|
|
|
PITTSBURG —
Since a 4-0 start to the season, the Pittsburg State women’s basketball team defined inconsistency over its last six games.
The Gorillas went 3-3 to finish December with a 7-3 overall record, alternating losses and wins — 68-66 loss to William Jewell, 71-65 win over Quincy (Ill.), 70-62 loss to Central Oklahoma, 82-65 win over Lindenwood, 82-73 loss to Academy of Art-San Francisco and 81-58 win over Dixie State.
Can Pitt State avert this recent trend and post consecutive wins for the first time since November?
We’ll find out starting at 5:30 p.m. tonight when Pitt State hosts MIAA newcomer Nebraska-Kearney at John Lance Arena.
Sophomore forward Lizzy Jeronimus leads the Gorillas and the MIAA with a 19.9 scoring average. Jeronimus averaged 21.1 points in the seven wins and 17.0 in the three losses; more importantly, 14 of her 27 turnovers have come in losses, including a season-high eight against the Academy of Art. She leads the Gorillas with a .873 clip at the free throw line, 55-63.
Sophomore guard Morgan Westhoff ranks second on the Gorillas with 9.2 points per game and leads the team with 18 3-point goals on a team-high 47.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. Westhoff scored a career-high 17 points against Southwest Minnesota and made her first career start against the Academy of Art.
Sophomore forward Hailey Roderique came into her own the first 10 games of the season, joining Jeronimus as the only Gorilla to start all 10 games. Roderique averages 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals, and traditionally guards the other team’s best offensive player.
Roderique played her best games of the season against Lindenwood, Academy of Art and Dixie State. She achieved her first career double-double against Lindenwood (13 points, 10 rebounds) and established a career-high in points with 18 against the Academy of Art, highlighted by a 10-10 performance at the free throw line. Her averages over this stretch: 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
Lauren Brown and Drew Roberts, seniors, have been inconsistent all season. One sign: Roberts has missed four of her 12 free throw attempts. Entering this season, Roberts was 91-111 (82 percent). She missed five in 41 attempts last season, her career-best free throw season at Pitt State.
The Gorillas are in the middle of a crowded MIAA pack: nine teams have a 1-1 conference mark — Pitt State, Central Missouri, Missouri Western, Truman State, Central Oklahoma, Lincoln, Northeastern State, Southwest Baptist and Nebraska-Kearney. Thirteen of the 15 MIAA teams have winning records.
The Lopers closed out 2012 with a 59-55 win over South Dakota Mines and have a 4-5 overall record.
Shelby Zimmerman leads Nebraska-Kearney with a 11.9 scoring average, scoring a high of 16 in the season opener against South Dakota Mines.
Nebraska-Kearney averages only 60.7 points a game with only four games at 60 points or more and only one game above 70 points, a 79-67 conference win over Lincoln. In that win, three Lopers reached double figures (Reed Levings 13, Zimmerman 12, Melissa Norman 12) and seven players scored at least six.
Pitt State ranks third in the MIAA in scoring offense (74.5 points per game) and Nebraska-Kearney ranks 15th (60.9).
Since a 4-0 start to the season, the Pittsburg State women’s basketball team defined inconsistency over its last six games.
The Gorillas went 3-3 to finish December with a 7-3 overall record, alternating losses and wins — 68-66 loss to William Jewell, 71-65 win over Quincy (Ill.), 70-62 loss to Central Oklahoma, 82-65 win over Lindenwood, 82-73 loss to Academy of Art-San Francisco and 81-58 win over Dixie State.
Can Pitt State avert this recent trend and post consecutive wins for the first time since November?
We’ll find out starting at 5:30 p.m. tonight when Pitt State hosts MIAA newcomer Nebraska-Kearney at John Lance Arena.
Sophomore forward Lizzy Jeronimus leads the Gorillas and the MIAA with a 19.9 scoring average. Jeronimus averaged 21.1 points in the seven wins and 17.0 in the three losses; more importantly, 14 of her 27 turnovers have come in losses, including a season-high eight against the Academy of Art. She leads the Gorillas with a .873 clip at the free throw line, 55-63.
Sophomore guard Morgan Westhoff ranks second on the Gorillas with 9.2 points per game and leads the team with 18 3-point goals on a team-high 47.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. Westhoff scored a career-high 17 points against Southwest Minnesota and made her first career start against the Academy of Art.
Sophomore forward Hailey Roderique came into her own the first 10 games of the season, joining Jeronimus as the only Gorilla to start all 10 games. Roderique averages 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals, and traditionally guards the other team’s best offensive player.
Roderique played her best games of the season against Lindenwood, Academy of Art and Dixie State. She achieved her first career double-double against Lindenwood (13 points, 10 rebounds) and established a career-high in points with 18 against the Academy of Art, highlighted by a 10-10 performance at the free throw line. Her averages over this stretch: 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
Lauren Brown and Drew Roberts, seniors, have been inconsistent all season. One sign: Roberts has missed four of her 12 free throw attempts. Entering this season, Roberts was 91-111 (82 percent). She missed five in 41 attempts last season, her career-best free throw season at Pitt State.
The Gorillas are in the middle of a crowded MIAA pack: nine teams have a 1-1 conference mark — Pitt State, Central Missouri, Missouri Western, Truman State, Central Oklahoma, Lincoln, Northeastern State, Southwest Baptist and Nebraska-Kearney. Thirteen of the 15 MIAA teams have winning records.
The Lopers closed out 2012 with a 59-55 win over South Dakota Mines and have a 4-5 overall record.
Shelby Zimmerman leads Nebraska-Kearney with a 11.9 scoring average, scoring a high of 16 in the season opener against South Dakota Mines.
Nebraska-Kearney averages only 60.7 points a game with only four games at 60 points or more and only one game above 70 points, a 79-67 conference win over Lincoln. In that win, three Lopers reached double figures (Reed Levings 13, Zimmerman 12, Melissa Norman 12) and seven players scored at least six.
Pitt State ranks third in the MIAA in scoring offense (74.5 points per game) and Nebraska-Kearney ranks 15th (60.9).
