It is the time of year again when the Gorillas take to the court and ball out against their opponents. The Gorillas ended last season with a second-round loss in the MIAA Championship, an 18-12 overall record, and hopes for a step forward this season. Things started off very similar to last year, as the Gorillas lost one won one to start last year and repeated this pattern last weekend at the D2CCA Classic, losing to West Texas A&M in their first game before defeating Minnesota State on the second day of the competition.
Pitt State started off their competition playing the Buffaloes, who went 19-12 last season and are 2-0 now. The Buffaloes defeated Missouri Western before facing the Gorillas and are off to a good start after beating several ranked teams and making the NCAA DII South Central Regional tournament last year.
Neither team would score for the first three minutes of the game, before a three was knocked down by the buffaloes. Both teams would go back and forth, with Pitt State taking the lead 9-7 just five minutes later, but a pattern emerged, where the Buffaloes would gain a decent lead and Pitt State would chip into it, tying or taking a thin lead, but were unable to pull away. The Gorillas would tie it at 24 apiece with just over three minutes left in the half, but West Texas would pull away to end the half, ending it up 35-27.
The game would continue in this pattern for the second half, as the Buffaloes never got beyond a 10-point lead at any point, but Pitt State could not close the gap enough to win. Pitt State would tie it up at 41 apiece with 14 minutes left and again at 46 apiece with 11 minutes left, but West Texas would manage to pull away and take the win, 76-70.
Sophomore forward Alijah Curry would lead the Gorillas in scoring with 16 points, while freshman guard Ethan Sage would score 13 points in his college debut. Freshman guard Mason English would come just short of a triple double, scoring 10 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while redshirt junior Donald Coats would round out the team with 10 points and four rebounds. This was the first game as a Gorilla for every one of these players.
The Gorillas would have a much better day on Sunday when they played the Minnesota State Mavericks. Pitt State dominated in the first half, outscoring the Mavericks 37-17, before they kept up the pressure in the second half, eventually winning 75-53. Minnesota State would never come closer than 14 points in the second half, as the Gorillas sealed the win.
Junior guard Connor Rogers would score a game-high 20 points in the win, converting all seven of his free throw attempts. Coats was good for 16 points, and English would add ten more plus four assists. Redshirt junior Hayden Shanks and senior Tane Prictor would each add eight to round out the teams scoring.
The Gorillas will prepare to play their first home game of the season next week, when they host the University of Sioux Falls and Minnesota State Moorhead for the Central Regional Challenge. Fans of the women’s teams will have to wait another week, as the women’s team will not play until Nov. 14, when they host Northern State as part of the MIAA/NSIC Conference Challenge.