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

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 17, 2013)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball squad mounted a furious second half rally but ran out of time, falling 65-58 to No. 12 Bellarmine University on Thursday inside Knights Hall, the Rangers first defeat of the Great Lakes Valley Conference season.

The host Knights (11-2, 3-2 GLVC) led by as many as 19 points in the opening half and held a 17-point edge with 14:56 remaining in the second half before the Rangers (9-4, 4-1 GLVC) came alive.

A Conrad Krutwig three, a Jeremy Saffold steal and dunk, and a Zygimantas Riauka layup, quickly cut the gap to just 10 with 12:13 remaining. A Colt Grandstaff jumper with 9:54 left shaved the deficit to single digits for the first time since the first half while a 9-0 run over a three minute span, turned a 50-39 Bellarmine advantage into a two-point game with 6:47 remaining.

Bryant Smith sparked the 9-0 run by draining a three with a Kevin Senechalle layup capping off the spurt.

The game was a back and forth affair from that point on with a Vance Hall bucket giving the home side a 59-52 lead with 3:38 left. UW-Parkside responded with the next six points with a Krutwig trey with 1:58 left cutting the gap to just one point at 59-58.

Krutwig's three proved to be the final basket of the night for the Rangers, missing their final three shots while BU's Jake Thelen hit a layup and Chris Dowe was four-for-four from the charity stripe, giving the No. 12 Knights the seven-point decision.

The 12-ranked Knights tallied the game's opening six points and quickly built a double-digit advantage. Bellarmine led by as many as 19-points in the opening half, before the Rangers whittled the deficit to just 15 at the break, as UWP headed into intermission trailing 35-20.

Krutwig accounted for half of the Rangers' offense in the first half, hitting four of his eight attempts from the field for 10 points.

Krutwig ended the game with a team-high 18 points and six rebounds, sinking four threes on the night while Grandstaff chipped in 10 points off the bench. Smith added nine points while Riauka added eight points, five boards and five assists. UWP finished the game with a 25-14 edge in bench points.

Chris Dowe posted a game-high 21 points and eight assists for the Knights while Jake Thelen and Vance Hall added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Bellarmine enjoyed a 31-22 rebounding advantage while leading wire-to-wire.

UW-Parkside hit just 36.4 percent (eight-for-22) of its shots in the first half while Bellarmine hit 55.6 percent (15-for-27) in the opening stanza. The Rangers hit their stride in the second half, shooting 53.6 percent (15-for-28) while the Knights shot at a 47.8 percent (11-for-23) clip.

The Rangers continue their road swing on Saturday, facing McKendree University at 3 p.m.