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

SOMERS, Wis. (Feb. 17, 2016)-- The University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's basketball team will be jockeying for playoff position this week, closing out its home regular season slate against a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division rivals from the Hoosier State. The Rangers host Saint Joseph's College on Thursday before closing out the home slate at DeSimone Gymnasium with a Saturday showdown with the University of Indianapolis.
 
Thursday clash between the Rangers and Pumas is set to tipoff at 5:30 p.m. while UW-Parkside and UIndy are slated to hit the floor at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Rangers will don pink uniforms on Thursday in support of breast cancer awareness and research while honoring the squad's five seniors on Saturday in a pregame ceremony. Live stats, video, and audio of both games will be available through parksiderangers.com.
 
About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (13-10, 7-8 GLVC) came up empty handed last week in its final weekend slate against the GLVC West, dropping tight ballgames to hosts Truman State University (65-56) and 20th-ranked Quincy University (70-67). It's the first time this season the Rangers didn't manage at least a split during league play and is the first two-game skid for the squad since dropping the opening two contests in Alaska back in late November.
 
Against Truman, the Rangers and Bulldogs traded jabs over the opening 25 minutes with the lead changing hands eight times before host TSU mounted a 12-0 run midway through the third period to stake a 14-point edge. Three consecutive treys ignited the scoring surge for the Bulldogs. UW-Parkside closed within five with 7:53 left but was unable to come any closer in the nine-point defeat.
 
Stephanie Furr and Brittney Fair accounted for nearly 70 percent of the team's offense against Truman, scoring 20 and 19 points, respectively.
 
Two days later against #20 Quincy it was a fast start and a strong finish by the Hawks that ultimately derailed the Rangers who fell 70-67 for their first Saturday setback since Jan. 2. QU owned a 16-7 lead after the opening quarter of action. The game was tied on two occasions in the fourth before the Hawks built a seven-point buffer with 2:55 remaining. Four consecutive points from Furr closed the gap to a single point with 20 seconds left but QU's Maggie Cunningham sank four free throws in the final 18 seconds to preserve the victory for the hosts.
 
It was another big outing for Furr who piled on 22 points while Tara Knapstein added 14 with Jessica Prince securing eight rebounds.
 
On the season, Furr leads the Rangers in both scoring (13.7 points per game) and steals (1.5 per game) while averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. Kristin Conniff logs 11.7 ppg, sinking a team-high 39 threes on the year while Tara Knapstein adds 9.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and a team-leading 2.7 apg. Prince leads the Rangers on the boards, securing 6.7 rebounds per game while Shelby Cheston has a team-best 24 blocks while averaging 5.0 rpg.
 
As a unit, the Rangers rank second in the GLVC in free throw percentage, hitting 75.8 percent of its chances while standing fourth in the league in rebounding margin (+4.3).
 
Feb. 18 vs. Saint Joseph's College at DeSimone Gymnasium (Live Stats)(Video)(Audio)
 
Series History: UW-Parkside and Saint Joseph's have met 48 times on the hardwood with the Rangers owning a 26-22 edge in the all-time series. The Rangers have dominated SJC over the past few seasons, winning 22 of the last 24 encounters. The two squads last met on Dec. 5 with the homestanding Pumas erasing a 15-point deficit to claim the 67-63 victory. Lauren Davis proved virtually unstoppable for SJC, scoring 30 of the team's 67 points.
 
About the Pumas: Saint Joseph's (17-8, 10-5 GLVC) heads to Wisconsin riding a three-game win streak and are in the midst of its best season in 20 years. The Pumas fell 63-53 to Truman State in their penultimate home game on Feb. 4 before ripping off wins over then No. 18 Quincy (73-63) on Feb. 6, William Jewell College (69-66) on Feb. 11, and Rockhurst University (77-69) on Feb. 13.
 
Against WJC, the visiting Pumas owned a 13-point buffer heading into the final period and staved off a late Cardinal rally for the win while utilizing an 8-0 run with under five minutes to go against Rockhurst to turn a one possession lead into a double-digit cushion to escape Kansas City with a pair of wins.
 
Three Pumas average in double figures with Lauren Davis paving the way with a 16.3 points per game average along with a team-best 4.6 assists per game and 53 steals. Kalea Parks adds 15.4 ppg and 5.8 rebounds per game with Courtney Kvachkoff tallying 13.3 ppg and a team-leading 6.6 rpg.
 
