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PITTSBURG —
The No. 12-ranked Gorillas of Pittsburg State remain on top of the MIAA women's basketball standings with a 12-1 conference record.
Pitt State (18-2 overall) hosts Southwest Baptist (8-10, 4-9 MIAA) tonight at John Lance Arena in an important game for both teams. At this point of the season and beyond, every single game takes on importance.
The Gorillas have Washburn (11-1 MIAA and winner of nine straight games, including Pitt State’s only MIAA loss) and Emporia State (10-3 MIAA) in their rearview mirror, teams both closer than they appear. The Bearcats currently hold the No. 8 spot in the MIAA and only the top 8 teams in the conference qualify for the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Pitt State will be without senior post Larissa Richards tonight and head coach Lane Lord said Richards will not return until Saturday against Northwest Missouri State.
After her career-high 27 points Saturday against Central Missouri, senior forward Brooke Conley leads the Gorillas with a 13.5 scoring average, good for 10th in the MIAA.
Conley leads four Gorilla players ranked top 30 scoring in the MIAA, followed by freshman power forward Lizzy Jeronimus (13.3, 11th), Richards (13.0, 12th) and junior shooting guard Drew Roberts (9.8, 29th).
Brittney Dukes leads the Bearcats with a 14.1 scoring average, eighth in the MIAA. LaKendra Smith, averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds (including 11.3 her last six games), will have an opportunity to cause even more havoc without Richards in the Pitt State lineup. Jacqui Zelenka averages 10.7 points and she's averaged 19 points her last two against Lincoln and Southern.
The Bearcats have won three of their last four games, helped out by Dukes' season-high 31 points against Missouri Western in a 100-99 overtime victory.
In their first matchup, Pittsburg State beat Southwest Baptist 78-72, led by the trio of Jeronimus (26 points), Conley (18) and Richards (15). Jeronimus, Conley and Richards combined for 59 points and 20 rebounds. Freshman guard Morgan Westhoff added nine points. Dukes led Baptist with 22 points. Smith did not play in the game.
National leaders
Of all team statistics Pitt State ranks nationally in, the Gorillas place seventh in winning percentage (90 percent).
As a team, Pitt State ranks 10th in blocked shots (5.5 per game), 19th in scoring offense (74.6 ppg), 22nd in field goal percentage (44.0 percent), 28th in three point percentage (35.5 percent), 29th in scoring margin (12.0) and 30th in assist-turnover ratio (.97).
Larissa Richards' 59.3 percent shooting from the field ranks fifth in the nation and her 2.2 blocked shots per game rank 29th. Fort Hays State freshman center Kate Lehman ranks seventh with 3.1 blocks per game.
Grace Herzog of Saginaw Valley leads Division II with 3.7 blocks per game. Herzog blocked 10 shots in a recent game against Tiffin, a 57-35 loss for a 4-15 Saginaw Valley team.
The No. 12-ranked Gorillas of Pittsburg State remain on top of the MIAA women's basketball standings with a 12-1 conference record.
Pitt State (18-2 overall) hosts Southwest Baptist (8-10, 4-9 MIAA) tonight at John Lance Arena in an important game for both teams. At this point of the season and beyond, every single game takes on importance.
The Gorillas have Washburn (11-1 MIAA and winner of nine straight games, including Pitt State’s only MIAA loss) and Emporia State (10-3 MIAA) in their rearview mirror, teams both closer than they appear. The Bearcats currently hold the No. 8 spot in the MIAA and only the top 8 teams in the conference qualify for the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Pitt State will be without senior post Larissa Richards tonight and head coach Lane Lord said Richards will not return until Saturday against Northwest Missouri State.
After her career-high 27 points Saturday against Central Missouri, senior forward Brooke Conley leads the Gorillas with a 13.5 scoring average, good for 10th in the MIAA.
Conley leads four Gorilla players ranked top 30 scoring in the MIAA, followed by freshman power forward Lizzy Jeronimus (13.3, 11th), Richards (13.0, 12th) and junior shooting guard Drew Roberts (9.8, 29th).
Brittney Dukes leads the Bearcats with a 14.1 scoring average, eighth in the MIAA. LaKendra Smith, averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds (including 11.3 her last six games), will have an opportunity to cause even more havoc without Richards in the Pitt State lineup. Jacqui Zelenka averages 10.7 points and she's averaged 19 points her last two against Lincoln and Southern.
The Bearcats have won three of their last four games, helped out by Dukes' season-high 31 points against Missouri Western in a 100-99 overtime victory.
In their first matchup, Pittsburg State beat Southwest Baptist 78-72, led by the trio of Jeronimus (26 points), Conley (18) and Richards (15). Jeronimus, Conley and Richards combined for 59 points and 20 rebounds. Freshman guard Morgan Westhoff added nine points. Dukes led Baptist with 22 points. Smith did not play in the game.
National leaders
Of all team statistics Pitt State ranks nationally in, the Gorillas place seventh in winning percentage (90 percent).
As a team, Pitt State ranks 10th in blocked shots (5.5 per game), 19th in scoring offense (74.6 ppg), 22nd in field goal percentage (44.0 percent), 28th in three point percentage (35.5 percent), 29th in scoring margin (12.0) and 30th in assist-turnover ratio (.97).
Larissa Richards' 59.3 percent shooting from the field ranks fifth in the nation and her 2.2 blocked shots per game rank 29th. Fort Hays State freshman center Kate Lehman ranks seventh with 3.1 blocks per game.
Grace Herzog of Saginaw Valley leads Division II with 3.7 blocks per game. Herzog blocked 10 shots in a recent game against Tiffin, a 57-35 loss for a 4-15 Saginaw Valley team.
MIAA scoring leader Jessica Koch of Missouri Western places third nationally — her 23.6 scoring average includes double figures all 19 games, a season high of 38 points against Southwest Baptist and a season low of 12 against Northwest Missouri. The Griffons are 6-13 overall and 4-10 in the MIAA so far this season.
Truman junior and reigning MIAA Player of the Week Becka McHenry is one of only 13 DII players with a triple-double this season; Christina Whitelaw of Colorado Christian leads the nation with two. McHenry achieved her triple-double last Wednesday against Pitt State — 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes played. This was the first triple-double in the MIAA since 2006 and first at Truman since 1998.
Jaymee Carnes of North Georgia leads the nation with a 25.7 scoring average. National leader Erika Rousculp of Charleston (W.Va.) averages 14.6 rebounds per game and Rachel Gostomski of Davis & Elkins has made 93.9 percent of her free throws (46-for-49).
MIAA
Team MIAA Overall
Pittsburg St. 12-1 18-2
Washburn 11-1 18-3
Emporia St. 10-3 14-4
Central Mo. 8-5 14-5
Fort Hays St. 7-6 15-6
Truman 6-7 11-7
Lincoln (Mo.) 5-7 11-7
Southwest Baptis 4-9 8-10
Mo. Western St. 4-10 6-13
Mo. Southern St. 2-11 6-13
Northwest Mo. St. 2-11 4-16
Tonight
Washburn at Truman
Southwest Baptist at Pittsburg State
Emporia State at Central Missouri
Missouri Southern at Lincoln
Northeastern State at Northwest Missouri
