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

Box Score

LEBANON, Ill. (Feb. 19, 2015)-- Goran Zagorac finished with a double-double in his first career start while Jimmy Gavin piled on 28 points as the 12th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball squad overpowered McKendree University 80-64 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division clash inside the Statham Center on Thursday night.

Jordan Mach, Jimmy Gavin and Jalen Currie all buried threes in the opening five minutes as the Rangers (23-2, 15-1 GLVC) raced out to an early 11-2 lead. The Bearcats (11-13, 4-12 GLVC) battled back, utilizing an 11-2 run of their own to snag a 29-27 lead with 4:51 left in the opening half. 

UW-Parkside quickly answered, reclaiming the lead 28 seconds later on a Gavin three. Mach hit a three with 3:16 left and Gavin tallied another long range bomb with just under two minutes before halftime as the visiting Rangers enjoyed a 38-31 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Parkside collected nine of the first 11 points of the second half, capped off by a Currie dunk as the floodgates opened up for the Rangers. UW-Parkside led by as many as 24 points in the second half, cruising to the squad's seventh consecutive win.

Zagorac was a perfect four-for-four from the floor, scoring 10 points while scooping up 13 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Gavin was unstoppable from the perimeter, hitting five threes and collecting 28 points while Andy Mazurczak added 13 points and six assists. Mach was the fourth Ranger in double figures with 10 points while Kendale McCullum added nine points off the bench,

Michael Jackson paced McKendree with 15 points while Matt Holmes added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Logan Carson had 10 points while Kyle Yates contributed 10 points off the bench.

UW-Parkside controlled the glass, finishing with a 37-25 rebounding edge while owning a 13-4 advantage in second chance points.

The Rangers return to the hardwood on Saturday, facing the University of Illinois Springfield at 3 p.m.