Saint Joe's ranks second in the conference in assists (15.56) and steals (9.28) while checking in third in turnover margin (+2.76) and defensive rebounds (25.2). The Pumas additionally sit fourth in the 16-team circuit in free throw percentage (74.9 percent), field goal defense (38.4 percent), and blocks (3.76).
 
Saint Joseph's has excelled on the road this season, enjoying a 7-3 mark in games played outside of Scharf Fieldhouse in Rensselaer, Indiana.
 
Feb. 20 vs. University of Indianapolis at DeSimone Gymnasium (Live Stats)(Video)(Audio)
 
Series History: UW-Parkside and UIndy have clashed 40 times on the court with the Greyhounds owning a slim 21-19 edge in the all-time series. The two squads opened GLVc play back on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana with the visiting Rangers securing the 68-61 win behind a 24-point performance from Kristin Conniff.
 
About the Greyhounds: Indianapolis (7-18, 5-10 GLVC) heads into the weekend having dropped four of its last five games. Two of the four setbacks have been by razor thin margins, suffering a 73-72 overtime setback to Quincy on Feb. 4 while succumbing to Rockhurst 70-68 last Thursday. The Greyhounds rebounded on Saturday, slipping past William Jewell 56-54.
 
Against the Hawks, UIndy owned a seven-point edge heading into the final period before getting outscored 27-18 over the final 10 minutes. UIndy led by eight with 2:05 remaining but was held scoreless for the rest of the game as Jillian Myers free throws gave the hosts the lead with 35 ticks left.
 
Indianapolis suffered another scoring drought down the stretch on Saturday against William Jewell but was able to hang on for the two-point win. UIndy was held scoreless over the final 2:14 but its seven-point buffer proved to be just enough as a WJC three fell short at the buzzer.
 
Princess German leads the GLVC in scoring, netting 21.0 points per game while Nicole Anderson adds 14.2 ppg and a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game. Sarah Costello adds 9.5 ppg with 4.6 rpg while dishing out a team-leading 2.8 assists per game.
 
Senior Salute: On Saturday the Rangers will honor its five seniors: Kristin Conniff, Stephanie Furr, Tara Knapstein, Jessica Prince, and Rani Singh. Over the last four seasons, the class of 2016 has accumulated 64 wins while making two trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
National Stat Rankings: UW-Parkside sits 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage, connecting on 75.8 percent of attempts this season and ranks 56th nationally in both rebounding margin (+4.3) and fewest turnovers (337).
 
Knap Time: Tara Knapstein became the 17th Ranger to collect 1,000 career points on Jan. 23 in UW-Parkside's victory over the University of Southern Indiana. Knapstein tallied point number 1,000 on a layup in the third quarter and ended the game with 1,002 career points. The senior is second Ranger to do so in the Jacob Yorg era, joining Gaby Bronson who finished her career last season with 1,015 total points.
 
Perfect at the Line Part 2: UW-Parkside's 13-for-13 shooting performance at the free throw line on Jan. 30 in the team's 70-53 win over the University of Illinois Springfield was the second perfect outing for the Rangers at the line this season. Just seven days prior, the Green and White posted a 14-for-14 effort at the charity stripe in a 72-60 victory over the University of Southern Indiana. Prior to USI, the Rangers last perfect effort at the line was on Jan. 28, 2012 with UW-Parkside downing the University of Indianapolis 73-70 behind a 13-for-13 performance at the charity stripe. All told, it is the eighth time since the start of the 2007-2008 season the Rangers have been perfect at the line, including a 16-for-16 effort in a GLVC Tournament setback to Missouri University S&T on Mar. 6, 2009.
 
Nike Camp: The UW-Parkside women's basketball program will host the 2016 Nike Camp on July 10-13 for girls ages eight to 16. The camp is the only Nike Camp in Wisconsin for girls and will feature a camper to instructor ratio of 8-to-1. More information can be found at parksiderangers.com/camps.

Mix-and-Match: 12 different Rangers have earned starts this season as the squad has utilized 10 unique starting lineups over the course of the 23 games this season. Kristin Conniff and Jessica Prince have been the most consistent faces in the starting five, both making 20 starts this season while freshman point guard Taylor Stephen has made 18 starts.

Road Warriors: Heavy travel during the non-conference slate, a staple of Head Coach Jacob Yorg, continued this season with 11 of the first 12 games being played at neutral sites or on the road. The season-opening barnstorming tour featured games in four different time zones, including for the second consecutive season, a string of games outside the continental United States. This season the Rangers played three games in Alaska while last season the squad played a trio of games in Puerto Rico. All told, the Rangers will cover over 11,895 miles between the home opener and the GLVC home opener on Jan. 2.
 
