A different Pitt: PSU women’s basketball coach reports on team’s trip east

By: Nick Butler

PITTSBURG—On Saturday, March 22, the Pittsburg State women’s basketball team got on a bus that took them to Kansas City and, from there, they flew to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a trip few student athletes get to experience.

By claiming the Central Regional Championship on March 17 with a victory over Southwest Minnesota State, the Gorillas earned a ticket to the Elite 8, a place Pitt State has only been three times throughout the program’s history– in 2012, 2016 and now 2025. 

For head coach Amanda Davied, this was the first time getting to the Elite 8. This was also her first time getting to see Pittsburgh.

“It’s just like, wow, the city was in front of you, with all the bridges,” Davied said. “There’s a river that runs around the city and it just hits you. And there were signs everywhere, the downtown skyline, all the bridges, like, the view is awesome.”

Amazed with how the city looked, the basketball team was set on trying to find a good viewpoint as a team. 

“The girls, one day after practice, went up to a viewpoint, because there was a coal or a steel mine up there, “ Davied said. “They had a shuttle … so then you get up there and you can view the city. So they did that.”

There was more than just sight-seeing for this team. They were able to spend some time together during the nights they did not play to see what the city of Pittsburgh had to offer. 

“We went to a couple nice restaurants that were pretty cool,” Davied said. “We did go get ice cream one night, too, that they were pretty pumped about.”

One of the places they went to eat is a famous sandwich place in Pittsburgh called Primanti Bros. The restaurant opened in 1933 and became famous for the way they serve their sandwiches. 

Trying to save time for the blue collar workers, the restaurant started putting an entire meal onto their sandwiches—side dishes and all. 

It is something that they still do to this day. A typical sandwich with meat, cheese, tomatoes and some oil and vinegar might include coleslaw and fries between the bread. 

“Of course, our girls got chicken nuggets and whatever,” Davied said. “But they can at least say they went.”

Other than getting to look around the city and see what foods they had to offer, the Gorillas were able to host their end-of-year banquet at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park. 

“We looked out on the field in the outfield, and then we went around the corner, and you could see the skyline and take pictures,” Davied said. “We were all dressed up, and the field was beautiful. I mean, it’s pristine, the grass, and it was just gorgeous.”

Even though the team did not end their season the way they wanted to—they fell to Grand Valley State University in the semifinal—they were still able to spend time and enjoy the place that they got to travel to.

“Some of it was pretty cool,” Davied said. “I mean, it’s crazy … we went to San Antonio, Sioux Falls, and it’s been St. Joe. So I feel like we picked a pretty good one to be able to go.”