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

Box Score

SOMERS, Wis. (Nov. 14, 2015)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball team was in midseason form on Saturday afternoon, dazzling the home crowd inside DeSimone Gymnasium with an 81-56 whitewash of Saint Xavier University to open the 2015-2016 campaign.
 
It was a tight affair for the opening five minutes before the Rangers (1-0) blew the game open with an 8-0 run, staking an 18-9 advantage with 13:30 remaining on a pair of Kendale McCullum free throws. The visiting Cougars (1-5) crawled back into the contest, utilizing a trio of free throws from Larry Motuzis to close the gap to just a single-point with 8:34 remaining in the first stanza but UW-Parkside pulled away over the final six minutes of the first half, turning a two-point lead into a 16-point 45-29 cushion at the halftime intermission.
 
Jake Verhagen canned a three to open the second half and the Rangers maintained at least a 17-point buffer the rest of the way in the blowout win.
 
Four Parkside players finished the afternoon in double figures with Alexander Brown leading the way with 17 points in just 18 minutes off the bench. Brown was red-hot from the floor, hitting six of his seven attempts, including all three from beyond the arc. McCullum poured on 13 points while securing six assists while Andy Mazurczak and Verhagen each added 12 points. Goran Zagorac was a force defensively, netting a game-high 11 rebounds along with three blocks and two steals.
 
Larry Motuzis paced the Cougars with 14 points while Niko Cahue added 11. Mitch Uratchko netted the lone double-double of the contest with an even 10 points and 10 boards.
 
UW-Parkside scorched the nets in the opening half of play, shooting 70 percent (14-for-20) and finished the contest shooting at a 53.8 percent clip (28-for-52).
 
The Rangers return to the hardwood on Tuesday evening, hosting in-state rival Silver Lake College at 7 p.m.