Parkside 79, Lindenwood 75
Behind redshirt-senior Tray Croft's career-high 36, the Parkside men's basketball team earned a gritty 79-75 victory in the season-opener against Lindenwood Friday night. The Rangers will finish out the Lindenwood Tipoff Classic against Illinois Springfield on Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
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Hear from Coach Reigel
"It's nice to start the season off on the right foot," head coach Luke Reigel said. "We did a lot of good things and there are a lot of things we will need to correct."
 
Down The Stretch
The Rangers opened up a 14-point lead with just 4:18 to play, looking like they were going to cruise to the season-opening win. Lindenwood had other plans, as the home Lions erased the big lead with a 9-3 run and cut the lead to three points on two occasions and down to two points after an and-1 late. Clutch free throws by Croft and redshirt-senior Ramar Evans with less than :20-seconds left sealed the win for Parkside, who outscored Lindenwood 51-45 in the second half.
 
Statworthy
Croft finished with his career-high 36 on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor, while going 2-for-4 from deep and a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Redshirt-freshman Jamir Simpson, a transfer from the University of Pikeville, finished with 13 points and added six rebounds. There was a time in the first half where the duo of Croft/Simpson scored 17 in a row for Parkside. Redshirt-sophomore Vinson Sigmon Jr. was the third Ranger in double-figures, scoring 10 points and recording seven steals and six rebounds. Redshirt-freshman Colin O'Rourke had seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
 
The Rangers went +12 in rebounding and -4 in the turnover battle. Parkside got a big lift from offensive rebounding, finishing with 18 second chance points while Lindenwood had zero.
 
What's Next
Parkside will face the Prairie Stars on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. before returning home for four straight before GLIAC play starts. The Rangers will host the HARIBO Invitational next weekend. See below for available ticket options.
 
Mini packs and group tickets 
Parkside Athletics has announced three exciting mini pack options for basketball and wrestling, which are now available on ParksideRangers.com/Tickets along with individual game tickets for basketball and wrestling. There are three mini pack options: Build Your Own 5-Pack, Festival Foods Family and Friends Pack and the Pack the Den Mini Pack. 
Pricing (applies to all three mini packs)
General Admission — $35
Chair Back: General — $45
Chair Back: Premium — $60 (Includes $10 in Ranger Cash)
Bear Club: $100 (Includes $10 in Ranger Cash) 
 
With our newly renovated gym, we are able to host groups like never before! Experience the Vision of Parkside Athletics by bringing your company, school, club sport or non-profit to a game or event for a one-of-a-kind experience! To purchase group tickets, please contact Athletics Marketing and Ticketing Coordinator, Robyn Elliott at elliottr@uwp.edu or (262)595-2246. 
 
Purchase season tickets 
Season tickets for basketball and wrestling are still available, including seats available in The Bear Club and the Nexus Courtside/Matside Club, which both have access to The Bear Club's bar during events. Be sure to book your spot in the newly renovated De Simone Gymnasium, which features new bleachers and two new videoboards. To learn more or to purchase your season tickets, visit ParksideRangers.com/Tickets.