads PSU women over NSU; 5 Gorillas score in double figures in win over RiverHawks

Posted on by Lucas Davis

WILLIAMS’ STRONG FINISH LEADS PSU WOMEN OVER NSU

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State senior Maya Williams scored the Gorillas’ final five unanswered points inside the final minute of play to lead PSU to a 84-82 win over Northeastern State on Saturday at John Lance Arena.

Williams, a Carthage product who was second in scoring for PSU (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) with 19 points and added a team-high nine rebounds, brought the Gorilla women back from an 82-79 deficit with less than a minute to play. She sank two free throws with 43 seconds left to bring PSU within one, 82-81. After a turnover by NSU (2-3, 2-3 MIAA), Williams converted a contested jumper with 7.4 seconds left in regulation, drawing the foul and making the and-one free throw in the process to send the Gorillas to the win.

Pittsburg State shot 51 percent from the field (31-61). The Gorillas won the rebounding battle 38-26, which resulted in PSU outsourcing NSU 17-12 in second-chance points. Kaylee DaMitz led Pittsburg State with 20 points and a team-high four assists. Jayme Jackson finished with 14 points and four rebounds, while Tristan Gegg had 13 points, two rebounds and one assist. Julia Johnson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals to give the Gorillas five players in double figures.

NSU shot 52 percent from the field and was led in scoring by Shae Sanchez, who finished with a game-high 27 points. She had five rebounds and three steals. Cenia Hayes had 22 points and six rebounds to go along with three assists and five steals. Britney Ho finished with 12 points and six boards.

Pittsburg State is at Lincoln on Dec. 10.

 

FIVE PLAYERS FINISH IN DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING FOR PSU MEN IN WIN

Pittsburg State men’s basketball shot 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and had five players score in double figures on the way to an 81-71 win over Northeastern State on Saturday at John Lance Arena. 

Pittsburg State (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) shot 56 percent from the floor in the first half on the way to a 39-25 lead by the break.

Antonio Givens II and Ike Moore, who each scored a team-high 16 points. Givens was 6-for-10 from the field with three rebounds, two assists and a block, while Moore was 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from the perimeter to go along with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Martin Vogts made half of his six 3-point attempts and was 5-of-8 from the field to finish with 15. He added four rebounds and an assist. Zach Burch made 4-of-5 shots to finish with 13 points, four rebounds and an assist, while Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting. He had a team-high seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. 

Brad Davis led NSU with 16 points, while Trey Sampson had 14 points, two rebounds, three steals and a block. Kavion Hanock had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists, with Rashad Perkins adding 10 points and four boards.

Pittsburg State is at Lincoln on Dec. 10.

 

COLLEGE HOOPS: Rogers State sweeps Pittsburg State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

ROGERS STATE RALLIES TO BEAT PSU MEN IN OVERTIME

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State men’s basketball built an eight-point lead by the intermission before Rogers State rallied in the second half to force overtime before going on to win 87-80 on Thursday.

Martin Vogts led Pittsburg State (2-2, 2-2 MIAA) with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including five makes from the perimeter. He added two rebounds and two assists. Bobby Arthur-Williams scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. Quentin Hardrict added nine points, five assists and three rebounds, while RJ Lawrence scored eight and had four assists.

Rogers State (1-2, 1-2) finished with four players in double figures. Dustin Eke led the way with 19 points and six rebounds, Devin Pullum scored 16 points, while Brewster Peacock finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Jett Sternberger had 13 points and four rebounds. 

The Gorillas return to action with a 3:30 p.m. matchup against Northeastern State on Dec. 3.

 

ROGERS STATE WOMEN OUTSCORE PSU DOWN THE STRETCH TO EARN WIN

Pittsburg State and Rogers State took a 57-57 tie into the fourth quarter before the Hillcats outscored the Gorillas 23-19 in the final period to earn the 80-76 win on Thursday.

