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

SOMERS, Wis. (Dec. 31, 2014)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball squad can see the light at the end of the tunnel, closing out its marathon season-opening road swing this week against Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division foes Truman State University and Quincy University.

The Rangers resume GLVC action on Friday, Jan. 2 in Kirksville, Missouri against Truman State with opening tip slated for 5:30 p.m. UW-Parkside caps off its 15-game road trip two days later in Quincy, Illinois, taking on the host Hawks at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4. Live stats and audio will be provided for both games (Sunday vs. Quincy will be joined in progress around 2 p.m.) with Mark Albanese on the audio feed available online and on local airwaves on WRJN 1400 AM in southeast Wisconsin. Truman State will additionally offer a live video feed.

About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (7-3, 0-1 GLVC) capped off its non-conference slate in Puerto Rico two weeks ago, winning two of its three games on the island to finish a 7-2 mark outside of GLVC play. The Rangers rolled past the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras 60-41 on Dec. 16, pounded University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 68-43 the next day and owned a 16-point advantage against the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon before getting edged 63-59 by the Vaqueras on Dec. 18. Against UPR-Bayamon, the Rangers turned the ball over a season-high 31 times.

UW-Parkside took on Division I University of Toledo in an exhibition on Tuesday night, owning an early six-point lead before ultimately succumbing 70-43 to the Rockets after shooting just 28 percent (14-for-50) from the floor. The game was the third and final exhibition for the Rangers in 2014-2015, having also faced Valparaiso University and Northwestern University in early November.

Six different players have led Parkside in scoring in the 10 regular season games of 2014-2015 with Gaby Bronson leading the Rangers on the season in scoring (13.0 points per game), rebounds (5.8 per game) and assists (5.7 per game). Kristin Conniff averages 10.3 ppg with 3.2 rpg while canning a team-best 15 three-pointers while Tara Knapstein and Stephanie Furr chip in 7.9 and 7.0 ppg, respectively. Sarah Mlachnik is the team's second leading rebounder, grabbing 5.4 boards per game.

As a team, the Rangers lead the GLVC in scoring defense, allowing a paltry 56.0 points per game while sitting sixth in scoring margin at 9.4.

Jan. 2 vs Truman State University at Pershing Arena (Live Stats)(Video)(Audio)

Series History: The Rangers and Bulldogs have met just once on the hardwood with Truman State stealing the win in the initial encounter last season on Jan. 5 inside DeSimone Gymnasium. The Bulldogs made 33 trips to the free throw line that afternoon, prevailing 74-68 in a contest featuring nine lead changes and six ties.

About the Bulldogs: Truman State (7-2, 1-0 GLVC) heads into Friday riding a four-game win streak. The Bulldogs two setbacks came at the hands of Top 10 teams, getting pounded 102-45 at the hands of then No. 10 Pittsburg State University on Nov. 26 before faltering 63-49 to then No. 8 West Texas A&M University two days later.

Truman has since bounced back defeating Cameron University 80-75 on Nov. 29 before opening GLVC action with a 75-65 win over visiting Quincy on Dec. 6. The Bulldogs upset then No. 18 Missouri Southern State University 67-64 on Dec. 15 before wrapping up non-league action with an 86-74 decision over Culver-Stockton College on Dec. 20.

Allie Norton powers the Bulldog offensive attack, averaging 16.4 points per game while grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game. Courtney Strait registers 13.3 ppg while Michalina Tomczak adds 10.0 ppg and a team-leading 6.1 rpg. Truman has featured the exact same starting lineup all nine games this season with Norton, Strait, Tomczak, Rachel Steinhoff, and Ashley Hartwig all taking the floor every game this year.

Jan. 4 vs Quincy University at Pepsi Arena (Live Stats)(Audio)

Series History: The Rangers and Hawks have battled 37 times on the hardwood with the Green and White enjoying a 20-17 edge in the all-time series. UW-Parkside owned a second half double-digit advantage against Quincy last time they met on Jan. 3, 2014 in Somers but was unable to close out the contest with the Hawks escaping with a 56-55 win.

