Box Score
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Box Score

SOMERS, Wis. (Dec. 29, 2012)-- A lethargic start ultimately derailed the University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball team on Saturday, falling 69-51 inside DeSimone Gymnasium to Michigan Tech University as the visitors claimed the opening seven points and kept the Rangers at arm's length the rest of the way.

The Huskies (8-2) opened the contest on a 7-0 run, prompting the Rangers (5-3) to call a timeout with 16:53 remaining in the opening half. The homestanding Rangers responded with a 7-3 run to close with three points with 13:17 remaining courtesy of a Kevin Senechalle three-point play, draining a jumper and sinking a free throw. Michigan Tech responded with a run of its own, pushing its advantage into double digits for the first time at 21-11 off a Ali Haider layup with 9:15 left.

UWP rattled off the next three buckets to close within four at 21-17 with 6:15 left before Tech responded again, growing its advantage back up to double digits before taking a 37-26 lead into the halftime break.

Zygimantas Riauka opened the second stanza with a three the old fashioned way, closing to within eight points before the Huskies tallied six straight to grab a 14-point advantage with 14:51 remaining. Michigan Tech kept the Rangers at bay the rest of the contest, holding a double digit buffer the rest of the way.

Jeremy Saffold paced the Rangers with 18 points while Riauka chipped in 12 and a team-high eight rebounds. Andy Mazurczak captured a game-high three steals along with six points.

Ali Haidar led Michigan Tech with a game-high 26 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. Phil Romback finished with 17 points, seven boards and a game-high six assists while Austin Armga added 13 points. MTU starters accounted for 66 of the team's 69 points.

Cold shooting plagued UW-Parkside all afternoon, hitting just 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the field, 12.5 percent (two-for-16) from beyond the arc and 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the charity stripe. Michigan Tech hit 58.3 percent (14-for-24) of its shots from the floor in the opening half, ending the game shooting at a 51.9 percent clip (28-for-54).

The Rangers return to the hardwood on Thursday, Jan. 3, opening up Great Lakes Valley Conference play on the road against Missouri S&T University. Tip off in Rolla, Mo. is slated for 7:30 p.m.