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

Box Score

VALPARAISO, Ind. (Nov. 1, 2014)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball team opened its exhibition slate with a bang on Saturday afternoon, utilizing a 27-6 run midway through the first half to down Division I Valparaiso University 69-52 inside the Athletics-Recreation Center. Gaby Bronson led the way with a double-double while 11 Rangers scored in the team's first exhibition win over a Division I squad since 2011.

Tara Knapstein scored the game's opening bucket before the host Crusaders rolled off the next five to stake an early lead. The Rangers battled back and held a 15-11 lead with 14:37 left in the opening stanza. For the next 10 minutes, UW-Parkside blitzed Valpo, collecting 27 of the next 33 points to secure a 25-point advantage with 4:15 left in the first half. The Ranger run saw Justine Boerger and Kristin Conniff each drill a pair of three-pointers while forcing the hosts to just one-for-12 from the floor. UW-Parkside shot 43.8 percent from beyond the arc (7-for-16) in the opening 20 minutes of play and took a 23-point buffer to the locker room at half, leading Valpo 48-25.

The Rangers kept the Crusaders at arm's length the entire second half, owning at least a 17-point buffer the rest of the way.

Bronson paced the Rangers, scoring a game-high 14 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Conniff added 12 points off the bench while Justine Boerger made her Ranger debut with 10 points, canning three threes.

Abby Dean led the Crusaders with 11 points while Sharon Karungi netted a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Rangers shot just 29.2 percent (19-for-65) from the floor for the game but managed 32 trips to the free throw line, hitting 23 of them (71.9 percent) while holding the home side to just eight free throw attempts.

The victory was Parkside's first exhibition win over a Division I opponent since 2011 when the squad took down Loyola University Chicago 60-53.

UW-Parkside continues its exhibition slate next Sunday, traveling to Evanston, Illinois to face Northwestern University. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.