Box Score

A battle-tested UW-Parkside women's basketball team hosted a Great Lakes Valley Conference opener in the DeSimone Gymnasium Thursday evening. After four challenging losses on the road, the team took the home floor for the first time in the 2008-09 season and rewarded their fans with a 67-54 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan.

It didn't look good early for the Rangers, as the Panthers pounced on the home team for a 7-0 lead. UW-Parkside answered back quickly, scoring the next nine points of the game for a 9-7 lead.

The lead see-sawed back and forth until the Rangers made a final push before halftime. A key three-pointer by Jaydee Rooney lifted UWP to a 37-31 advantage. A couple of free throws by Denise Mannella gave the home team a 39-31 gap at halftime.

The Rangers never trailed in the second half. The lead swelled to 14 at one point at 62-48 with 5:11 to go in the game.

Rooney led the Rangers in scoring for the first time in her brief career with 19 points. Mannella and Brittany Beyer had 15 points.

The Rangers shot 46 percent from the floor for the game. A stingy Ranger defense limited the Panthers to 29 percentage.

The game was televised throughout much of the state by Time-Warner Cable. The game will be replayed on Channel 32 Sunday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.