KENOSHA, Wis. --- The 2023 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) champion Parkside Rangers men's basketball team starts their quest towards a GLIAC Tournament title and the automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night. The Rangers will host the eighth-seeded Michigan Tech Huskies for a 7:30pm tipoff inside DeSimone Arena.
 
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH LUKE REIGEL
"It's hard to describe how much we are looking forward to playing a post-season game at home this Wednesday. The last time we played here in the post-season was during the Covid season, so no fans were allowed in to see the game.  Now we are looking for the same, unbelievable energy we've had at our last few home games.
 
We have a ton of respect for Michigan Tech.  They are young and talented.   They've gone through some tough times like any young team would, but we know they have the ability to beat anyone in our league.  We will have to play another hard-nosed defensive game to be successful.
 
Overall, it is just very nice to not have to travel for the conference tournament.  The campus and the community have been outstanding during the stretch and we hope to have De Simone rocking again on Wednesday."
 
THE MATCHUP
Wednesday night's matchup will be the third of the 2022-23 season between the Rangers and Huskies. Parkside won both previous matchups this season. Four Rangers scored in double figures in the 72-49 win inside DeSimone on December 1^st. Bello led the way with 20 points, as four Rangers again scored in double figures in the 76-58 win over the Huskies in Houghton, Michigan on February 18^th. Jamir Simpson had a double-double in the win as well.
 
ABOUT THE RANGERS
The Parkside Rangers enter postseason play with a 21-7 overall record and a 14-4 record in GLIAC play. The 14-4 conference record is the best for the program since joining the GLIAC in 2018. The 2018-19 team was the last to win a GLIAC regular season title before this Parkside team did so on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers have had multiple winning streaks on the season, with a season-high of six between December 1^st and 19^th. The Rangers have been extremely comfortable inside DeSimone this season, going 14-2 this year in front of the home crowd. Parkside enters postseason play as winners of their last three and eight of their last nine. By virtue of the GLIAC regular season championship, the Rangers will have home court advantage throughout the GLIAC Tournament. The defense has been a strong suit of this Parkside team, as they are the top-scoring defense in the league, where they are allowing just 66.7 points per game.
 
The Parkside lineup is led by sophomore guard Rasheed Bello. Bello is averaging 18.5 points per game which ranks third in the GLIAC. Bello has been efficient with his shooting, where he is knocking down shots at a 47.6 percent clip. As impressive as Bello has been on the offensive end, he has been equally as impressive on the defensive end. He has 69 steals on the season, which is the most in the GLIAC and third most in all of NCAA Division II. Jamir Simpson has also been a critical component to Parkside's success this season. The sophomore is averaging 14.4 points per game and has started in all but one game this season for the Rangers. Simpson can score the basketball, but he also crashes the boards. He leads the Rangers in the category, bringing down six rebounds per game. Last but certainly not least of the trio of guards is Josiah Palmer. The sophomore has emerged as one of the top-scoring options for the Rangers, where he averages 11.5 points per game. He also ranks second on the team in steals (33) and assists (64).
 
ABOUT THE HUSKIES
The Michigan Tech Huskies enter the postseason with an 8-19 overall record and a 5-13 record in GLIAC play. The Huskies went 3-4 in the month of February, losing four of their last five, including a 65-57 loss to Northern Michigan in their home finale on Saturday. Dan Gherezgher has been the top offensive threat this season for the Huskies. The freshman guard is averaging 11.5 points per game and is shooting just over 40 percent from the floor. Freshman Marcus Tomashek and sophomore Adam Hobson are two others to watch out for, as they both average over ten points per game. The Huskies average 67.7 points per game on the offensive end, which ranks ninth out of ten teams in the GLIAC. On the other side of the ball, they allow 73.6 points per game, which ranks seventh in the GLIAC.
 
HOW TO WATCH
Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate on the day of the game. Ticket prices start at $10. Cash is preferred. For those that cannot make the game in person, the link to the live stream and stats can be found at ParksideRangers.com/coverage.