Kenosha, Wis - In their first conference battle of the season, Parkside welcomed Lake Superior State into town on Thursday night. Parkside rode a stellar defensive performance to a victory and began their quest for another GLIAC title with a 66-50 win.
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Inside the box score:
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Josiah Palmer cashed in a game-best 17 points and led Parkside with five assists
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In his second start, Rokas Castillo had eight points, five rebounds, two assists, and recorded four steals
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Parkside shot 55% from three-point range, going 11-20
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Parkside and Lake State were neck and neck through the beginning stages of the game. Ethan Ivan began Parkside's brilliant night from three with an early make for Parkside's first points of the night. In fact, the team scored their first 15 points via the triple. Colin O'Rourke put together a big first half, finishing with ten points and protecting the rim at all costs. He finished with a game high three blocks. His defense proved to be a difference all night long. O'Rourke added an acrobatic finish to his resume in the first half.Â
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Parkside got the job done on the glass as well, recording eight offensive boards compared to none for Lake State. Brown had four offensive rebounds, finishing with eight overall. Jake Dunham ended the first half with an exclamation point, as he ripped the ropes moments before the horn. Parkside led 30-25 headed into the break.Â
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Whatever was said at halftime worked, as Parkside ran away with the contest in the second half. Rokas Castillo received the start at guard and he played a massive factor. The freshman distributed the ball to an elite level, and was a bandit on the defensive end. He tallied four steals which led the game by a significant margin. Down the stretch, Josiah Palmer found his stroke, connecting on back-to-back three's midway through the half. Parkside played a physical game of basketball, and their defense held strong when it mattered.Â
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Key makes from Nick Brown, Javon Johnson, and Sam DeVault helped secure Parkside's first conference victory of their season. Parkside improves to 5-3 on the season and they return to action to host 14th ranked Ferris State on Saturday. The game is slated to begin at 3:00pm. For coverage of the event, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
