Gorilla Women Ready for Final Regular Season Games
PSU
Thursday, February 23, 2012 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Opening Tip
The Gorillas record breaking 2011-2012 regular season will come to
the conclusion with their home matchup against No. 12 Northeastern
State on Saturday (Feb. 25). The team will next head to Kansas
City, Mo. to begin play in the MIAA Conference Tournament.
Wednesday night proves to be a must win if the
Gorillas who can clinch at least a share of the regular season
conference title with a victory over Fort Hays State.
Saturday Pitt State will recognize five senior
student-athletes who will be playing their final regular season
game inside of John Lance Arena. The five seniors include: Britnee
Foster, Courtney Tate, Amanda Orloske, Brooke Conley and Larissa
Richards.
Scouting Fort Hays State
The Lions bring a 19-7 overall record including a 11-7 record in
MIAA play into their matchup with Pittsburg State. FHSU has won
four straight since losing back-to-back road games to Missouri
Western (78-90) and Washburn (55-75). They defeated Missouri
Southern on Saturday (Feb. 18) 67-58 in Joplin, Mo.
Fort Hays State is led by sophomore guard,
Katelyn Edwards who averages 15.0 ppg. Edwards also leads the
Tigers in rebounding pulling down 8.0 rebounds per contest. Kate
Lehman, freshman center, is second on the team averaging 10.4 ppg
while shooting .500 (106-212) and 7.5 rpg. Lehman has also recorded
an MIAA leading 87 blocks. Junior forward, Tracy Keyser, is
averaging just below double figures adding 9.8 ppg. Crista Bechard,
senior guard leads the team with 2.85 assists per game.
As a team the Lions are shooting .409 (655-1603)
from the field, .317 (152-480) from three-point territory, and .689
(432-627) from the charity stripe. Fort Hays also averages 72.8
points, 44.7 rebounds and 13.8 assists per game
Scouting Northeastern State
Northeastern State takes their 22-3 record into Edmond, Okla. on
Wed. (Feb. 22). The Riverhawks have won four straigh contests
including a 65-47 victory in their most recent action against
Lindenwood. Their last loss came to Emporia State (42-52) on Feb.
4.
NESU currently has two players that have scoring
averages in double figures. Taylor Lewis leads the Riverhawks
scoring 11.5 ppg and Cristy Nitz adds 10.6 points per contest. Both
players shoot over 40% from the field shooting .446 (99-222) and
.470 (102-217), respectively. Sarah Green averages 5.8 rebounds to
go along with her 7.9 points per contest. Jasmine Wright leads NESU
with 69 helpers this season.
The Riverhawks are collectively shooting .431
(581-1349) from the field, .327 (194-593) from distance, and .683
(248-363) from the foul line. Northeastern also averages 34.3 rpg,
16.4 assists and 64.2 points per contest.
Scouting Pittsburg State
Pitt State has now won eight of their last nine games after falling
in Topeka, Kan. to No. 15 Washburn 45-59.
PItt State averages 73.2 points per game, while
allowing opponents only 61.7. The Gorillas are outrebounding
opponents by over three per game 40.5 to 37.6. PSU is shooting .437
overall and .350 from beyond the arc. The Gorillas shoot .716 from
the charity stripe as a team.
Freshman Lizzy Jeronimus is leading the team
averaging 14.4 points per contest. Brooke Conley is just behind her
with 13.9 ppg. Larissa Richards is the team’s third-leaeding scorer
with 11.8 ppg. Drew Roberts is scoring just outside double figures
chipping in 9.7 ppg.
Beside the three double scoring players, the
Gorillas are fortunate to have many players step up in all areas on
the game. Three different players average five or more rebounds a
game, Richards leads the team with 8.5 rpg, Jeronimus adds 6.8 rpg
and Lauren Brown chips in 5.2 rpg. With her 11 assists against
Northwest Missouri, Courtney Tate took the team lead in assists
with 82 on the season. Jeronimus is right behind her with 81. Tate
has the best assist to turnover ratio on the team with 1.5 assists
for every turnover. Tate also leads the team in steals with 34.
Jeronimus adds 26 and Conley, 24. Richards leads the Gorillas with
61 blocks on the season, while Brown adds 41.
Richards has the top overall shooting percentage
on the team at .589. Drew Roberts leads Pitt State with 48 made
threes on the season and a .449 three-point shooting percentage.
Brooke Conley (38) and Alexa Bordewick (36) each have hit over 30
threes on the seaosn. Roberts and Jeronimus are the top free throw
shooters, though Jeronimus has almost five times as many attempts
as Roberts. Roberts has missed only two free throws (26-of-28) on
the season for a .929 shooting percentage. Jeronimus hits at a .803
rate (102-of-127).
PSU vs. Fort Hays State
Fort Hays leads the all-time series with Pitt State 22-20, though
Pitt State has won each of the last five meetings between the two
teams and seven of the last eight. Pitt State leads the series
11-10 in PIttsburg, but the Tigers lead 12-9 in Hays. The two teams
have never met at a neutral site.
The longest streak of wins in the series was
seven by the Tigers in the first seven meetings between the two
teams from Jan.11, 1975 to Jan. 26, 1979. Pitt State’s current
streak of five victories is there longest of the series. The streak
began Jan. 16, 2010 when PSU beat FHSU 71-65 in Pittsburg.
The most points scored by either team in a game
was 101 by Pitt State in a 101-94 win in Pittsburg on Feb. 1, 1986.
The largest margin of victory in the series was 56 points by FHSU
in the first meeting. PSU’s largest margin of victory has been 22
points on Jan. 30, 1981. The Gorillas won the first meeting this
season, a 64-55 overtime thriller in John Lance Arena.
PSU vs. Northeastern State
Northeastern State leads the all-time series with Pitt State 10-8,
theRiverhawks have emerged victorius in the last two contests, both
in Tahlequah. The Gorillas lead the series in Pittsburg 6-4, but
the Riverhawks lead in Tahlequah 5-1. The two teams have split
their two matchups at neutral sites.
The longest streak of wins in the series was six
by the Northeastern from Jan. 4, 1985 to Nov. 25,1988. Pitt State’s
longest string of wins has been four from Dec. 18, 1991 to Dec. 6,
1996 and currently from Jan. 16, 2010 to last season’s second
meeting on Feb. 23.
The most points scored by either team in a game
has been 79 twice by Pitt State in a 79-76 win in Pittsburg on Dec.
18, 1993 and a 79-62 win in Bolivar, Mo. on Dec. 6, 1996. The
largest margin of victory in the series was 23 (71-48) points by
PSU in the Jan. 7, 1984 meeting in Pittsburg. NESU’s largest margin
of victory has been 22 points on Jan. 10, 1987. The Riverhawks won
the first matchup this season 48-61.