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

Box Score

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 11, 2016)-- A herculean effort from Andy Mazurczak tipped the scales in favor of the 17th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Parkside men's basketball squad on Thursday night, rallying from a nine-point deficit to collect the 102-96 overtime victory over Truman State University in a battle of Great Lakes Valley Conference divisional leaders inside Pershing Arena.

Mazurczak finished the overtime epic with a career-high 40 points with 32 coming after the halftime intermission, powering the East Division co-leading Rangers (19-3, 12-2 GLVC) to their 15th win in the last 16 games, while etching his name in the record books becoming the winningest player in program history. The win was Mazurczak's 88th in a Ranger uniform, surpassing the legendary Stevie King who collected 87 wins from 1974 to 1978.

The host Bulldogs (17-7, 9-5 GLVC) came into the game in a three-way tie atop the West Division standings and built a game-high nine point lead off a Dwight Sistrunk Jr. jumper with 6:13 left in the game. Undaunted, Mazurczak scored 12 of the next 14 points, single-handedly pulling the Rangers back into the driver's seat. Six of those points came at the charity stripe, including a free throw with 2:14 left, completing a three-point play and more importantly, giving the Green and White an 81-80 lead.

Truman ripped off the next six points, owning an 86-81 edge with under a minute to go before Mazurczak hit consecutive layups to close the gap to just a single point. The Bulldogs hit a free throw with 18 ticks left to own a two-point edge before Mazurczak hit a layup with nine seconds left to force overtime with the game tied at 87.

In extra time, UW-Parkside led early before a 5-0 run gave Truman a 94-93 lead with 2:09 remaining. Kendale McCullum drained a three with 61 seconds left to give the Rangers the lead for good before a Mazurczak jumper padded the lead to four. Chavares Flanigan sealed the game, absorbing a charge with 11 ticks left to get the ball back en route to the six-point win.

Truman was on fire in the opening half, sinking 10 of its 15 three-pointers and staking a 46-42 lead after 20 minutes of action. The Rangers charged out of the half with the opening seven points before TSU opened up a nine-point lead with 12:16 left thanks in part to an 11-2 run.

Mazurczak averaged a point a minute, tallying 40 points in 40 minutes of action, shooting 16-for-26 from the floor with six rebounds and five assists. His mindboggling performance included scoring 21 straight points for the Rangers, spanning from the final five minutes of regulation through the opening 2:41 of overtime. McCullum dropped 24 points with six assists and five boards while Goran Zagorac and Jalen Currie both added eight points.

Cole Myers paced Truman, sinking eight of his nine three-point attempts for 34 points along with nine rebounds while Kyle Kanaskie and Billy Daniel both poured on 17.

UW-Parkside shot 55.7 percent (39-for-70) from the floor, collecting 58 of its 102 points from inside the paint while enjoying a 17-8 edge in points off turnovers in the wild affair with 14 lead changes and 12 ties.

The Rangers face another West Division heavyweight on Saturday, clashing with West Division co-leading Quincy University at 3 p.m. inside Pepsi Arena to cap off interdivisional play.