Box Score

Owensboro, Ky.- The UW-Parkside men's basketball team gave seventh-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan all it could handle on Saturday before coming up short, 72-65. Jeremy Saffold's three-pointer with 1:20 left in regulation cut the Panther lead to two before KWC scored the next eight points to close it out.
 
Leneal Harris led three Rangers in double figures with 19 points. Ziggy Riauka got off to a strong start and finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. Saffold joined them in double digits with 10. Kevin Senechalle was high-man on the boards with seven.
 
Brandon Johnson has a game-high 21 for the Panthers while Marseilles Stewart recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Parkside made a handful of runs in the second half before KWC opened a 58-45 lead and looked to be in control with just 5:47 left. But the Rangers were not about to go away.
 
Ryan Callozzo hit a three-pointer after a couple of free throws by Harris to get within eight. The Panthers went back up by 10 but the Rangers continued to push back.
 
A three by Saffold and a three-point play by Harris trimmed the deficit to four. Kreig Oxley made two free throws for a 62-56 lead for KWC but Harris answered with another three-point play to get things down to three.
 
Johnson buried two more free throws to make it 64-59 when Saffold knocked down a 25-footer to get within a hoop.
 
But the Panthers leading scorer Anthony Young, who was limited to 13 points (over seven below his average) got to the basket for a lay-up to go back up by four. The Rangers committed a turnover on the ensuing possession and could get no closer over the final minute.
 
Shooting percentages were nearly even with the Panthers at 42.2% and the Rangers at 42.1%. Parkside was hurt by 16 turnovers that resulted in 15 points for KWC including eight in transition.
 
The Rangers went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's best teams jumping out to leads of 6-0 and 12-6 in the early going. Riauka scored six of the first eight points to get Parkside off and running.
 
KWC scored 19 of the next 26 to take a 25-19 lead on a Luke Shelley basket with 4:36 left in the first half. Parkside immediately tied it with Riauka, Kevin Senechalle, and Steve Jaskulske scoring on consecutive possessions at the 2:38 mark.
 
The Panthers finished the half on a 7-1 run including a lay-up by Johnson just before the horn to establish a 32-26 heading into the locker room.
 
Parkside will play their final regular season road game on Thursday when they travel to Saint Joseph's for a 7:30 p.m. start against the Pumas. Saffold will enter that game 12 point shy of becoming the 20th player in school history to record 1,000 points. You can hear Thursday's game exclusively online at www.gatewaysportsweb.org.