KENOSHA, Wis. --- The Parkside Rangers women's basketball team will play host to the Ferris State Bulldogs on Wednesday night in the opening round of the 2023 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament. The number three-seeded Rangers are hosting a first-round playoff game for the first time since hosting Ferris State on March 2^nd, 2021, in a game the Parkside won 82-59.
 
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JEN CONLEY
"It was great to finish up the regular season with big wins over Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State. Our league is ridiculously stacked with great teams. Seven of the eight teams in the tournament have winning records and the number eight seed beat a top six regionally ranked team.
 
Ferris State is a great team that is well-coached. They are led by Chloe Idoni and Mallory McCartney; Idoni is the best post in our league and McCartney is one of the top PGs in assist/turnover ratios in all of D2. We will need to be locked in defensively for 40 minutes because they have so many weapons and can attack you in a variety of ways. I know our squad is excited to host the first round of the GLIAC Tournament! We are looking forward to playing in De Simone Arena one last time this season."
 
THE MATCHUP
The Rangers and Bulldogs have met twice this season, with the Rangers winning both matchups. Parkside won in Big Rapids, Michigan by a final score of 75-66 back on January 14^th. The Rangers then defeated Ferris 79-66 on February 2^nd. The opening 20 minutes were critical in both contests, with the Rangers shooting over 50 percent from the floor in both games. Alyssa Nelson was the top scorer for the Rangers, scoring 23 points in Big Rapids and 17 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists in the matchup inside DeSimone. Parkside has won three straight over Ferris State, dating back to last season.
 
ABOUT THE RANGERS
The Parkside Rangers enter postseason play with a record of 18-10 overall and 13-5 in GLIAC play. The 13-5 record in the GLIAC is the best since Parkside joined the conference back in 2018. The Rangers played a rigorous schedule this season, with seven games coming against teams that are currently ranked in the most recent NCAA Division II regional rankings. Parkside had a slow start to the 2022-23 season with the team sporting a 3-6 record after the first nine games. Since the loss to Lewis on December 6^th, the team has gone 15-4 with three of the four losses coming to regionally ranked teams. The longest winning streak was five games, which came between January 7^th and 26^th. The Rangers have won seven straight home games to close the regular season, which is the longest home winning streak since the 2014-15 season.  
 
The Rangers are led by senior guard Alyssa Nelson who is averaging 22.3 points per game on the season. Nelson's 22.3 ppg is the top average in the GLIAC this season, and as of Monday afternoon ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division II. Sheridan Flauger has also been a mainstay in the Parkside lineup this season. The sophomore has averaged nine points per game this season while amassing 84 assists and a team-high 37 steals.
 
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
The Ferris State Bulldogs enter the postseason with a 16-11 record and a 9-9 record in GLIAC play. The Bulldogs sprinted out of the gates to begin the season, winning seven of their first eight games, with the lone loss coming to Grand Valley State. Ferris State went 3-3 in the month of February, with the regular season closing with a 72-55 loss to Grand Valley State.
 
The Bulldogs are led by Chloe Idoni, who averages 19.3 points per game on the season, which is third-best in the GLIAC. Mallory McCartney is also a player to watch for Ferris. The senior guard is third on the team in scoring but leads the GLIAC in assists to turnover-ratio and assists per game. McCartney is also second in the GLIAC in three-pointers made, behind Parkside's Nelson.
 
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.