After a 2-2 start in non-conference play, the UW-Parkside women's basketball team opened Great Lakes Valley Conference action at Rockhurst Thursday night. The Rangers played from the lead throughout most of the game and defeated the homestanding Hawks, 73-65, in Kansas City.

"We had a lot of different people contribute," said UW-Parkside head coach Jenny Kenesie. "It was a good win on the road."

Kayla Ming (Grayslake, Ill.) topped the scoring chart with 18 points. She knocked down four three-point shots to extend the Rockhurst defense. The Rangers were 10-20 from behind the arc in the contest.

Kaite Weiglein (Lomira, Wis.) chipped in a dozen points to the winning cause.

The Rangers out-rebounded the Hawks, 39-31.

A stingy Ranger defense limited Rockhurst to just a 32 percent field goal percentage, while shooting 42 percent from the floor themselves. UW-Parkside overcame 20 turnovers in the game.

A sturdy challenge awaits the Rangers in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday. UW-Parkside will take on the nation's No. 6 ranked team, Drury, at 1 p.m. That game can be heard live on the internet at www.gatewaysportsweb.org