Box Score

Wayne State led for roughly 90 seconds, but the rest of the game belonged to UW-Parkside as the Rangers topped the Warriors, 87-72. The men's basketball game was played in Findlay, Ohio, Friday evening. It was the first of two games for the Rangers over the weekend at Findlay.

UW-Parkside pulled away to its first double digit lead at 36-26 on a pair of free throws by Tyrone Deacon with 4:12 to go in the first half. Deacon scored 12 points in the game and was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.

The Rangers led, 43-35 at halftime.

Brad Ferstenou tallied 13 of his 21 points in the first half. He pulled down nine rebounds and blocked two shots in the non-conference contest.

Wayne State pulled to within single digits on a couple of occasions in the second half, but that changed for good when Matt Hein banked in a three-point shot from the baseline with 13:49 to go in the game, prompting a Findlay timeout. The unconventional shot gave the Rangers a 57-45 advantage.

As a team, the Rangers were solid at the charity stripe, making good on 28 of their 30 attempts. The team also shot well from the floor in the neutral court game, connecting on 53 percent of their shots.

Wayne State shot at a 48 percent clip from the floor. The Rangers out-rebounded the Warriors, 32-25.

"We didn't play particularly crisp," said UW-Parkside head coach Luke Reigel after the game. "Wayne State is not a fun team to play against. But, we kept our composure. We beat a good basketball team tonight."

The win ups the Ranger record to 7-2. Wayne State, which garnered votes in a couple of earlier national polls, fell to 7-3. Wayne State is predicted to finish in second place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (GLIAC) South Division, as forecasted by the league's coaches. The team that is projected to win the circuit is Findlay, the Rangers' next opponent.

UW-Parkside is now 4-0 against GLIAC teams, claiming victories over Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State, Saginaw Valley State and now Wayne State. The fifth team on the schedule will be the most difficult as the Rangers will play at the host Findlay Oilers, ranked No. 15 in the country, Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m. CST. 

The UW-Parkside-Findlay game can be heard locally on WRJN 1400AM or anywhere on the internet at www.gatewaysportsweb.org