About the Hawks: Quincy (5-4, 0-1 GLVC) heads into the weekend on a two-game win streak. The Hawks are undefeated at home this season (5-0) but winless on the road and are 18-2 at the Pepsi Arena over the past two seasons. QU opened the year with two wins before dropping four of its next five with the lone win during that stretch a 101-49 beat down of Hannibal-LaGrange College on Dec. 2. Truman topped Quincy 75-65 in the GLVC opener on Dec. 6 but the Hawks have rebounded with a 70-37 win over Northwest Missouri State University on Dec. 13 and a 99-43 win over Robert Morris University-Springfield on Dec. 20.

Carly Bettencourt is the lone Hawk averaging in double figures, dropping 10.8 points per game along with a team-best 4.7 assists per game while Nikia Edom adds 9.4 ppg. Anika Webster chips in 8.6 ppg while leading the team on the glass with 5.9 rebounds per game.

Island Adventures: On top of playing three games in three days the UW-Parkside women's basketball squad was also able to soak in a few sights in Puerto Rico during their nearly week long stay. The Rangers toured Castillo San Cristobal, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the Americas while walking the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. The team additionally traveled to rural Fajardo where they kayaked a lagoon featuring rare bioluminescent life forms and soaked in some sun on the beaches of San Juan.

Bench Buckets: UW-Parkside has generated points off the bench all season with the reserves outscoring the starters on four of the 10 regular season games this season. The Ranger reserves netted 39 of the team's 69 points on Nov. 20 in a 10-point win over Ohio Dominican University while the backups poured on 41 points in a 60-42 win over Tiffin University on Nov. 22. Parkside's bench collected 36 of the team's 61 points on Dec. 4 against Lewis University and 35 points in a 60-41 win over the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras on Dec. 16.

GLVC Accolades: Gabby Bronson was named the GLVC Player of the Week on Nov. 17 for her performance at the Highway 76 Classic where the senior earned Co-MVP honors after notching a triple-double and averaging 19.5 points per game, 8.0 assists per game and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Bronson became the first Ranger to win the award since Jenna Endisch did so on Dec. 20, 2012.

Road Warriors: UW-Parkside will play its opening 15 games on the road this season. By the time the Rangers tipoff against Maryville University on Jan. 8 in the home opener, UW-Parkside will have logged 7,261 miles of travel, touring seven states along with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The two-month long road odyssey will see the Rangers play games in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois (again), Puerto Rico, Ohio (again) and Missouri.

Pod-demonium: The GLVC continues its pod system for the 2014-2015, retaining the setup of two divisions with two pods of four. Pod mates will play each other in a home and home series and play all other opponents once. UW-Parkside's pod includes University of Illinois Springfield, McKendree University and Lewis University.

Preseason Prognostications: UW-Parkside is picked to finish fifth in the GLVC East in 2014-2015 according to the league's 16 head coaches.

The Rangers accumulated 60 points and one first place nod to secure fifth. Lewis University collected 13 of the 16 first place votes, snagging the top spot in the East with 118 points. The University of Indianapolis and the University of Southern Indiana each grabbed a first place vote, placing second and third in the poll, respectively. Bellarmine University rounds out the upper half of the division, slotting fourth with 74 points. Saint Joseph's College was picked sixth (53 points) followed by the University of Illinois Springfield in seventh (38 points) and McKendree University in eighth (30 points).

In the West Division, Drury University scooped up 12 of the 16 first place endorsements, claiming the top spot with 115 points. Quincy University is second with 94 points and one first place vote followed by Maryville University with 93 points and one first place vote. Truman State University grabbed two first place votes and 89 points to secure fourth while the University of Missouri-Saint Louis is fifth with 64 points. William Jewell College is sixth (47 points) followed by Missouri University S&T in seventh (40 points) and Rockhurst University in eighth (26 points).

Home Sweet Home: The Rangers have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent years, winning 66 of their last 77 games inside DeSimone Gymnasium. 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, 14-1 in 2011-12, 11-3 in 2012-13 and 7-7 this season.

The Yorg File: Head Coach Jacob Yorg became the program's sixth coach prior to the 2013-2014 season, replacing the program's winningest coach in Jenny Knight-Kenesie. Yorg is no stranger to the GLVC having served as the associate head coach at Maryville University from 2008-2013. Maryville posted a 76-64 record in that span, winning a GLVC Tournament Championship and a GLVC West Division crown.

Joining Yorg on the bench this season will be former Ranger student-athlete Danielle Slivka along with Oliver Wiseman and Dean Mlachnik.