Time Zone Travelers: The barnstorming Rangers had a stretch of four games in four different time zones during the epic non-conference road swing. The streak began in Alaska, downing Sonoma State University 73-63 on Nov. 28 in the Alaskan Time Zone. The Rangers rolled the University of Indianapolis 68-61 on Dec. 3 in the Eastern Time Zone to open GLVC action before falling 67-63 to Saint Joseph's in UW-Parkside's native Central Time Zone on Dec. 5. The streak continued on Dec. 18 with the Rangers routing Concordia University Oregon 65-43 in the Pacific Time Zone at the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Seattle, Washington.

20-Win Club: UW-Parkside defeated McKendree University on Feb. 19, 2015 to secure the program's fifth 20-win campaign over the past six seasons. The Rangers have six total 20 win seasons in program history with all of them coming since 2004, including five under the direction of former Head Coach Jenny Knight-Kenesie (2002-2013).
 
Aerial Assault: Seniors Tara Knapstein and Kristin Conniff have both etched their names in the record book for their ability to shoot the three. Knapstein ranks eighth on the all-time list with 113 threes, sitting seven shy of Jamie Nebel (1999-2003) in seventh place while Kristin Conniff sits ninth with 105 career threes, eight shy of Knapstein and 15 short of Nebel.

Pod-demonium: The GLVC continues its pod system for the 2015-2016 season, 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 the University of Indianapolis, Saint Joseph's College, and travel partner Lewis University. Pod mates rotate every two years with the Rangers previously paired with Lewis, University of Illinois Springfield and McKendree University from 2013-2015.
 
Preseason Prognostications: UW-Parkside is picked to finish second in the GLVC East in 2015-2016 according to the league's 16 head coaches.
 
The Rangers accumulated 97 points and two first place nods to secure the No. 2 position in the East Division. Lewis University collected the remaining 14 first place votes, snagging the top spot in the East with 119 points. The University of Southern Indiana (25-7, 15-3 GLVC) is third with 92 points with Bellarmine University (14-13, 9-9 GLVC) rounding out the upper half of the division, slotting fourth with 75 points.
 
The University of Indianapolis (12-16, 8-10 GLVC) is fifth with 73 points, followed by Saint Joseph's College (11-18, 7-11 GLVC) in sixth (54 points), University of Illinois Springfield (6-20, 2-16 GLVC) in seventh (32 points), and McKendree University (2-24, 1-17 GLVC) in eighth (26 points).
 
In the West Division, defending GLVC Tournament Champion Drury University (26-4, 17-1 GLVC) sits atop the poll, raking in 120 points and 15 of the 16 first place votes. Quincy University (16-12, 10-8 GLVC) is second with 105 points and the lone remaining No. 1 vote followed by Truman State University (16-11, 10-8 GLVC) in third (85 points) and University of Missouri-Saint Louis (14-14, 9-9 GLVC) in fourth (72 points).
 
Maryville University (15-14, 8-10 GLVC) is slotted to place fifth with 67 points followed by William Jewell College (15-12, 10-8 GLVC) in sixth (50 points), Rockhurst University (11-15, 5-13 GLVC) in seventh (44 points), and Missouri University S&T (6-20, 2-16 GLVC) in eighth (25 points).
 
Home Sweet Home: The Rangers have been nearly unbeatable at home in recent years, winning 78 of their last 94 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, 7-7 in 2013-14, and finished last season with a 7-2 mark inside DeSimone Gym. In addition, the Rangers have knocked off four nationally-ranked teams inside DeSimone Gymnasium since the 2012-2013 season, including a nationally-televised victory over #6 Drury University on Jan. 9.
 
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.
 
Yorg guided the Rangers to the biggest single season turnaround in program history in 2014-2015, guiding the team back to the NCAA Division II Tournament while netting a program-record 12 game win streak during GLVC play. Yorg's record at Parkside currently stands at 43-36.
 
Joining Yorg on the bench this season will be assistants Courtney Boyd, Dean Mlachnik, and Dave Mentkowski. This will be Boyd's first season with the Green and White, previously serving as the head coach at AIB College of Business in Iowa while Mlachnik returns for his second season with UW-Parkside. Mentkowski is also in his first tour of duty with the Parkside women's program.