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

Box Score

SOMERS, Wis. (Jan. 5, 2014)-- In a seesaw battle featuring nine lead changes and six ties, it was free throws that ultimately decided the contest as the University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball squad fell 74-68 to Truman State University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown after the visitors enjoyed 33 trips to the charity stripe on Sunday afternoon.

The guest Bulldogs (7-4, 1-2 GLVC) converted 29 of their 33 attempts from the free throw line (87.9 percent) while the Rangers (4-6, 0-2 GLVC) made just 11 trips to the line.

Maddie Johnston canned a three to open the contest as the hosts staked an early advantage. A Courtney Strait three with 14:41 left in the opening half tied the game at five as the next nine minutes saw the lead exchange hands five times. A Danielle Slivka three-point play gave the Rangers a 23-22 edge, sparking an 11-0 Ranger run to build a game-high 10 point advantage with 4:27 remaining in the first half. UW-Parkside held the lead at the break, owning a 39-35 edge after 20 minutes of play.

A Sarah Mlachnik three gave the Rangers a 50-43 buffer with 15:31 left but the Bulldogs battled back, pulling within a point with 13:24 left and again with 12:31 left before knotting the game at 62 with just under five minutes to go. A Slivka bucket briefly restored the lead to Parkside but Truman's Allie Norton countered with a three with 4:22 left, giving the Bulldogs their first lead since the opening stanza. The Bulldogs would lead the rest of the way, scoring nine of the next 10 points. Gaby Bronson canned a three-pointer with four ticks left to close the gap to the final margin of six.

Bronson and Tara Knapstein led the Rangers on offense, tying season-highs with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Bronson additionally tallied six rebounds. Slivka added a bakers' dozen on offense while grabbing six boards while Johnston chipped in nine points. Mlachnik grabbed six rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists.

Bianca Szafarowicz paced the Bulldogs, collecting a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 11 of her 17 points came from the free throw line. Allie Norton and Amy Briggs each added 15 points while Michalina Tomczak had 10 off the bench.

The Rangers owned a 36-20 edge in points in the paint and shot 48.2 percent (27-for-56) while limiting Truman to shooting a paltry 36.5 percent (19-for-52).

The Rangers return to action on Thursday night at 5 p.m., traveling to face University of Missouri-Saint Louis.