November 20, 2007

Wichita Native Orloske Signs With Pitt State Women’s Basketball

     PITTSBURG -- Pittsburg State University head women’s basketball coach Lane Lord announced today (Nov. 20) that Amanda Orloske, a senior at Wichita Heights High School, has signed a national letter of intent to join the Gorillas for the 2008-09 season.
     Orloske, a 5-foot-10 guard, earned second-team Kansas Class 6A All-State honors as a junior in 2006-07, helping Heights to a 24-1 record and the 6A state champinship. She averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last year, and she averaged 19.3 points per game in the state tournament.
    Orloske was named the MVP of the 2005-06 state tournament, when she averaged 14.7 points per game and guided Heights to a 24-1 record and the 6A state title during her sophomore campaign. She averaged 9.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game that year.
    She also helped Heights to a 21-4 record and the 6A state runner-up finish as a freshman in 2004-05. She has helped the squad compile a 69-6 record as a three-year prep starter heading into her senior campaign.
    For her career, Orloske has scored 525 points and made 92 3-point field goals. She enters her senior season needing 13 treys to break the Heights school record for 3-point field goals.
    “We are extremely excited to have Amanda join the Pittsburg State Gorilla Women’s Basketball family,” Lord said. “She has been a major contributor and top scorer on one of the best high school programs in the United States. She has played against the highest level of competition -- not only in the state of Kansas (6A) but also nationally. Wichita Heights has played in the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions the past three seasons. The Nike Tournament only invites the best teams in the country to compete in that eight-team classic
    “Amanda has the ability to really score the basketball and excells at all phases of the game. Kip Pulliam, the coach at Wichita Heights, is one of the best young coaches in the game, and under his leadership Amanda has played for three state championships in three years. Amanda is a winner, and we think she is one of the top recruits in the state of Kansas. In addition to her on the court excellence, Amanda is a 3.9 student in the honors program at Wichita Heights.”
    Orloske is the first player to sign with Pitt State for the 2008-09 season. The Gorillas are 2-0 heading into the Pizza Hut/Comfort Inn Thanksgiving Classic this weekend (Nov. 23-24) at John Lance Arena. Pitt State will host Quincy University at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Nov. 23) at Missouri Valley College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 24). MIAA rival Missouri Southern will play the early games (5:30 p.m.) in two-day, classic format tournament.