Pittsburg State defeats SBU 74-64 to improve to 3-0 in conference play

If Pittsburg State’s outside game didn’t give Southwest Baptist fits, its inside game did.
The Gorillas shot 50 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, led by freshman Amanda Orloske’s four treys then, in the second half, post player Nicole McCombs came alive inside to score all of her 15 points to lead the Gorillas to a 74-64 win over the Bearcats Saturday night at John Lance Arena.
PSU (7-2) has opened up MIAA play 3-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 season, when the Gorillas won a share of the conference title.
“Our bench keeps battling and tonight was a workman-like effort,” PSU head coach Lane Lord said.
In the second half, McCombs, Brianna Buchanan, DePrice Taylor and Laura Glenn attacked the inside after Waugh, Buchanan and Orloske softened it up with their outside shooting in the first half.
“I think Nicole McCombs battled very hard out there tonight,” Lord said.
In addition to her 15 second-half points, McCombs also collected 12 rebounds for the double-double.
Defensively, DePrice Taylor held the MIAA’s leading scorer, Courtney Creed, to just 2 points for the game.
“I’ve been struggling offensively but my defense has been good,” Taylor said. “I just came in with the mentality that I was going to shut her down.”
Buchanan used the outside in the first half, going 3-of-3 from the arc, but switched things up in the second half by worked short jumpers inside to lead all scorers with 21 points on 60 percent shooting from the field for the game.
“Pitt State is a very good team, who can play inside and out,” first-year SBU (2-6, 0-2 MIAA) head coach JC Carter said. “They got hot from the three-point line early, and we could not get out of the hole.”
Orloske came out like gangbusters off the bench in the first half for the Gorillas.
The 5-9 guard hit three straight three-point shots to help PSU to their largest lead of the first half, 29-13 with 8:10 left in the half.
“We have been waiting for her to explode because she has that ability,” Lord said.
Orloske came back off the bench as the Bearcats started to make a run late in the first and connected on her fourth triple of the half to give the Gorillas a 37-23 advantage with 1:38 to play.
“Pitt is a very physical team, without question the most physical we’ve seen this season,” Carter said.
Southwest Baptist did close out the half on a 6-1 run to close the gap to 38-29 at halftime.
Orloske was 4-of-8 from beyond the arc to lead all scorers with 12 in the first half.
“They were just sagging back in a zone and I was able to get good shots,” Orloske said.
But Orloske was not the only threat for the Gorillas from three-point range.
Brianna Buchanan was 3-of-3 from the arc and Bailey Waugh went 1-of-3 to lead the Gorillas to 50 percent shooting from three-point range in the first half.
The Gorillas outrebounded Southwest Baptist 42-33 including 13-6 on the offensive glass.
The win leaves the Gorillas unblemished in league play thus far heading into the Christmas break.
“I told the girls all I wanted for Christmas was a win tonight,” Lord said.

Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140

Pittsburg State women 74, Southwest Baptist 64
PITTSBURG STATE (74) — Brianna Buchanan 6-10 5-6 21, Nicole McCombs 7-12 1-6 15, Amanda Orloske 4-9 0-2 12, DePrice Taylor 4-12 1-2 10, Candice Gilbert 4-7 1-2 9, Laura Glenn 1-4 2-3 4, Bailey Waugh 1-3 0-0 3, Kayla Hruby 0-1 0-0 0, Caitlin Demarest 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 27-61 10-21 74.
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST (64) — Rachel Graves 5-12 6-6 20, Cortney Shewmaker 5-12 6-6 19, Courtney Heady 4-7 0-0 9, Mia Gilreath 2-7 2-2 8, Courtney Creed 1-6 0-0 2, Darla Gatschenberger 1-5 0-0 2, Jaime Garrett 1-3 0-0 2, Tashia Pratt 1-1 0-0 2, Erica Smith 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 20-55 14-14 64.
Halftime — PSU 38. SBU 29. 3-point goals — PSU 10-22 (Buchanan 4-5, Orloske 4-9, Taylor 1-1, Waugh 1-3, Demarest 0-3, Hruby 0-1), SBU 10-25 (Graves 4-8, Shewmaker 3-7, Gilreath 2-4, Heady 1-2, Creed 0-3, Gatschenberger 0-1). Rebounds — PSU 42 (McCombs 12), SBU 33 (Gilreath 7). Assists — PSU 18 (Demarest 10), SBU 15 (Shewmanker 5). Turnovers — PSU 17, SBU 21. Total fouls — PSU 12, SBU 33. Fouled out — Garrett. Technical fouls — none. A — 1,025.