Pittsburg State (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) finished with four players in double-figure scoring. Tristan Gegg led PSU with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including seven free throws and three 3-pointers. Kaylee DaMitz added 15 points and a team-high seven assists. Carthage product Maya Williams finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Dana Johnson added 10 points and four rebounds.

Maya Buckhanon scored 22 points and had nine rebounds to lead Rogers State. Samariah Thompson scored 21 points and finished in a tie for the team lead in assists with six. She also had five rebounds. Bailey Kliewer scored 14 points. 

The Gorillas return to action with a 1:30 p.m. matchup against Northeast State on Dec. 3.

COLLEGE HOOPS: Central Missouri men and women earn wins over Pittsburg State

Posted on by Lucas Davis

UCM men hold off PSU down the stretch

WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Central Missouri built a three-point lead at the intermission before holding off Pittsburg State for an 88-80 win on Saturday.

The Mules (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) were red hot from the field in the win, shooting 56 percent from the floor and knocking down 10-of-16 3-point attempts to lead them to victory. The Gorillas (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) shot 50 percent from the field and 8-of-24 from the perimeter in the loss. 

Quentin Hardrict Jr. led PSU in scoring with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor, adding four assists, two blocks, two rebounds and a steal. Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. scored 15 points and made six shots from the field. He had a team-high eight rebounds. Ryan Pippins, Martin Vogts, Zach Burch and RJ Lawrence all scored eight points for Pittsburg State. 

Central Missouri finished with five players scoring in double figures. Jalen Blaize led UCM with 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Gaven Pinkley added 14 points and five rebounds, while Hunter Cameron finished with 13 points and nine assists. Ante Sustic had 12 points, while Mohammed Abubakar had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Pittsburg State hosts Rogers State on Dec. 3.

 

UCM women take down PSU with strong start

WARRENSBURG, Mo. — Central Missouri doubled up Pittsburg State in the first quarter and built a 44-27 lead by the intermission before going on to win 78-61 on Saturday.

The Jennies (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) opened the game with the momentum, outsourcing the Gorillas 24-12 in the first quarter, and never relinquished it. Pittsburg State (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) trimmed the lead to 14 to start the fourth quarter but the Jennies held firm to keep their distance in the win.

Pittsburg State shot 31.7 percent in the loss, connecting on 10-of-32 shots from the perimeter. Tristan Gegg led the Gorillas in scoring with 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists. Kaylee DaMitz and Sydnee Crain each added nine points. DaMitz had a team-high seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. Crain added three assists and two steals. Carthage product Maya Williams had six points and six rebounds as well as two steals.

Central Missouri shot 54.5 percent from the field (30-55) and 40 percent from 3-point range (6-15). Graycen Holden led UCM in scoring with 22 points on 9-of-9 shooting. She had six rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Nija Collier was 9-of-11 from the floor for 20 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Morgan VanHyfte scored eight points and had eight rebounds.

Pittsburg State hosts Rogers State on Dec. 3

COLLEGE HOOPS: PSU men rally back and Gorilla women pull ahead early for pair of wins

Posted on by Lucas Davis

PSU men rally back for win over Jets

WICHITA, Kan. — Pittsburg State trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half only to rally back in the second half for a 72-70 win over Newman on Tuesday at Fugate Gymnasium.

Pittsburg State trailed 59-50 with 12:20 left in regulation before Ike Moore sank two 3-pointers to cut the lead to 60-57 with 8:50 left. A 3-pointer from Martin Vogts moments later tied the game at 63s. Both teams battled back and forth exchanging the lead before an offensive rebound and put-back score by Antonio Givens II with 35 seconds left gave the Gorillas the 72-70 lead and eventual win.

The Gorillas shot 39 percent in the win, but held a big advantage in points off turnovers, 20-8. PSU won the turnover battle 18-11.

Pittsburg State finished with four in double figures. Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. led the way with 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He had four rebounds and two assists. Givens was 5-for-7 shooting for 16 points, pulling down six rebounds and finishing with three steals and two assists. Moore scored 13 points and added six rebounds. Vogts scored 10 and had three rebounds and three assists.

