Box Score

Jadee Rooney hit two clutch free throws with six seconds remaining to lead the UW-Parkside women's basketball team to a crucial 56-54 win over Northern Kentucky University in front of a festive Alumni Day crowd on Saturday afternoon. Rooney's free throws broke a 54-54 tie after the Rangers grabbed a critical offensive rebound on the previous sequence.
 
The Parkside defense need one more stop to seal the win over a Norse timeout. The Rangers obliged contesting Casse Mogan's runner at the horn that came up short, keeping the home team in first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Eastern Division.
 
The Rangers improved to 10-3 in conference play and a league-best 17-4 overall. The loss dropped the Norse to second place at 9-4 in the league and 16-5 overall. The victory also secures a regular season sweep for the Rangers over Northern Kentucky in the Norse's final year in the GLVC. Parkside is also now 6-0 on Alumni Day.
 
Rooney finished with game-highs of 22 points and five assists. Brittany Beyer also reached double figures with ten points. Amy Selk had a solid day as well scoring nine points to go with a game-best eight boards.
 
The match-up of first place teams lived up to its billing with a postseason atmosphere in the DeSimone Gymnasium. However it was the visitors that gained control in the early going and never trailed for the game's first 32 minutes.
 
The Norse, who were limited to 36 points (a program low) in their last two trips to Somers, came out of the blocks strong offensively. Ellen Holton's lay-up with 11:38 left in the first half made 17-9 Norse. That lead was pushed up to 10 on two occasions in the first half, the last of which came with 6:02 left on two Jamie Hamlet free throws to make it 25-15.
 
The Rangers made a key run before the half to get back in the game. An 8-0 run, including a pair of threes by Rooney and Jenna Endisch, cut it to 25-23. Tiara Hopper knocked down a late jumper to send the teams to the break with a score of 27-23.
 
Parkside finally got back to even three and a half minutes into the second half when Rooney knocked down a pull-up in the lane. That made it 31-31 but once again the Norse had a flurry ahead.
 
Holton's lay-up on the next possession started a 12-2 run to open up another 10-point lead with 11:22 left. Holton who had 10 of the 12 points in the spurt including two three-pointers, finished with a team-high 18 points.
 
This time the Rangers answered quickly and got the crowd into the game. Rooney hit an important three to get it down to seven. After a Norse basket, Parkside got the next ten points to take its first lead of the game, thanks to some timely hustle.
 
Rooney scored four quick points thanks in part to a steal by Amy Selk to trim the deficit to five. Jaleesa Trussell chased down an offensive rebound on the next possession and found Endisch for a basket and the foul to make it 45-42.
 
Endisch missed the free throw but Selk battled for the board and earned the Rangers another possession. Cheryl Leyns made it count with another hoop and harm to trim the deficit down to one. She would miss the freebie but again Parkside kept the ball alive as Endisch sprinted to the other side of the floor for the rebound.
 
Trussell made the Norse pay with a baseline jumper, finishing a six point possession, and giving the Rangers a 46-45 lead with 7:51 left.
 
The lead stayed at one possession until Rooney drilled another three making it 52-48 with 2:42 left. Brittany Beyer answered a Norse jumper with a lay-in at the 1:40 mark to push it back to four. The Norse scored the next four points as two Mogan free throws tied the game with just 49 seconds left.
 
The Rangers offensive rebounding earned them the ultimate possession as Beyer missed from in close with just over 30 seconds to go. Selk tapped the ball out to Kaitlyn Bettiga as the shot clock went dark for the remainder of the contest. Kenesie then called a timeout to set up the final possession for Rooney.
 
Parkside helped themselves with their efficiency on the offensive end matching a season-low with just seven turnovers. They also forced 13 from the Norse and enjoyed a 19-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
The Rangers will now hit the road before three straight games before playing the last two at home. That stretch will start on Thursday when the team heads to Evansville, Ind., to take on the University of Southern Indiana. Game time against the Screaming Eagles will be at 5:15 p.m.