Saginaw, MI - The Parkside Rangers jumped into GLIAC play on the road against Saginaw Valley State and didn't disappoint in their first game of 2024. The Rangers handled and took down the Cardinals, ahead for 80% of the contest. Parkside secured a commanding 74-55 win.
Inside the box score:
-
Colin O'Rourke led the game with 17 points; He went 3-6 from three-point range. O'Rourke was everywhere tallying eight rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot
-
Sam DeVault and Nick Brown each had 12 points, and both had clutch shots down the stretch. Brown was a rebound shy of his second double-double of the season, finishing with nine
-
Parkside produced 27 points off the bench, compared to just ten from SVSU
The scoring started slowly for both sides as the teams began the new year in brief slumps. However, Colin O'Rourke continued on his offensive tear. He scored the first 12 of 18 Parkside points through the opening 13-minutes.
It was a gut-wrenching, defensive battle in the first half. Parkside held Saginaw Valley State to just 24 points. This was the first time they were held under 30 points in the first half since last season against Parkside on 12/10/22. They forced the Cardinals into eight first half turnovers.
Big triples from Jack Rose and Sam DeVault kept Parkside ahead and in control in the final minutes of the opening half. With that, Parkside took a nine point lead into the halftime break.
Saginaw Valley State put the pressure on Parkside and kept the battle very close throughout the first nine minutes of the second half. After being held scoreless in the first half, Parkside's leading scorer Josiah Palmer found his stroke at the right time. Palmer nailed a clutch and deep triple as momentum began to shift towards the road team. It also extended Parkside's lead to ten points for the first time in the half.
Directly after the big shot from Palmer, Nick Brown exploded Parkside's bench. Brown hit a triple from the corner and was fouled. Brown would convert the four-point play and it shifted an undeniable momentum swing.
Parkside outscored Saginaw Valley State 41-31 in the second half en route to their seventh victory of the season. The team had healthy production from their bench, as Matas Castillo dropped six points in nine minutes off the bench in his second collegiate game. DeVault contributed in a big way as well, he had 12 bench points including two triples on three tries. Parkside handed Saginaw Valley State just their second loss on their home court this season.
Parkside improved their overall record to 7-6 and 2-1 in conference games. Parkside snapped a two-game losing skid and will look to make it two in a row against Wayne State on Saturday. The game is slated to tip-off at 3:00pm (ET). For coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