Branden Bunn led all scorers with 24 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He had four rebounds and four assists. Joel Boyce added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Pittsburg State (2-0) travels to Central Missouri on Saturday. 

 

Strong start leads PSU women past Newman

WICHITA, Kan. — Pittsburg State built a double-digit lead by the intermission before going on to defeat Newman 61-49 on Tuesday at Fugate Gymnasium.

The Gorilla women shot 40.3 percent from the field but made just 3-of-22 shots from the perimeter. PSU dominated inside, outscoring the Jets 40-26 in the paint. On the defensive end, Pittsburg State limited Newman to 18-for-62 shooting (29%) from the field and scoreless from the perimeter (0-7).

The Gorillas finished with four players scoring in double figures, led by Kaylee DaMitz’s 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting. She added a team-high six assists in the win. Dana Johnson was a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field to finish with 12 points, while pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Tristan Gegg added 10 points on 5-of-14 shooting, and Jayme Jackson was 2-of-3 from the perimeter and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe to finish with 10 points. Carthage product Maya Williams grabbed eight rebounds and had four points, while Ashton McCorry had six rebounds and four points.

Faith Mason-Vestal led Newman with 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting and four rebounds. Brooke Haney added 10 points and four rebounds. Amoni White had eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Madison Birnbaum had a team-high 11 rebounds.

Pittsburg State (2-0) travels to Central Missouri on Saturday. 

FOOTBALL: Pittsburg State closes season with win over West Texas A&M

Posted on by Lucas Davis

CANYON, Texas — Pittsburg State built a 28-21 lead by the intermission and outscored West Texas A&M 14-7 in the second half to close out its abbreviated 2020 season with a 42-28 win on Saturday.

Pittsburg State closes the 2020 season with a 2-2 record, earning wins over Missouri Western and West Texas A&M and taking losses to Nebraska-Kearney and Stephen F. Austin. 

The Gorillas gained 519 yards of total offense in a balanced attack, passing for 271 and rushing for 248. Pittsburg State won the time-of-possession battle 32:23 to 27:37 and scored on all four red zone opportunities. PSU converted on 7-of-11 third-down attempts and were 3-for-3 on fourth downs. 

Quarterback Mak Sexton completed 21-of-30 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Running back Tyler Adkins rushed 15 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Tucker Horak added 69 rushing yards and Drew Winn 52 rushing yards. Bryce Murphy, a Neosho product, led Pittsburg State with eight receptions and a team-high 137 receiving yards and a touchdown. Jalen Martin added six receptions for 70 yards and Dylan White, a Pittsburg High School graduate, caught four passes for 46 yards and a score.

West Texas A&M ran for 285 and passed for 215 with running back Khalil Harris leading the way on the ground with 22 carries for 133 yards. Prince Ugwu and Jordan Johnson added rushing scores. Quarterback Nick Gerber completed 16-of-25 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while rushing six times for 66 yards. Kenneath Redd and Maxwell Perez each caught touchdowns.

Pittsburg State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after Sexton scored from a yard out to open the game with a six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Kaden Roy, a Webb City product, scooped up a fumble and returned it 48 yards to the house less than two minutes later to give PSU a two-score advantage.

Redd halted in a 15-yard touchdown from Gerber to trim the margin to one score before a 1-yard rushing score by Adkins put the Gorillas on top 21-14 with 7:59 left in the first half.

West Texas A&M scored on a 3-yard rush from Johnson, but again Pittsburg State answered with 2:06 left in the half after Sexton hit White for a 17-yard passing score to send the Gorillas into the intermission with a 28-21 advantage.

Adkins added a 13-yard rushing score with 10 minutes left in the third to give the Gorillas the momentum for good. Murphy found the end zone on a 31-yard pass from Sexton at the start of the fourth quarter. 

Experienced sports journalists providing great local sports coverage in Southwest Missouri.

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