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

SOMERS, Wis. (Feb. 20, 2013)-- Having won seven of its last eight games the University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball squad has pulled to within a game of first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division. The Rangers look to continue their momentum this week, closing out their regular season home schedule on Thursday against Saint Joseph's College before tackling the University of Indianapolis on the road on Saturday.

The Rangers close out their three-game homestand on Thursday, welcoming the Pumas to DeSimone Gymnasium for Senior Night with tipoff slated for 5:30 p.m. UW-Parkside hits the road on Saturday, facing UIndy at 12 p.m. Live stats, video and audio will be available for both games. Steve Kratochvil will be providing play-by-play for both games with Jim Kramer providing color commentary on the audio feed available online and on WRJN 1400 AM in southeast Wisconsin.

About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (16-7, 10-5 GLVC) has won three straight and seven of its last eight, crawling within a game of GLVC East Division co-leaders Lewis University and Kentucky Wesleyan College.

The Rangers last three wins have all been blowouts, beginning on Feb. 9 with a 58-40 win over University of Southern Indiana. UWP torched McKendree University 81-55 on Feb. 14 before downing Bellarmine University 70-45 on Saturday. Jenna Endisch has been red-hot the last two games, sinking six three-pointers and scoring 22 points against the Bearcats before canning five threes against the Knights on Saturday and registering a team-high 19 points.

Endisch paces the Rangers, contributing 14.5 points per game while Sierra West chips in 9.3 ppg while distributing 5.7 assists per game. Gaby Bronson and Jaleesa Trussell add 8.6 and 8.5 points, respectively while Danielle Slivka leads UWP in rebounding, grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game while adding 8.1 ppg on the offensive side of the court.

Feb. 21 vs. Saint Joseph's College at DeSimone Gymnasium (Live Stats)(Video)(Audio)

Series History: The Rangers and Pumas have met on 44 occasions with UW-Parkside holding a 24-20 edge in the all-time series. UWP has dominated the series under head coach Jenny Knight-Kenesie, owning a 20-1 edge, including a streak of 20 straight. The Rangers last defeat to SJC was on Jan. 11, 2003, falling 70-67 to the Pumas in Rensselaer.

Last Meeting: UW-Parkside mounted a 26-3 run midway through the first half en route to a 62-38 blowout victory on Jan. 31 inside Alumni Fieldhouse in Rensselaer, Ind. The Rangers limited the hosts to shooting just 27.8 percent (15-for-54) from the floor while owning a 20-6 edge in points off turnovers.

About the Pumas: St. Joseph's (1-22, 0-15 GLVC) heads to Wisconsin in search of its first conference victory, having dropped 15 straight games. SJC's last victory happened on its last game of the 2012 calendar year, defeating Oakland City University 79-57.

Last week the Pumas stumbled 68-37 to Kentucky Wesleyan on Feb. 14 before suffering a 73-62 setback to the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday.

Kiki Wilson leads the Pumas in scoring, averaging 14.5 ppg with Lexy Carson contributing 12.7 ppg. Wilson additionally leads SJC in assists, dishing out 3.6 per contest while Zoe Weaver is the top rebounder, averaging 4.3 rpg.

St. Joseph's ranks 282nd (out of 287 Division II teams) in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 44.9 percent from the field while ranking 271st in scoring margin (-17.3), 260th in field goal percentage (34.0 percent) and 251st in scoring offense (55.5 ppg).

Feb. 23 vs. University of Indianapolis at Nicoson Hall (Live Stats)(Video)(Audio)

Series History: The Rangers and Greyhounds have met 36 times with UIndy holding a 20-16 edge in the all-time series.

Last Meeting: The Rangers slipped past then No. 19 UIndy 77-75 on Feb. 2 inside DeSimone Gymnasium as Danielle Slivka hit a layup as time expired off an inbounds pass from Sierra West. The game looked to be headed to overtime tied at 75 as the buzzer sounded before the officials met and confirmed UW-Parkside called a timeout with two seconds left. West's inbounds pass found Slivka who hit the game winner for the two-point victory on Alumni Day.

About the Greyhounds: UIndy (17-6, 10-5 GLVC) has won four straight games since dropping the two-point heartbreaker to UW-Parkside on Feb. 2. The Hounds began the streak on the road with an 81-67 win over Bellarmine on Feb. 7 before defeating McKendree 71-60 two days later. Indianapolis kept the streak alive last week with a 70-66 win over Southern Indiana and a 75-64 victory over division leading KWC on Saturday.

Katy McIntosh leads the Greyhounds offensively, averaging 17.0 ppg while also grabbing 5.6 rpg. Kristin Turner adds 16.5 ppg while Kirsten Gliesmann is the team's top rebounder, averaging 7.6 rpg while aldo adding 8.1 ppg.

UIndy leads the nation in blocks per game, averaging 6.7 per contest while ranking fifth nationally in field goal percentage (45.6 percent) and sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense (33.0 percent).

National Rankings: UW-Parkside is ranked in the top 50 nationally in five statistical categories. The Rangers rank seventh in the nation (out of 287 teams) in field goal percentage, shooting 44.8 percent as a team while sitting 21st in free throw percentage (74.9 percent), 27th in three-point field goal percentage (35.4 percent), 34th in scoring defense (56.5 ppg) and 36th in scoring margin (+10.4).

Individually, Jenna Endisch ranks sixth in three-point field goals made per game (3.09) while Sierra West is eighth nationally in assists (5.7 per game) and 57th in assist to turnover ratio (1.55).

Bombs Away!: Sharpshooter Jenna Endisch is closing in on a few records. The senior is seventh on the all-time list for three-point field goals made with 121, sitting 15 shy of Theresa Ingalls (1988-93) for sixth place. The guard is additionally tied for fourth with former teammate Jadee Rooney (2011-12) for single season three-pointers made with 68. Endisch stands two threes shy of tying for third with Rooney (2010-11) and five shy of Jamie Nebel (2002-03) in second place. The school record of 77, set by Kayla Ming in 2007-08, stands just nine away. Endisch canned six and five threes, respectively, in her last two ball games. 

Home Sweet Home: The Rangers have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent years, winning 57 of their last 62 games inside DeSimone Gymnasium. UWP compiled a 14-1 home record in 2011-12, the only blemish a one-point 68-67 defeat to Kentucky Wesleyan on Dec. 1.

UWP is 9-3 at home in 2012-2013, marking the first time since the 2007-2008 season the Rangers have dropped more than two contests at home. UW-Parkside was 12-4 at home in 2007-08, 10-2 in 2008-09 while finishing 15-1 in 2009-10, 15-0 in 2010-11 and 14-1 in 2011-12.

Tournament Time: The 2013 Deaconess GLVC Tournament will be held March 7-10 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000, or through the Ford Center box office at (812) 422-1515.

All-Tournament passes are $35, while Session Flex Passes are $25, allowing you access to any two of the first six sessions, excluding Sunday's finals.  Single-session tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students with a valid ID, while children aged six and under are admitted free of charge.

The 2013 Deaconess GLVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championship Tournaments will feature 16 seeded teams, including eight men's and eight women's squads that will have earned an invitation following first-round matchups on their respective campuses.  On Thursday, March 7, the men's quarterfinals will take place with four games at noon, 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. CT.  Friday's action will feature the four women's quarterfinal contests at the same times.  Both the men's and the women's semifinals will commence on Saturday, March 9, as the men take to the court at noon and 2:30 p.m., followed by the women at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.  The men's GLVC Champion will be crowned on Sunday, March 10, at noon, followed by the women's final at 2:30 p.m.