Box Score

Rensselaer, IN- The UW-Parkside women's basketball team moved one step closer to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Eastern Division title with a 70-59 victory at Saint Joseph's College on Thursday night. The win pushes the Rangers to 13-3 in the GLVC and 20-4 overall; the third straight 20-win season for the program.
 
The win all but clinches a bye for the Rangers in the first round of the GLVC Tournament scheduled to begin on February 26. Parkside currently holds tiebreaker advantages over four of the other top five teams in the league. That means the Rangers would play their first game of the tournament in Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, March 1.
 
Brittany Beyer led the Rangers against Saint Joseph's with 20 points and five rebounds. She entered the night averaging over 18 points a game against the Pumas in her career (seven games).
 
Amy Selk notched a double-double scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 boards. Jaleesa Trussell joined them in double figures with 11. Cheryl Leyns was also key scoring eight points and grabbing six boards.
 
Thursday night was all about defense however as the Rangers limited the high-powered Pumas to 59 points; the majority of which came in a desperation rally late in the game. Saint Joe's, who averages over 71 points per game, was limited to 35.6% from the field including a 1-for-19 effort from the three-point line.
 
Things were back-and-forth for much of a sloppy first half as the Rangers committed 10 turnovers that turned into 13 Puma points. The Rangers were able to open up a 28-22 halftime lead on a Leyns lay-in; the team's 20^th point in the paint in the half.
 
The break proved to be productive as the Rangers took care of the ball and came out firing. A quick 11-0 run pushed the lead out to 17 in a little over three minutes of game time.
 
Selk had three baskets, Rooney knocked down a three, and Beyer finished the spurt with a hoop to make 41-24 with 14:48 to go. Saint Joe's cut it to 13 but again the Rangers answered, this time with ten straight points, to all but put the game away.
 
Trussell scored five straight points and Selk sandwiched a pair of buckets around a Kaitlyn Bettiga free throw. When it was all said and done the Rangers had a 51-28 lead with 10:37 left.
 
The Pumas tried to rally late, getting to the free throw line and hitting all 16 they attempted. Freshman Kayla Stout had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the way. The home team brought it back to an 11-point game with just under five minutes to go but could get no closer.
 
Beyer and Rooney both hit key shots to stem the tide and not all the Pumas to get the deficit trimmed to single digits. The Rangers emptied the bench late and celebrated their 20^th victory.
 
Parkside will have a chance to clinch the division championship on Saturday when third-place Indianapolis visits the DeSimone Gymnasium. The two teams locked up in a battle in late January with the Rangers earning a hard-fought 73-70 win.
 
Saturday's showdown tips off a 1:00 p.m. The Rangers final home/regular season game is next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Lewis University. Thursday will be the third annual “Pink Game” as well as senior night where Bettiga, Beyer, Rooney, and Selk will be honored.