Gorillas Stay Hot With 76-62 Win Over Nebraska-Kearney - KOAM TV 7

Gorillas Stay Hot With 76-62 Win Over Nebraska-Kearney

PITTSBURG -- JaVon McGee led four Pitt State players in double figures with 18 points and the Gorillas withstood a second-half run by Nebraska-Kearney to claim a 76-62 victory over the Lopers Thursday (Jan. 3).

The win, the Gorillas' seventh in a row, helped Pitt State improve to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in MIAA play while UNK dropped to 3-8 overall and 0-3 in the MIAA. The victory also allowed Pitt State to equal its best start to a season since the 2007-08 squad also started 10-1.

The Gorillas built a 34-25 lead at the half, but the Lopers utilized an 11-2 run to open the second half to knot the score at 36-36. UNK completed the surge by going in front, 41-39, on Kendal Glidden's inside shot with 14:32 to play in the game.

Pitt State countered with a 13-2 to go back in front by nine points and the Lopers never got any closer than seven the rest of the way. The Gorillas to as many as 17 points down the stretch.

McGee converted seven of eight shots from the field to help Pitt State shoot 50 percent (26 of 52) from the field in the contest. Courtney Ingram and Jake Bullard added 11 apiece, while Kaleb Porter chipped in with 10 points.

Glidden paced the Lopers with 17 points on eight of nine shooting, while Tler Shields hit four 3-pointers and added 12 points.

Pitt State owned an 18-6 advantage at the free throw line against UNK. The Gorillas also forced the Lopers into 21 turnovers.

Pitt State will return to action Saturday (Jan. 5) when the Gorillas host Northwest Missouri State University at 2 p.m. (CST) in the NCAA Division II national game of the week of CBS College Sports.